Canadian women dominate Swiss to reach another Olympic ice hockey final

The result was never really in doubt.

Despite holding the Canadians scoreless for the first seven minutes, Switzerland still suffered a 9-3 loss against the four-time Olympic champions, who came into the game runaway favourites to reach the gold medal match of these 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games.

The Canadians got their first goal from Claire Thompson when the defender’s sizzling slapshot from the point went in off the Swiss post. The scorer turned provider on the next goal, just a little over a minute later, when her nifty stickhandling on the right side opened up a gap for Jamie Lee Rattray, who fired the puck high into the Swiss net.

From there on out, the floodgates opened. The Canadians finished the first period up 5-1 (with further goals from Blayre Turnbull, Erin Ambrose and Renata Fast) with the only bright moment of the opening period for the Swiss coming via Lara Stalder, who scored from a tricky angle in the final minute of the opening period.

The Swiss put up stiff resistance in spurts in the second period and added two more goals from Stalder and Alina Muller (only the eighth goals conceded by the Canadians in five games in Beijing -- while they've scored 54). The North Americans, however, had goals of their own with Marie-Philip Poulin (2) and Emily Clark making sure Canada went into the final period with a commanding 8-3 lead.

There were more goals to come in the final period as Canada's fourth line poured on the pressure. Emma Maltais and Brianne Jenner added to their tallies to see the final score settle at 10-3 in favour of the Canadians.

The Canadians will know their opponent for the final scheduled for 17 February later today when the United States – the defending Olympic champions – take on