In the lead-up to her final Winter Games, Hilary Knight showcased her goal-scoring prowess with a hat-trick in a 6-1 victory over Canada, giving Team USA a 2-0 lead in the women’s hockey Rivalry Series at Buffalo’s KeyBank Center. Knight, at 36 years old and the team captain, demonstrated her skill by finishing tied for the league lead in points during the PWHL season.
Knight’s three goals in the game followed Abbey Murphy’s natural hat trick in the series opener, highlighting the offensive depth of the American team. Laila Edwards, Kelly Pannek, and Hayley Scamurra also contributed goals in the win. On the Canadian side, Marie-Philip Poulin scored, and goalkeeper Kayle Osborne made her national team debut.
Despite the back-to-back losses, Canadian coach Troy Ryan remains focused on improvement, emphasizing that these exhibition games are part of the team’s development process. The series will now shift to Edmonton for the remaining games after a month-long break.
The U.S. team’s dominance against Canada, including recent victories at the world championships, sets the stage for an intense competition as both teams gear up for the Winter Games. The upcoming matchups in Edmonton promise to be crucial in determining the momentum heading into the Olympic tournament.