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.

TAIT: Edmonton Paralympian prepares for hockey playoff round in Milano Cortina

TAIT: Canada's Paralympic........

© Edmonton Sun