BEIJING, China — Canada has appeared in every women’s hockey final since the sport was added to the Olympic program in 1998. For that streak to continue in 2022, the Canadians will first have to defeat Switzerland in semi- final of the Beijing Games on Monday.

The other semi-final will oppose the United States, reigning Olympic champions, and Finland. The gold medal game is Thursday.

The Canadians won four consecutive gold medals between 2002 and 2014, but the Americans robbed them of a fifth triumph with a 3-2 shootout victory in the final of the Pyeongchang Games four years.

Canada opened their tournament in Beijing with a 12-1 win over Switzerland the day before the opening ceremonies, but the win cost them dearly.

Quebec forward Mélodie Daoust hasn’t played since suffering an upper-body injury in the second period of that game.

Daoust’s teammates still managed to more than compensate for the loss of offensive production linked to her absence. They have scored 44 goals since the start of the tournament, against only five allowed.

The Canadians also defeated their big American rivals 4-2 in the preliminary round.

The main strength of the team since the beginning of the tournament is undoubtedly its ability to make decisions quickly and to move the puck continuously.

“I’ve often talked about how our transitions have improved throughout the tournament,” said alternate captain Brianne Jenner. I think it all starts from there. Our defensemen are very aggressive and they send the puck forward as quickly as possible. »

Moreover, several representatives of the maple leaf are approaching Olympic records.

With eight goals each, Jenner and 21-year-old forward Sarah Fillier are just one goal away from equaling the record in a tournament of nine, set in 2010 by Canadian Meghan Agosta and Swiss Stephanie Marty.

Captain Marie-Philip Poulin and forward Natalie Spooner each had 10 assists. They only need two more to join Hayley Wickenheiser, who had collected 12 in 2006.

Wickenheiser also holds the record for most points in a tournament, with 17. Spooner currently has 13.

All of the team’s skaters except Daoust scored at least one point in Beijing, which is a good sign for the upcoming games according to head coach Troy Ryan.

“It shows that there is no strictly individual game in our offense and it’s nice to see,” explained the coach.

The semi-final between Canada and Switzerland in women’s hockey will take place Monday at noon in Beijing, or Sunday evening at 11:10 p.m. according to Quebec time.