U.S. defeats Canada in fight-filled game in Montreal to clinch spot in 4 Nations Face-Off final
CBC
Canada and the United States have played some heated games on hockey's international stage.
The rivalry reached a new — and nasty — level Saturday.
Dylan Larkin scored the go-ahead goal in the second period as the U.S. beat Canada 3-1 after a punch-filled start that saw three fights within nine seconds to open the countries' electric matchup at the 4 Nations Face-Off in Montreal.
Jake Guentzel added two goals of his own, including one into an empty net, for the Americans. Connor Hellebuyck made 25 saves.
Connor McDavid replied for the Canadians, who were minus No. 1 defenceman Cale Makar because of illness. Jordan Binnington stopped 20 shots.
The U.S., which hammered Finland 6-1 in its curtain-raiser two nights earlier, clinched a spot in Thursday's final in Boston with a second consecutive regulation victory that gives the country six points through two games.
Canada, Sweden and Finland each have two points at an event that represents the closest men's hockey has come to best-on-best since the 2016 World Cup.
The NHL went to five straight Olympics from 1998 through 2014 before skipping 2018 for financial reasons. The league then withdrew from the 2022 Games because of COVID-19 worries.
The round-robin showcase that's serving as an appetizer to the NHL's return to the Olympics next year now shifts to TD Garden for a pair of games Monday — Canada versus Finland, Sweden versus U.S. — before Thursday's final between the two teams with the best records.
After legendary MMA fighter Georges St-Pierre introduced Canada, which beat Sweden 4-3 in overtime Wednesday, and the deafening Bell Centre crowd once again lustily booed the American national anthem before puck drop, forward Brandon Hagel and U.S. counterpart Matthew Tkachuk fought two seconds into the first period.
Canadian forward Sam Bennett, who drew into the lineup for Travis Konecny, and Brady Tkachuk of the U.S. then dropped the gloves one second later off the ensuing faceoff with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau looking on from the stands.
The teams played the next six seconds without fisticuffs before defenceman Colton Parayko fought U.S. winger J.T. Miller to more raucous approval inside the crackling rink.
A number of fans also booed the U.S. anthem Thursday, continuing a trend at Canadian professional sporting events after President Donald Trump announced potentially crippling tariffs and continues to muse about the country's northern neighbour becoming its 51st state.
Saturday's action finally pivoted to hockey — and players on both sides finished every check with punishing vigour.
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