2018 Olympic Winter Games (Men)

CANADA DOWNED IN SEMIS, WILL PLAY FOR OLYMPIC BRONZE

JASON LA ROSE

GANGNEUNG, South Korea - Mat Robinson (Calgary, Alta./CSKA Moscow, KHL) and Derek Roy (Rockland, Ont./Linköping HC, SHL) scored in the third period to cut a three-goal deficit to one, but Canada's Men's Olympic Team finished a goal short in a 4-3 semifinal loss to Germany on Friday at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.

The Canadians will face the Czech Republic for bronze on Saturday (7:10 a.m. ET/4:10 a.m. PT).

Gilbert Brulé (Vancouver, B.C./Kunlun Red Star, KHL) had the other goal for Canada, which outshot Germany 31-15, including 15-1 in the third period, but couldn't finish the comeback in the dying minutes.

The Germans took advantage of a two-man advantage to open the scoring; the puck was worked around to Winnipeg-born Brooks Macek, who snapped a shot past Canadian goaltender Kevin Poulin (Montreal, Que./EHC Kloten, NLA) at 14:43 of the first.

The goal was the first allowed in the tournament by Poulin and ended his international shutout streak at more than 275 minutes, dating back to the semifinals at the Spengler Cup.

Matthias Plachta doubled the lead less than four minutes into the second period, finding space behind the Canadian defence, and Frank Mauer made it 3-0 less than four minutes later with a between-the-legs deflection that got underneath Poulin.

Brulé got Canada on the board with a power play at 8:17 of the second, hammering a one-timer past German netminder Danny Aus den Birken, only to have Patrick Hager restore the three-goal lead for the Germans with a man-advantage marker of their own four minutes after that.

Canada dominated the third period, and quickly pulled back within two when Robinson jumped into the rush and finished a set-up by Christian Thomas (Toronto, Ont./Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL) just 2:42 into the final frame.

Poulin faced just a single shot in the third period, turning away Dominik Kahun on penalty shot only 39 seconds after the Robinson goal to keep momentum with the Canadians.

Roy set up an exciting finish by banking in a power-play goal at 10:18, but Aus den Birken kept Canada at bay after that, ending hopes of a third-consecutive Olympic gold medal.