It must be Friday the 13th, right?

After bulldozing their way through preliminary play with a jaw-dropping 26-1 goal differential, the Canadian para ice hockey team found themselves in unfamiliar territory Friday afternoon at the Paralympics: a tight game.

TAIT: Canada advances to gold medal game after tight victory over China in Paralympic hockey Back to video

With less than five minutes left in the third period, a loose puck squirted out from behind the right side of China’s net. Canadian forward Liam Hickey swooped in — real tight on goaltender Wie Wang — and somehow jammed it home.

That goal punched Canada’s ticket to Sunday’s gold-medal game against — you guessed it — the U.S.

“It’s going to be one great game,” said head coach Boris Rybalka. “And we’re going to be ready. Simple.”

This marks Canada’s fifth gold-medal appearance in Paralympic history and their third straight showdown with the Americans.

But Friday wasn’t the walk in the park fans had grown used to. For the first time in Milan, Canada faced real adversity.

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China came out flying in the first period, using their speed to keep the puck in Canada’s zone and forcing the Canadians to play on their heels. It was a back-and-forth slugfest, with both teams skating, shooting, and hitting like their lives depended on it.

“I thought it was like a boxing match,” Rybalka said. “They’re aggressive, they’ve got great speed. But we kept persevering. And in the third, you could just feel it — we were taking over.”

Captain Tyler McGregor opened the scoring late in the first period, roofing a beauty into the top corner after China failed to clear the zone. It was a classic McGregor moment: calm, clinical, and clutch.

Minutes later, McGregor struck again. This time, he snuck behind Wang and tapped in a puck that was sitting lonely, just inches from the goal line.

Canada was up 2-0 and looking like their dominant selves.

But China wasn’t backing down. With just 23 seconds left in the first period, Zheng Zhang found the back of the net, cutting the lead to 2-1 and giving his team a much-needed boost heading into the intermission.

Early in the second, China’s momentum carried over. Jinato Tian stormed down the right wing and unleashed a wicked shot that beat Canadian goaltender Corbin Watson, making it 2-2.

Suddenly, Canada was in uncharted waters.

China threw everything they had at the Canadians, using their speed and tenacity to create chances and keep the pressure on. For the first time in the tournament, Canada’s powerplay looked disorganized, and their offense struggled to find its rhythm.

Despite outshooting China 16-9 through two periods, frustration was mounting. Hickey was robbed by Wang’s glove late in the second, and McGregor fanned on a shorthanded breakaway.

For the first time in Milan, Canada failed to score a second-period goal.

But then came the third period, and with it, Canada’s resilience.

Six minutes into the final frame, Dominic Cozzolino fired a shot that was clearly going wide. But in a bizarre twist, the puck deflected off Wang’s glove and into the net, giving Canada a 3-2 lead.

It was the break Canada needed.

And then Hickey sealed the deal..

“It just clicked,” Rybalka said. “We stuck to the plan, trusted each other, and it paid off.”

Canada’s penalty kill came up big in the third, shutting down China’s power play and preserving the lead.

When the final buzzer sounded, the Canadians celebrated a hard-fought victory and turned their attention to Sunday’s gold medal game.

The U.S., who cruised past Czechia earlier Friday to remain undefeated at 4-0, will be waiting.

Sunday’s showdown will be the latest chapter in one of the greatest rivalries in para ice hockey. Canada and the U.S. have met in the last two gold medal games, with each team claiming one victory.

For Canada, Sunday represents a chance to cement their legacy as one of the greatest teams in Paralympic history. For the U.S., it’s an opportunity to prove they’re the new kings of the ice.

One thing’s for sure: it’s going to be a barnburner.

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