Why Kyle Connor isn't playing today for Team USA in gold medal game

Why Kyle Connor isn't playing today for Team USA in gold medal game originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Kyle Connor's Olympics have not ended the way he wanted.

The Winnipeg Jets' star forward won't play in the gold medal game. He's a scratch again.

Team USA plays Canada on Sunday for all the marbles, but Connor will only be able to watch.

Why isn't Kyle Connor playing today?

Kyle Connor isn't injured. He's just been scratched.

It's a fourth consecutive healthy scratch for Connor.

He played in the first two games of the tournament, then was held out of the preliminary finale against Germany. He also was held out of the quarterfinal against Sweden and semifinal against Slovakia.

The 29-year old winger simply didn't play well enough. He didn't register a shot on goal through the first two games of the Olympics.

Scratching Connor has allowed for the activation of Utah Mammoth star Clayton Keller, who has been buzzing around the ice throughout the tournament.

Connor has 64 points in the NHL this season (25 goals, 39 assists), but he hasn't carried that over to Italy.

Turns out, Connor didn't even get another chance after those quiet first two games.

He'd still love a gold medal, but he won't have any way of impacting Sunday's championship game.