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Only a handful of golds remain up for grabs before we say *arrivederci* to Milano-Cortina on Sunday. But that includes the biggest one of them all.

So, for our final viewing guide, let’s talk about the big hockey game and then go through everything else to watch before the flame goes out.

It’s time: Canada vs. the U.S. for the men’s hockey gold

It just had to come down to this.

Since their two electric showdowns at last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off — bookended by three fights in the first nine seconds of their preliminary matchup in Montreal and Connor McDavid’s OT winner in the championship final in Boston — Canada and the United States have been on a collision course for the Olympic title game in Milan. And now, it’s actually, finally, here. The rival men’s hockey superpowers face off for the marquee gold medal of the Milano-Cortina Games on Sunday at 8:10 a.m. ET.

For a matchup that feels so preordained, this one came dangerously close to not happening. After both teams cruised through the group stage undefeated and untested, Canada needed two frantic comebacks to get past Czechia and Finland in the playoffs, with Mitch Marner and Nathan MacKinnon playing the heroes in overtime. The U.S. also had trouble in the quarterfinals, giving up a late tying goal to Sweden before Quinn Hughes came to the rescue in OT. But the semis were a glorified sparring session for the Americans, who trounced Slovakia 6-2 (Finland crushed the Slovaks 6-1 today for the bronze medal).

While the U.S. seems to be firing on all cylinders, Canada is more than a little banged up. First and foremost on the injured list is captain Sidney Crosby, who went out with a knee injury during the quarterfinal against Czechia and did not play against Finland after attempts to fashion him a custom brace didn’t work out. That does not sound promising, but head coach Jon Cooper said that Crosby skated today and there’s “a chance” he plays.

Canadian defenceman Josh Morrissey got hurt in the opener, hasn’t played since, and will not suit up for the final, Cooper confirmed. MacKinnon and pesky veteran Brad Marchand also appear to be playing at less than 100 per cent. Star forward Brayden Point and two-way centre Anthony Cirelli were knocked out by injuries before they could even make the trip to Italy.

And yet, Canada remains favoured to win the gold, which would be its third in a row at an Olympic Games featuring NHL players. McDavid has been fantastic in his first Olympics, racking up a tournament-high 13 points in five games and taking over the captain’s C for the injured Crosby. Nineteen-year-old sensation Macklin Celebrini, playing on a line with McDavid, ranks second with 10 points and leads all scorers with five goals.

The U.S. hasn’t won an Olympic men’s hockey title since the 1980 Miracle on Ice, losing to Canada in the finals in 2002 in Salt Lake City and in 2010 in Vancouver on Crosby’s golden goal. But this is probably the best American team ever, led by the high-scoring defenceman Hughes and a host of star forwards including Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel and the gritty Tkachuk brothers, Matthew and Brady.

This one looks like a true tossup. Will Canada reassert its men’s hockey supremacy? Or can the U.S. finally lay claim to having the best team on the planet? Either way, it’s gonna be one hell of a game.

Other stuff to watch on Sunday

First, a heads-up that there will be a one-hour pre-game show ahead of the men’s hockey final, starting at 7 a.m. ET on the CBC TV network and CBC Gem.

Now here’s everything else happening on Day 17, in chronological order:

Cross-country skiing: Women’s 50km mass start at 4 a.m. ET

This is the first time in Olympic history that the women will ski 50km. Previously, they topped out at 30K. Sweden’s Frida Karlsson goes for her third gold medal of the Games after winning the 10km freestyle and 20km skiathlon events. Four Canadians are in this race, but none are expected to contend for the podium.

Today, Norway’s Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo won the men’s 50km mass start for his sixth gold medal of the Games, moving past U.S. speed skating legend Eric Heiden for the most golds ever at a single Winter Olympics. Klaebo also extended his record for career Winter Games golds to 11.

Freestyle skiing: Canada’s Amy Fraser and Rachael Karker in the women’s halfpipe final at 4:40 a.m. ET

This was supposed to happen today, but heavy snow in Livigno forced a postponement. 

Fraser and Karker placed seventh and ninth in qualifying on Thursday. Canada’s Cassie Sharpe earned third place with her first run before a terrifying crash knocked her unconscious. She’s out of the hospital now and back in the athletes’ village, but the 2018 Olympic champion and 2022 silver medallist did not get medical clearance to compete today and it’s unlikely that will change for Sunday. Sharpe said in an Instagram video that she was “dealing with a heavy concussion, a little face contusion and some lingering dizziness.”

China’s Eileen Gu won the Olympic gold in 2022 — ahead of Sharpe and Karker, who took the bronze. Gu and reigning world champ Zoe Atkin of Great Britain are expected to battle for the gold on Sunday.

The final consists of three runs, with the last one starting at 5:38 a.m. ET. Each athlete’s best score is the only one that counts.

Curling: Switzerland vs. Sweden for the women’s gold at 5:05 a.m. ET

Four-time world champion Silvana Tirinzoni of Switzerland has already secured her first Olympic medal. But the 46-year-old skip, who throws third rocks for her team, does not want to walk away with another silver after losing the last two world-championship finals to Canada.

Sweden’s Anna Hasselborg seems to save her best performances for the Olympics. The 36-year-old has never won the world championship, but she captured Olympic gold in 2018 and bronze in 2022.

Bobsleigh: Final run of the four-man event at 6:15 a.m. ET

Two-man champ Johannes Lochner of Germany is in position to sweep the men’s gold medals after piloting his big sled into the lead at the halfway point of the four-run competition. Lochner is ahead of Francesco Friedrich and Adam Ammour after the three German pilots finished in that same order in the two-man event. Canada’s Taylor Austin is 14th.

The third run starts at 4 a.m ET, followed by the final leg at 6:15 a.m. ET.

The two-woman event concluded today with German pilot Laura Nolte and her brakewoman 

Deborah Levi repeating as Olympic champs. Kaillie Humphries Armbruster, the former Canada pilot who now competes for the U.S., earned her second bronze of these Games and her sixth career Olympic medal.

Closing ceremony: The show starts at 2:30 p.m. ET

The Games will officially wrap at historic Verona Arena, an ancient amphitheatre built by the Romans in about 30 A.D. Originally created for gladiator fights, it once seated around 30,000 spectators but now holds about 15,000 and is used for open-air opera shows, concerts and sometimes sporting events.

Maltais and Dubois will have the honour of carrying the Canadian flag. Maltais won gold in long track speed skating’s women’s team pursuit with Blondin and Weidemann and earned a pair of solo bronze medals in the 3,000m and 1,500m — the latter a real surprise. The 35-year-old finishes her fourth, and likely final, Olympics with five career medals, with the first coming in short track in 2014. Dubois, 28, also now has five Olympic medals after winning his first individual gold in the short track 500m and a silver in the mixed relay.

The current convention is for each country to select one man and one woman. Other worthy candidates included short track skater Courtney Sarault, who won a Canadian-high four medals; and freestyle skier Megan Oldham, who grabbed an individual gold and silver.

Broadcast coverage of the closing ceremony begins with a pre-show at 2 p.m. ET on the CBC TV network and CBC Gem. The ceremony is expected to last about 2½ hours.