U.S., Canadian women eager to renew fierce hockey rivalry

MILAN — Kelly Pannek couldn't stop laughing, watching on TV when all heck broke loose during the U.S.-Canada game at the NHL's 4 Nations Face-Off a year ago.Three fights breaking out in the opening seconds led the U.S. national women's team forward to reflect on how intense the border hockey rivalry has always been."Oh, I was cracking up," Pannek said. "It was so funny, because you're like, 'Yep, welcome, world, to what this looks like.'"Though the men's side has had its moments, the tensions and animosity — and level of respect — have been far more evident in the women's game in what stands as one of the fiercest and most long-running feuds in all of sports.So get ready for the next installment Tuesday when defending Olympic champion Canada faces off against the United States in the preliminary round of the Milan Cortina Games (2:10 p.m., USA)."It's gold or bust," U.S. forward Kendall Coyne Schofield said. "That's the stake. That's the bar that we've set as a program. Anything less than a gold medal is a failure."The same holds true up north."There's so much pride that comes with representing Team Canada that I don't think you fully understand until you're wearing that jersey on the bench and you're ready to go," Canadian forward Blayre Turnbull said."Especially against Team USA, our biggest rivals. So it's," Turnbull said, before a long pause, "it's fun."Fun is one way of putting it.Fights have broken out on various occasions. Many tears have been shed — joyous ones for the winners and heartbreak for the losers. It's a feud that dates to the U.S. beating Canada to win gold at the 1998 Nagano Games, the first to feature women's hockey.Over that span, the nations have met a combined 48 times on the international stage, including world championship competition. Canada holds the edge with five Olympic and 13 world titles, to the Americans' two and 11.A better indication of how tight the series has been is Canada's 25-23 record, and having outscored the Americans by a combined margin of 135-133.The Americans enter as tournament favorites. They're the defending world champions after beating Canada 4-3 in overtime in April. And the U.S. has won six straight meetings, including a four-game sweep in the nations' exhibition Rivalry Series in November and December.The U.S. features a skilled and speedy team with a veteran leadership core, led by captain Hilary Knight, and collection of talented youth, with seven players still in college.Canada's roster is more experienced, returning 16 players from the team that dominated the 2022 Beijing Games by winning all seven games and outscoring its opposition 57-10.The Canadians are fine with not being favored."I don't think there's anything bad about being an underdog and proving yourself," forward Natalie Spooner said."I don't think we're thinking too much about those Rivalry Series and the outcome," she added. "But I do think, obviously, when it comes down to a gold medal you're going to play with a chip on your shoulder either way." More on Day 4 American standout Mikaela Shiffrin makes her first appearance of the Winter Games.Shiffrin will partner Breezy Johnson for the women's team combined — an event that sees one skier race downhill, another race slalom and their times added together. Johnson is seeking a second gold of these Olympics, having won Sunday's downhill that was overshadowed by a frightening crash by Vonn that left her with a broken left leg. Italian curler Stefania Constantini already is proving a darling of these Olympics and she'll raise the roof if she wins a medal.Constantini, who is from Cortina, and Amos Mosaner are the defending world and Olympic champions in mixed doubles. Italy has reached the semifinals along with Britain, the U.S. and Sweden — only one team won't get a medal.