U.S. defeats Canada to secure spot in 4 Nations Face-Off championship game
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MONTREAL — Dylan Larkin scored the go-ahead goal in the second period and the United States beat Canada 3-1 in the 4 Nations Face-Off on Saturday night, wrapping up a spot in the championship game by winning a game that started with three fights in nine seconds and was played at a blistering pace with physicality throughout.
The most anticipated game of round-robin play did not disappoint, from the fisticuffs off the opening face-off to big hits from Charlie McAvoy on Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid and more than a few vital saves by Connor Hellebuyck among his 24. And the U.S. showed it could keep up with Canada’s speed, skill and talent in the first international event with the NHL’s best players in nearly a decade.
It all unfolded against the backdrop of uneasy tensions between the North American neighbors and longtime allies, with many fans in the sellout crowd of 21,105 at Bell Centre loudly booing throughout the pregame rendition of the U.S. anthem. That spilled onto the ice as soon as the puck was dropped, with American power forward Matthew Tkachuk asking Brandon Hagel to drop the gloves and the fourth-line Canada winger engaging in the fight two seconds in.
Lukas Dostal makes 43 saves and Trevor Zegras and Leo Carlsson score in a shootout as the Ducks defeat the Kings. Drew Doughty is added to Canada’s roster for 4 Nations.
Brother Brady Tkachuk did the same with Sam Bennett the moment the puck was dropped on the ensuing faceoff three seconds in. U.S. center J.T. Miller cross-checked Canada defenseman Colton Parayko and the two went at it to make it a trio of bouts in the early going.
The old-school pugilism did not go great early for the U.S., with the Tkachuks in the penalty box for the first five minutes. McDavid accelerated around the top defensive pair of McAvoy and Zach Werenski and roofed a backhander over Hellebuyck that few goaltenders around would be able to stop.
But Canada’s questions in net continued when Jake Guentzel beat Jordan Binnington five-hole midway through the first period to tie it. And the perpetually reliable captain Canada, Crosby, made a rare mistake with a turnover that, combined with a bad line change, paved the way for Larkin to score on a two on one past the midway mark of regulation.
Binnington around that play made some timely stops, and Canada — without top defenseman Cale Makar because of illness — had plenty of chances to tie it but could not get the puck past Hellebuyck again. Guentzel scored into an empty net with 1:19 left to seal it, and the result puts an all-world roster led by McDavid, Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon in a must-win situation Monday against Finland.
The U.S. has nothing to play for against Sweden that night, but there is concern about Matthew Tkachuk after he did not finish the game because of an apparent injury. Tkachuk skated around several times in the third to test out whatever was bothering him and sat at the end of the bench for the rest of the period.
The tournament shifts to Boston for games Monday, with Canada finishing round-robin play against Finland at 10 a.m. PST and the U.S. against Sweden at 5 p.m. at TD Garden.
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