Don’t read too much into the score of the first game of the U.S. women’s Rivalry Series against Canada.
The Americans beat their archrivals 4-1 on Thursday night in Cleveland, thanks to three power-play goals by Abbey Murphy and a vault-like effort in the final two minutes by goaltender Aerin Frankel. It was the third win in a row over Canada, a streak that includes an overtime thriller in April to win the world title.
“Let’s see what happens after two games,” U.S. coach John Wroblewski said.
That isn’t just coach speak. The PWHL doesn’t begin training camps until next week, which meant Thursday night was the first competitive game for those players since May. All but three of Canada’s players are in the PWHL, while almost a third of the U.S. roster is in college.
That includes Murphy, who is in her final year at Minnesota.
“Some of our college players have a little more timing to their game right now,” Wroblewski said. “I didn’t think some of our pros looked all that sharp tonight, either.”
Besides, the U.S. women only need to look back to last year’s Rivalry Series to avoid getting complacent. The Americans won the opener 7-2 only to have the Canadians jump out to a 4-1 lead in the second game on their way to a 5-4 shootout win.
“We ended up tying and getting into overtime, but that was Canada’s game. Let’s just see what happens after Saturday,” Wroblewski said.
USA TODAY is providing live updates on the second game of the Rivalry Series. Follow along:
Final score: USA 6, Canada 1
The Americans have outscored Canada 10-2 in the first two games of the Rivalry Series. The USA has back-to-back hat tricks: Abbey Murphy in Game 1 and Hilary Knight in the second game.
Hilary Knight hat trick
Canada pulled Kayle Osborne for an extra skater. Hilary Knight scores an empty-netter for her third goal of the game. 6-1 USA.
USA’s Hayley Scamurra scores
Taylor Heise fakes a shot and makes a drop pass to Hayley Scamurra, who scores before her hometown fans to make it 5-1.
USA’s Hilary Knight scores again
Knight scores her second power-play goal of the night. She’s alone near the crease and tucks in a solid cross-ice pass from Laila Edwards.
USA back on power play
Canada captain Marie-Philip Poulin is called for boarding.
USA’s Laila Edwards scores
Laila Edwards takes advantage of a Renata Fast turnover, skates into the zone, does some nice stickhandling and rips an even nicer shot for a 3-1 U.S. lead.
USA pressing
After being outshot all game, the USA now leads 26-24 in shots.
Third period underway
2-1 USA.
Tracking the Olympic roster
USA Hockey is expected to release its rosters for the Olympics and Paralympics at the end of December or early January.
There are 30 players on the Rivalry Series roster, which means U.S. women’s coach John Wroblewski will have to cut seven players. But don’t ask him about it, because he’s not anywhere close to deciding which seven players won’t make the cut.
“A week ago, Layla and Kirsten Simms weren’t even practicing at Wisconsin. They weren’t going to be here,” he said after Thursday’s game. “So we’ve really got to pump the brakes on any speak of when we’re going to trim things down.”
Edwards and Simms suffered knee injuries last month. They returned for Wisconsin’s games against Minnesota last weekend, and both scored in the Badgers’ 7-2 win Saturday. Simms also had two assists while Edwards had one.
Edwards had an assist on the Americans’ first goal Thursday night while Simms assisted on the last goal.
End of second period: USA 2, Canada 1
Both teams connect on the power play, with their Olympic veterans and captains getting the goals. Hilary Knight gave the USA a 1-0 lead and after Kelly Pannek connected, Canada’s Marie-Philip Poulin cut the U.S. lead to 2-1. Cayla Barnes made a great defensive play late to disrupt a scoring chance from Canada’s Sarah Fillier.
Shots are 22-18 Canada through two periods.
USA power play
Julia Gosling is called for holding. The USA already has a power-play goal in this period. Canada kills this one off. Kirsten Simms was stopped in close.
Canada gets one back
Marie-Philip Poulin scores off a pass from Renata Fast 14 seconds into a power play. That cuts the U.S. lead to 2-1.
USA scores again
Abbey Murphy intercepts goalie Kayle Osborne’s clearing attempt behind the net and feeds Kelly Pannek, who scores before Osborne can get back into position. 2-0 USA.
Hilary Knight gives USA the lead
The USA moves the puck around well on the power play. Megan Keller’s point shot is stopped, but Hilary Knight knocks in the rebound. Laila Edwards gets the secondary assist.
USA power play
Micah Zandee-Hart is called for holding.
Canada power play
Hayley Scamurra is called for holding. Canada was 1-for-3 on the power play in the opening game. USA kills it off. It has a couple short-handed chances.
Second period underway
Scoreless. USA is on the power play, but Canada kills off the remainder.
End of first period: USA 0, Canada 0
Not a lot of great chances in that period. Shots went high on a couple breakaways. Shots were 8-4 Canada, but the USA will have a little more than a minute of carry-over power play at the start of the second period.
USA power play
Renata Fast is called for interference for knocking Laila Edwards into goalie Gwyneth Philips. The net goes off the moorings and Philips’ mask comes off. Despite that, someone from Canada takes a shot near Philips, who is not happy.
Canada chance
Laura Stacy shoots high on a breakaway.
Abbey Murphy chance
Murphy breaks in from the blue line but her backhander goes high. She had a hat trick in the opener.
Game underway
Game 2 of the Rivalry Series has started. Gwyneth Philips in net for the USA. Kayle Osborne is in net for Canada.
When do the U.S. women and Canada play?
Game 2 of the Rivalry Series between the USA and Canada is at 6 p.m. ET on Saturday, Nov 8.
Where is the game being played?
The game is at Key Bank Center in Buffalo, New York
Where can I watch the USA-Canada Rivalry Series?
The game will air on NHL Network.
How can I stream the USA-Canada Rivalry Series?
Fubo and certain Sling TV packages carry NHL Network. Fubo offers a free trial for new subscribers.
Watch Rivalry Series on Fubo
Team USA lineup
Team Canada lineup
Hot streak for Team USA
The U.S. women’s victory Thursday night was their third in a row against Canada, their longest streak since winning four in a row in 2023. That streak started in the title game of the world championships in Brampton, Ontario, where Hilary Knight had a hat trick to lead the Americans’ 6-3 win.
Fun fact: Neither team has ever swept the Rivalry Series.
Why is US-Canada women’s hockey rivalry so heated?
Canada and the United States are the dominant teams in the women’s game, and no one else (yet) comes close.
The teams have played each other in the final at every Olympics and world championships but two, with Canada winning five of the seven Olympic gold medals and 13 of the 24 world titles. But the U.S. women have won two of the last three world championships, including an overtime thriller in Czechia in April.
Abbey Murphy, Harvey and Heise had goals in regulation for the Americans before Tessa Janecke scored the game-winner on a tap-in.
Canada leads the Americans in all-time meetings (108-84-1). But the United States has bragging rights for winning gold in the first Olympic women’s hockey tournament, beating Canada 3-1 at the Nagano Games in 1998.
Homecoming game
“The Cleveland Queen” had a night to remember.
Laila Edwards, who grew up in Cleveland Heights, had an assist on the first U.S. goal Thursday night. She also drew the loudest cheers when she was introduced as a starter, and Hilary Knight handed over ceremonial puck drop duties to her.
The day before the game, Cleveland Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr. was spotted wearing Edwards’ jersey.
“This has definitely been a very special couple of days that I’m going to remember forever,” said Edwards, who had not played in her hometown since her sophomore year in high school. (She went to a Bishop Kearney High School in Rochester, New York to play hockey.)
“It’s been super fun and I’m sad it’s ending,” she added.
Saturday’s game will be a homecoming for veteran forward Hayley Scamurra, who grew up in Buffalo, and Haley Winn, who is from Rochester, which is about an hour away.
What is the Rivalry Series?
Now in its sixth season, the Rivalry Series features the U.S. and Canadian women’s national teams. This year’s edition consists of four games, the first two in the United States and the last two in Canada.
The Americans won the opener in Cleveland 4-1. After Saturday night’s game in Buffalo, the Rivalry Series will wrap up with games Dec. 10 and 13 in Edmonton, Alberta.
