Four-time defending women's hockey champion Canada stretched their Winter Olympic win streak to 21 games on Sunday, blanking the Olympic Athletes from Russia 5-0 in their Pyeongchang Games opener. It was Canada's first Olympic start since edging the United States 3-2 in the 2014 final, with 2018 captain Marie-Phillip Poulin netting a last-minute equaliser and over-time gold decider in that thriller.
The world champion Americans were tested in another round-robin opener but Monique Lamoureux-Morando and Kendall Coyne netted second-period goals to rally the US women past Finland 3-1 despite 39 saves from Finnish goaltender Noora Raty. "It was a good start for us," said Lamoureux-Morando. "We know we are going to face some tough goalies."
If Canada beats Finland and the Americans defeat the Russians in group play Tuesday, both North American powers would clinch semi-final berths before renewing their rivalry in a round-robin concluder Thursday. Americans have won eight of the past 10 world titles, beating Canada in each final, but their lone Olympic crown came in 1998 at Nagano.