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After near misses, U.S. owning the podium again ... at Canada's expense

Maddie Meyer / Getty Images Sport / Getty

So, about all that handwringing ...

After a slow start out of the blocks - which saw the United States rack up a bevy of near-podium misses and had fans wondering what was ailing the typically dominant Winter Olympic nation - Americans roared back on Days 12 and 13 in PyeongChang.

And how.

Team USA has nine medals - three of them gold - in the last two days of competition. Those triumphs have allayed fears that the U.S. contingent, expected to build on their 28 medals from Sochi thanks, in large part, to the doping-fueled decimation of the Russian team, was going to disappoint in South Korea.

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

Not only did the United States gobble up five medals Thursday - marking their most successful day of these games - but the manner in which they boosted their count was particularly uplifting.

Every gold medal carries equal value, but, after an excruciating, once-in-a-lifetime-type loss in women's hockey four years ago, exacting revenge on archrival Canada undoubtedly carried that little something extra.

The marquee event of these games - fueled by the most storied, intense rivalry the Winter Olympics has going - ended in spectacular fashion, and for the first time in 20 years, it ended with the United States celebrating, instead of weeping.

It came by way of an enthralling tilt that teetered back and forth, included two out-of-this-world shootout goals, and saw the final attempt slide within inches of the goal line before being swiped away for good by Olympic rookie Maddie Rooney, who, at 20 years old, was a rock between the posts.

Related - Olympic showstopper: Canada-U.S. rivalry delivers game for the ages

That victory, so elusive for so long, came 38 years to the day since the famed "Miracle on Ice" in Lake Placid.

What a way to cap a golden run of results - which saw the U.S. rocket up the medal table and regain its place alongside fellow Winter Olympic behemoths:

Rank Country Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 Norway 13 12 10 35
2 Germany 13 7 5 25
3 Canada 9 7 8 24
4 USA 8 7 6 21
5 Netherlands 7 6 4 17

There's no catching the runaway Norwegian juggernaut - and that goes for any nation - but what looked like an Olympics that could be going sideways for the Americans has been salvaged thanks to dominance on the ice and snow over the past two days.

And there's still more to come.

A monumental upset in men's curling, also at Canada's expense, has John Shuster and his rink in the gold medal final for the first time in the nation's Olympic history. They're guaranteed at least a silver. Regardless of the color, you can add another one to the rapidly growing pile.

The floodgates are open, and the U.S. is back where it always expected to be.

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