Top 5 USA Olympic women's hockey performances vs. Canada

The iron is still hot after Team USA thrashed Team Canada in Olympic women's hockey on Tuesday.

Team USA's 5-0 win in preliminary round action was the 11th time the two squads battled in the Olympics. Nobody will be surprised if that number increases to 12 next week, on Feb. 19, when the gold medal is up for grabs in Milan.

The United States won the inaugural women's Olympic hockey event in 1998, their first of two gold medals. No prizes for guessing who those unforgettable victories came against.

Let's recap the best five performances by Team USA's women's hockey team against Canada at the Olympics.

5. Sochi 2014 final (3-2 overtime loss)

As Team USA has only won four Olympic games against Canada, No. 5 on the list must be the heartbreaking 3-2 overtime loss in the Sochi 2014 final.

There was a ton to like about Team USA's performance until the 56:34 mark of the third period. 

The United States were up 2-0 late in the third period. Canada began the comeback, and a failed empty-net goal attempt for the Americans led to the Canadians getting the equalizer and winning in overtime.

4. Nagano 1998 round-robin (7-4 win)

With both teams having already qualified for a gold-medal showdown, Team USA enjoyed a standout third period in the round-robin dress rehearsal. 

The United States overcame a 4-1 third-period deficit, scoring six straight to win 7-4. The astounding turnaround came immediately on the back of a timeout called by USA coach Ben Smith. 

Laurie Baker scored 72 seconds after the timeout to spearhead the improbable comeback. 

3. Nagano 1998 final (3-1 win)

The Nagano 1998 final was the first of two American victories against Canada in a gold medal game.

It came three days after the 7-3 round-robin win, with Team USA taking a 2-0 lead in the third period. Canada got one back with four minutes remaining, but Sandra Whyte scored an empty-net goal to secure Team USA's first Olympic gold medal in women's hockey. 

The entire 1998 team was inducted into the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame in 2019. 

2. Milano Cortina 2026 preliminary round (5-0 win)

Tuesday's 5-0 walloping of Canada marked the first time Team USA shut out its bitter rivals in 11 attempts at the Olympics.

The signs were clear leading up to the game, with the United States winning all four recent Rivalry Series contests by a combined 24-7 score. 

A dominant performance saw Team USA outshoot Canada 33-20. Every American will hope the history-making performance was a precursor of what's likely to come. 

1. Pyeongchang 2018 final (3-2 shootout win)

Thanks to a tying goal by Monique Lamoureux-Morando with 6:21 remaining in the third period, the Pyeongchang final required a shootout after a scoreless 20-minute overtime session to decide the winner. 

The game had a bit of everything, including two of the Olympics' greatest all-time scorers, Team USA's Hilary Knight and Canada's Marie-Philip Poulin, lighting the lamp. 

The United States outshot Canada 42-31 en route to their second Olympic gold medal.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Olympic women's hockey: Top 5 USA performances vs. Canada