U.S. women dominate Swiss ahead of Canada clash

The American women's ice hockey team is here to play.

Ahead of a much anticipated match-up with perennial rivals Canada on Tuesday (8 February), Team USA dominated Switzerland to make it three wins out of three at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.

Star forward Hilary Knight struck first on Sunday on the powerplay with 5:40 on the clock, converting her own rebound after an initial save by Swiss goalie Saskia Maurer.

"I think you just have to take whatever opportunities present themselves, try to create more opportunities," Knight told NBC afterwards. "Obviously, the puck doesn't go in if you don't shoot it and I'm really proud of our squad for being able to put it on net and be good in front and make it messy."

It all got away from the Swiss with six minutes remaining in the first period, as the U.S. scored two goals in the space of nine seconds. The first at 14:04 coming from Jesse Compher, who has now scored in back-to-back games, and then a second for Knight at 14:13 to take her Winter Games tally to nine.

Kelly Pannek's first goal of these Beijing Games came two minutes later, at 16:15, to put the U.S. squad ahead by four.

An illegal hit by Switzerland's Phoebe Staenz gave a hot Team USA a chance for another powerplay goal - and they seized the opportunity with Amanda Kessel scoring just before the end of the first period (19:38) to make it 5-0.

"I think the Americans showed up and really proved what they wanted to do. They ran four lines, all four lines have actually produced a goal in this period," said 1998 Olympic gold medallist Angela Ruggiero of the dominant opening period on NBC. "So, definitely, I think, the most dominant period we've seen from Team USA so far."

Battle with Canada comes next

The U.S. kept the pressure on, scoring early into the second period with Pannek recording her second goal of the game.

The teams traded powerplays but neither was able to capitalise before Compher grabbed her second to send USA into a 7-0 lead going into the final period.

"The better thing is just making sure we're still playing together as a team and doing the things we want to do. The score will take care of itself there," Pannek said on NBC when asked if there would be a competition for a hat-trick among Team USA in the third period, "but just kind of sticking to our game play and staying focused that way."

Though no American scored a third, Dani Cameranesi added a goal to the U.S. tally in the third period with her first score of the Olympics.

Team USA now face Canada on Tuesday at 12:10 local Beijing time (11:10 pm EST, 8:10pm PST on Monday) in the next instalment of women's ice hockey's greatest rivalry. No other team has won gold since its Games debut at Nagano 1998 with Canada claiming four to USA's two.

Four years ago at PyeongChang 2018, the U.S. snapped Canada's four-gold streak in an epic overtime shootout.