Canada and america have performed some heated video games on hockey’s worldwide stage.
The rivalry reached a brand new _ and nasty _ stage Saturday.
Dylan Larkin scored the go-ahead objective within the second interval because the U.S. beat Canada 3-1 after a punch-filled begin that noticed three fights inside 9 seconds to open the international locations’ electrical matchup on the 4 Nations Face-Off.
Jake Guentzel added two targets of his personal, together with one into an empty internet, for the People. Connor Hellebuyck made 25 saves.
Connor McDavid replied for the Canadians, who had been minus No. 1 defenceman Cale Makar due to sickness. Jordan Binnington stopped 20 pictures.
The U.S., which hammered Finland 6-1 in its curtain-raiser two nights earlier, clinched a spot in Thursday’s remaining in Boston with a second consecutive regulation victory that offers the nation six factors by means of two video games.
Canada, Sweden and Finland every have two factors at an occasion that represents the closest males’s hockey has come to best-on-best because the 2016 World Cup.
The NHL went to 5 straight Olympics from 1998 by means of 2014 earlier than skipping 2018 for monetary causes. The league then withdrew from the 2022 Video games due to COVID-19 worries.
The round-robin showcase that’s serving as an appetizer to the NHL’s return to the Olympics subsequent yr now shifts to TD Backyard for a pair of video games Monday _ Canada versus Finland, Sweden versus U.S. _ earlier than Thursday’s remaining between the 2 groups with the most effective information.
After legendary MMA fighter Georges St-Pierre launched Canada, which beat Sweden 4-3 in time beyond regulation Wednesday, and the deafening Bell Centre crowd as soon as once more lustily booed the American nationwide anthem earlier than puck drop, ahead Brandon Hagel and U.S. counterpart Matthew Tkachuk fought two seconds into the primary interval.
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Canadian ahead 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 following faceoff with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau trying on from the stands.
The groups performed the following six seconds with out fisticuffs earlier than defenceman Colton Parayko fought U.S. winger J.T. Miller to extra raucous approval contained in the crackling rink.
A variety of followers additionally booed the U.S. anthem Thursday, persevering with a pattern at Canadian skilled sporting occasions after President Donald Trump introduced doubtlessly crippling tariffs and continues to muse in regards to the nation’s northern neighbour turning into its 51st state.
Saturday’s motion lastly pivoted to hockey _ and gamers on either side completed each verify with punishing vigour.
McDavid opened the scoring after taking a cross in stride from Drew Doughty and blowing previous Charlie McAvoy earlier than roofing a backhand on Hellebuyck at 5:31 of the primary to almost blow the highest off the rink.
McAvoy obtained a measure of revenge moments later when he rocked McDavid with a clear hit.
Guentzel tied it at 10:15 on a five-hole shot Binnington will need again, however the goaltender redeemed himself on an influence play later within the interval when denied the American ahead from in tight.
Binnington made a pleasant cease on Brady Tkachuk within the second earlier than Hellebuyck denied Nathan MacKinnon.
Larkin, who hit the put up earlier within the interval, rapidly took benefit of an uncharacteristic Sidney Crosby turnover later within the shift and beat Binnington by the blocker on a 2-on-1.
Matthew Tkachuk had Binnington at his mercy early within the third, however the netminder managed to scramble to make an ungainly save.
McDavid had an opportunity on Hellebuyck from the slot with underneath eight minutes left in regulation that he held onto with Crosby lurking for a possible rebound.
Canada pulled Binnington with underneath two minutes to go along with McDavid, Crosby and MacKinnon on the assault, however Guentzel iced it into the empty subsequent with 1:19 remaining earlier than American followers chanted “U-S-A! U-S-A!” because the clock ticked down.
STEP UP
Canada dressed defenceman Thomas Harley with Makar out. The Canadians had been already down Shea Theodore after he suffered an upper-body damage in Wednesday’s time beyond regulation victory in opposition to Sweden that ended his match.
Makar stays eligible to play the rest of the schedule if wholesome.
IN ATTENDANCE
Other than Trudeau and St-Pierre taking within the sport, different well-known faces included Canadian girls’s hockey star Marie-Philip Poulin and former U.S. determine skater Michelle Kwan.
Members of Canada’s 1972 Summit Sequence staff _ Paul Henderson, Ken Dryden, Serge Savard and Yvan Cournoyer _ had been additionally honoured within the second interval.
Former Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Value additionally obtained raucous applause within the third throughout a TV timeout.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
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