Canada survive a scare against Slovakia to reach Olympic ice hockey final

From Sportsbeat staff, in Vancouver

CANADA's men's ice hockey team survived a serious scare to see off Slovakia to book the gold medal match that everybody wanted to see and earned themselves a shot at vengeance against fierce rivals the USA.

ONLY JUST: Canada's Shea Weber scraps for the puck in what proved to be a much closer game than Canada thought it was going to be against Slovakia (Getty Images)

Goals from Patrick Marleau, Brenden Morrow and Ryan Getzlaf were enough to down the plucky Slovakians 3-2 as but as Canadian eyes turned to Sunday's final, their opponents also completed the most unlikely of comebacks.

Three goals to the good, a cruising Canada eased their foot off the pedal, took their eye off the ball and almost paid the price. If they do that against the USA then a second defeat to their old rivals in a week will surely materialise.

Slovakia's Pavol Demitra missed an open goal with just seconds left on the clock as Canada - dominating maple trees in the first period were shrinking violets in the dying minutes. 

Ever since the USA dismantled the Big Red Machine on Sunday, every Canadian from Vancouver to Nova Scotia has been praying for a rematch in the gold medal match, and their beloved Team Canada has not disappointed, at least until now.

Freed from the fear of failure, Canada have set about their last three matches with frightening intensity and blew away Germany and Russia before a stuttering performance against Slovakia that started so well and ended so badly.

Sunday will also see a repeat of the 2002 Olympic final, but this time Canada will have advantage as the USA bid for their first gold medal since 1980 and the Miracle on Ice.

It's the marquee clash that Vancouver 2010 organisers, Canadian, American and neutral fans alike wanted to see - Canada claim to have invented hockey while the USA believe they are now the pioneers.

In confirming their place in the final, Canada were nowhere near as impressive as they were in seeing off Russia, but in truth they were never likely to be.