Canada and the USA ready to face off as the Rivalry Series returns

The GIST: The PWHL is on international break, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get your women’s hockey fix. The Rivalry Series — aka the spicy, icy five-game showdown between the Canadian and American national teams — is back on the ice. Drop that puck.

Team Canada shooting for third straight series win: After being thoroughly dominated in the opening game back in November, the red and white were on a mission in games two and three, snagging a pair of wins for a 2-1 series lead.

• Now back on home soil in Halifax, expect forward Marie-Philip “Captain Clutch” Poulin to shine on the international stage once more in game four tomorrow at 6 p.m. ET.

Zooming out: It’s no secret that women’s hockey’s recent growth has been exponential — look no further than the PWHL Takeover Tour’s sold-out arenas. But it didn’t happen overnight: Many trailblazing women in the sport paved the way for what’s happening now and the bright future that lies ahead.

• From Team USA boycotting the 2017 women’s hockey worlds because of inequitable treatment to the trials and tribulations of forming a sustainable women’s professional hockey league in North America, today’s women’s hockey product has truly been a labor of love.