EDMONTON — After being outscored by 14 goals during the first three games of the 2025 Rivalry Series, Canada coach Troy Ryan had his eyes wide open Saturday night to see how his team responded after having its pride tested, especially following Wednesday’s shocking 10-4 pounding from the United States.

And while Saturday night ended with a fourth straight loss to the Americans in the final tune-up before the 2026 Olympics in Milan, Italy, in less than two months, at least the Canadians snapped back with a hard-fought effort rather than rolling over and dying on the vine.

The United States beat Canada 4-1 at Rogers Place to complete a four-game sweep, but the Canadians at least looked the part after captain Marie-Philip Poulin said her team didn’t show up three nights earlier.

“I thought the (Thursday and Friday) was spent wisely, a lot of meetings, a lot of soul searching, a lot of just kind of diving into what happened and maybe why things happened,” Ryan said before the game. “So I thought it was productive. I know the leadership had some chats. The players had some chats. I had chats with the leadership group.

“We took a break and had a little gift exchange and a Christmas dinner, and then went right back to video. We broke down everywhere (Wednesday night).”

That was hardly the case Saturday, but goaltender Aerin Frankel made 12 of her 23 saves in the first period before defenders Caroline Harvey and Laila Edwards scored during a second period where the U.S. did have the edge in play with an 18-8 shot lead.

Hilary Knight, who scored the first goal in the first-ever Rivalry Series in 2019, scored the final two goals in the third period Saturday, including an empty-netter, to give the United States breathing room.

Hilary Knight scores the empty-netter.#RivalrySeries pic.twitter.com/wiC8nHzGJU

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 14, 2025

Still, as impressive as the Americans were in the Series, Knight said, “I always feel like we’re the underdogs in everything.”

Added Edwards, “We’re always going to get Canada’s best game, regardless of winning the Rivalry Series or not. The Olympics is a totally different battlefield that we’ll be ready for.”

If the Canadians are going to defend their Olympic gold medal, they know they’re going to have to be a lot better. Unlike past Olympics, players won’t be training together in a centralized location. On Sunday, players will return to their respective PWHL and college teams.

After the game, the message in Canada’s dressing room was to get rid of bad habits and to stop taking the easy road so things feel second nature at the Olympics.

“That message comes from me, but it’s stronger coming from them and that’s loud and clear in our dressing room,” Ryan said. “I’ve always anticipated that with teams, when the final team is selected, they can let their shoulders down a little bit and they can breathe, and hopefully that’s more for us than it is for them.”

The women’s tournament begins in Milan, a day before the opening ceremony on Feb. 5. The preliminary round for Group A begins with the U.S. playing Czechia and Canada facing Sweden. The U.S. and Canada wrap up the prelims with a Feb. 10 meeting nine days before the gold medal game.

The United States will tentatively name its 23-player roster on Jan. 2, along with the men’s and sled hockey rosters on NBC’s “Today” show. Canada’s roster will be announced sometime in January, while the men’s is tentatively scheduled for Dec. 31.

United States coach John Wroblewski liked how his team weathered an early storm by Canada and took over in the second. He also liked that it was a different style of victory than the other three and more like the tight-checking game he expects at the Olympics.

He, too, won’t let himself get overly confident by a four-game sweep over the Americans’ arch rival.

“Because I know if the shoe were on the other foot, there’d be a rallying cry, and there’s always that thought process, ‘Hey, something’s gonna flip, and what we need is that one (win).’ And when you’ve got Poulin on your team, you can’t bet against her … unfortunately.”

Heise has exceptional series

Two-time PWHL champ and 2022 Patty Kazmaier Award winner Taylor Heise was simply outstanding in every way for the United States in the four games as she preps for her first Olympics.

The PWHL’s first No. 1 pick led the Americans with eight assists and nine points in the four games, including assists on both United States second-period goals Saturday. But she was terrific in every area, especially defensively and with her checking — the two areas Wroblewski wanted to see improvement.

Heise still won’t say the Americans have the upper hand heading into Milan.

“I would just say that we’re confident,” she said. “After what we saw today, every player that was out there, and every player that was on our bench, in the stands, whatever it is, is willing to come out and play. And when you put the USA on your chest, you’re just willing to go out there and sacrifice whatever needs to be done. And I think in the next month and a half, whoever’s on that team, needs to be ready to play. I think we will absolutely do that.”

Heise’s linemate, Abbey Murphy, was tied with Knight for the lead in goals with five apiece. Murphy also finished second in points behind Heise, while Knight and Edwards finished third and fourth.

Sarah Fillier led Canada with two goals in four games.

Americans’ goaltending elite in series

A lot has been made about how none of the United States goalies have had Olympic experience, but Gwyneth Philips and Frankel looked exceptional in the four games.

Philips, who made 30 saves in Wednesday’s win, went 2-0 with a 2.50 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage, while Frankel went 2-0 with a 1.00 goals-against average and a .961 save percentage.

Wroblewski made it crystal clear that he’s not worried at all and will have confidence in all three of the goalies taken to Italy.

“Definitely her and Gwyn are the best in the nation and in the country and in the world,” said Heise.

On the other end, Ann-Renee Desbiens had a tough series by finishing winless with a 5.39 goals-against average and an .830 save percentage. Saturday, she had her best game, stopping 29 of 32 shots.

Ryan comfortable with Team Canada’s age

Ryan has noted often throughout the Rivalry Series how young, skilled and fast the Americans are and has made it quite clear that the way to combat that in Milan is for the Canadians to compete harder and be structured.

But when a reporter, after Friday’s practice, asked Ryan about the Canadians having older players and whether that has caught up to them, he kiddingly corrected, “Experienced.”

“We didn’t select our group of 30 here based on what their ages were,” he said. “We selected our team based on the best players available to us. And if the best player available to us was 42 years old, then we would take that player. I don’t think a big part of the job of the head coach of the senior national women’s team is to be too caught up in the development of young players.

Nurse expected to be ready for Olympics

Two-time Olympian Sarah Nurse, who scored the first goal in Vancouver Goldeneyes history in their inaugural home opener, missed the games in Edmonton after being placed on LTIR with an upper-body injury.

Ryan expects the 2022 Olympic hero to be ready for Milan.

“I think we’re confident that she’ll stay in shape and be ready to go, and we’ll trust the medical team on her timelines and whether she’s going to be able to help us,” Ryan said. “The one thing good for her, kind of mentally or psychologically, is (that) she was in this very similar situation, different injury, but prior to the last Olympics.

“It was kind of to be determined whether she was going to perform. And we all know how that ended up. She got to the Olympics, won a gold medal and broke records during it, so psychologically, I think she’ll be well prepared, and it’s just a matter of when the injury can get her back so she’s in good shape.”

Door swings open for Guilday?

Ottawa Charge defender Rory Guilday, who missed Wednesday night’s game with inflammation in her elbow, got into the lineup Saturday night as the seventh defenseman and got a lot of ice time with several partners in what was clearly an audition to go to Milan.

Guilday, the Minnesota native and No. 5 pick in the 2025 PWHL Draft, has played in three world championships. But a poor 2024 worlds led into a tough 2024 Rivalry Series and final year at Cornell. So she didn’t make the 2025 worlds.

But Wroblewski liked her game in Cleveland and Buffalo last month and it appears as if the U.S. feels she’d be the best fit for the seventh D spot.

The question is, did she validate it Saturday night with her play?

The answer’s yes.

“I thought she was very, very stoic back there,” Wroblewski said. “I thought she was rock solid. I liked when she went into interactions. I liked the player that she was going against was on the ice a lot of the times. I felt like she was really strong and just had a presence. I felt safe with her out there today.”