{"id":187365,"date":"2026-02-21T08:47:22","date_gmt":"2026-02-21T08:47:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/187365\/"},"modified":"2026-02-21T08:47:22","modified_gmt":"2026-02-21T08:47:22","slug":"canada-macklin-celebrini-beat-finland-at-milan-cortina-olympic-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/187365\/","title":{"rendered":"Canada, Macklin Celebrini beat Finland at Milan Cortina Olympic Games"},"content":{"rendered":"

San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini hasn\u2019t backed down<\/a> as the stakes kept rising at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena<\/a> in recent days.<\/p>\n

Now, thanks to another thrilling, come-from-behind performance,<\/a> Celebrini and his Canadian teammates are going to be on the biggest international stage of them all: the Olympic gold medal game.<\/p>\n

Celebrini assisted on Nathan MacKinnon\u2019s go-ahead power play goal with 35.2 seconds left in the third period as Canada earned a 3-2 comeback win<\/a> over a stingy Finland team on Friday in the semifinals of the men\u2019s Olympic hockey tournament in Milan.<\/p>\n

Celebrini and Team Canada will now play the United States in the gold medal game<\/a> on Sunday at 5:10 a.m. (PST), as the Americans beat Slovakia<\/a> and Sharks winger Pavol Regenda 6-2 in Friday\u2019s other semifinal. Regenda scored Friday and has three goals for Slovakia, which plays Finland in the bronze medal game on Saturday at 11:40 a.m. (PST).<\/p>\n

On Canada\u2019s winning goal Friday, Celebrini retrieved the puck below the goal line to the right of the Finnish net before he sent a pass out to Connor McDavid. The Edmonton Oilers\u2019 captain, and Canada\u2019s captain for Friday\u2019s game, then found MacKinnon with a seam pass through the slot, and the Colorado Avalanche center beat Finnish goalie Juuse Saros on the short side<\/a>\u00a0with just two seconds left on the power play.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a five-man effort,\u201d MacKinnon said. \u201cConnor made an amazing play. \u2026 Obviously happy one squeaked in.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cClutch,\u201d Celebrini said of MacKinnon\u2019s goal. \u201cThat goal, we needed it so bad. We had a couple looks there. You count on your big dogs and one of the best players in the world to bury it.\u201d<\/p>\n

NATHAN MACKINNON IN THE FINAL MINUTE. CANADA HAVE PULLED OFF THE COMEBACK. \ud83e\udd2f pic.twitter.com\/3jMB2EWWfU<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 20, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

The goal was reviewed, with Finland challenging that Celebrini entered the offensive zone before the puck completely crossed the blue line. But after a harrowing minute or two, officials determined that Celebrini was still onside \u2014 by the slimmest of margins \u2014 and the on-ice call of a good goal was confirmed.<\/p>\n

The assist gave Celebrini, the youngest NHL player at the Olympics at 19, five goals and five assists. He also had three points in Canada\u2019s 4-3 comeback win in overtime over Czechia on Wednesday and, in five games, is the tournament\u2019s second-leading scorer with 10 points, three fewer than McDavid.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve seen him play enough for a while,\u201d Canadian winger Mitch Marner said of Celebrini. \u201cHe\u2019s got a lot of skill and a lot of confidence. He\u2019s not afraid of the big moments.\u201d<\/p>\n

Celebrini on Friday also led Canada in ice time (25:53) and a staggering eight shots on net. Finland had a combined nine shots on net in the second and third periods.<\/p>\n

Team Canada coach Jon Cooper credited Celebrini for pulling \u201cthe risk out of his game\u201d since the preliminary round opener on Feb. 12 against Czechia.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a generational kid, and he plays it the right way,\u201d Cooper said. \u201cEarly on, he would try to make something out of nothing, which all superstar players can do. In this tournament, you can\u2019t, because the best players in the world all check. For him to figure that out so early and now do the things he\u2019s doing, I\u2019m surprised I didn\u2019t play him more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Celebrini<\/a> and his Canadian teammates didn\u2019t panic early in the second period when forward Erik Haula scored a shorthanded goal 3:26 into the period to give Finland a 2-0 lead.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust confidence,\u201d Celebrini said when asked about Team Canada\u2019s mood. \u201cI felt like we\u2019re getting a lot of chances and we\u2019re doing all the right things, and that it was just a matter of time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Canada got one goal back on its next power play, as a shot from the point by defenseman Cale Makar was tipped by winger Sam Reinhart past Saros with 5:40 left in the second period, cutting Finland\u2019s lead to 2-1.<\/p>\n

Canada then tied the game 2-2 on Shea Theodore\u2019s goal with 9:26 left in the third period, as the Vegas Golden Knights defenseman\u2019s shot from just inside the blue line got past Saros.<\/p>\n

Celebrini had two shots of Canada\u2019s eight shots in the first period, when he had 7:51 of ice time. He was once again on the top line alongside McDavid, as he\u2019s been all tournament, as Canada advanced to the semifinal with four straight wins.<\/p>\n

Celebrini entered Friday with a tournament-leading five goals, becoming just the fourth player to score in four straight Olympic games featuring NHL players.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were getting chances, we were getting looks. It just wasn\u2019t going in,\u201d Celebrini said of the comeback. \u201cSo I thought we had a lot of confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n

McDavid was Canada\u2019s captain for the game in place of Sidney Crosby, who sustained a lower-body injury in the quarterfinals. Crosby is considered questionable to play on Sunday.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re a deep team with leaders all up and down the lineup,\u201d McDavid said. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter who\u2019s wearing the \u2018C,\u2019 who\u2019s in the lineup, who\u2019s out of the lineup. Everybody can play a big role and lead, and you saw that again.\u201d<\/p>\n

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