Canada's Para hockey team focused on semis ahead of potential gold-medal rematch vs. U.S.

Canada's Para ice hockey team waited four years for a Paralympic rematch against the U.S. 

Star forward Billy Bridges said that, like for many of us, it felt more like 12.

"The entire world has gone through something incredible and devastating and horrific. And you know, it certainly gives you perspective once you finally get here of just how slow the days seem to go, but how fast four years can go," Bridges told CBC Sports.

The Americans beat Canada in the gold-medal game at the 2018 Paralympics in Pyeongchang after netting the equalizer with 38 seconds remaining before winning in overtime.

A low-stakes version of the rivalry played out between Canada and the U.S. to open the Beijing tournament, with the Canadians falling flat in a 5-0 loss.

WATCH | Canada drops Paralympic opener:

The high-stakes version seems like an inevitability.

Canada went on to crush the Koreans 6-0 and will play them again in the semifinals on Thursday at 11 p.m. ET.

The Americans, who also beat Korea 9-1 in the round robin, take on China at 7:05 a.m. ET on Friday.

The final goes Saturday at 11 p.m. ET. But Bridges and his teammates are being careful to not look too far ahead.

"It's human nature to think ahead. And I know how important winning that semifinal game is because you win the semifinal and boom, you are a Paralympic medallist. Trying to just stay even keeled and in the moment and make sure we win that game," Bridges said.

WATCH | Canada rebounds for win over Korea:

Bridges, of Summerside, P.E.I., is the only Canadian to ever record at least 100 goals and 100 assists in international play.

He's the oldest player on a team featuring a pair of 21-year-olds including James Dunn, who tallied a hat trick against Korea. The team also has skaters hailing from B.C. to Newfoundland.

The veteran noted that the likes of Dunn, Liam Hickey ("the fastest player in the world") and captain Tyler McGregor ("with those silky hands") can only have gained confidence after seeing the puck hit the back of the net against Korea.

They'll have to do it again, against the same goalie, for Canada to get that long-awaited rematch.

'We still have so much to learn'

Bridges has been in this position before when it all fell apart.

"In the Vancouver Paralympic Games, we looked past Japan in the semifinals already looking ahead to Team USA and what we'd have to do to beat them. And even though we outshot Japan 38-7 or something, we still lost that game," Bridges said. 

"It's so important to not look past every single day because we still have so much to learn today and tomorrow."

And so Canada's Para hockey team will submit to the clichéd "one day at a time" theory and keep focus on the task at hand.

It's been four years, anyway. Or maybe 12. In any case, there's nothing to do now except prepare for the moment the team's been waiting for.

And when it happens? Bridges and the rest of his squad will be ready.

"I just feel like every single guy has the ability to do our individual roles better than anybody else in the world."