U.S. beat Canada in shootout to win women's ice hockey gold

The USA needs more medals... they don't have many so this will help.

What about the other hockey teams from other countries?

Unfortunately right now, they're far behind Canada and US women hockey teams, so they don't get much attention

Good job, but too much fixation on how many gold medals the US wins. What about the other hockey teams from other countries?

US sports media are divided on the shootout:in the playoffs

Even though the US won, many think that's no way to end a playoff (especially championship) game. Like the NHL, they think playoff games should end on the run of play

Meanwhile, in the Finland-OAR bronze medal game, OAR committed a whopping 35 minutes of penalty time (27 in the 3rd period alone) - yet Finland only eked out a 3-2 win (even got outscored in the 3rd period, 0-1)

The Canadian ladies are the most successful International team in world sport (sorry All-Blacks - they have you covered!) unbeaten to the Gold in 20 years before today!

At least at the Olympics. As the article states:

"The Americans had been dominating in non-Olympic years, winning the last four and eight of the last 10 world championships"

Congrats to both teams - only saw highlights but what a final! Agree with Smith - I hate shootouts in any sport. The Canadian ladies are the most successful International team in world sport (sorry All-Blacks - they have you covered!) unbeaten to the Gold in 20 years before today! So the Americans played the game of their lives!

Great game. As a Canadian, this hurt to watch, but it was such an exciting finish, so hats off to the US. The Canadian and American Women hockey teams are miles ahead of everyone else level-wise that I am sure this matchup will become a regular thing.

Also goes to show you that in games like these, with round robins, it doesn't matter who is unbeaten, and who has lost a couple of games or not -- it's only the final games that count once you're through the quarters. Canada was unbeaten, but this one loss gets them silver. US had been beaten, but this win gets them gold.

Great job, Americans! As I said with the game in which the American men lost yesterday, a shoot-out is a crappy way to lose, but them's the breaks. At least they kept it in North America. :)