USA tops Canada in thriller to book spot in 4 Nations title game
The United States defeated Canada 3-1 Saturday night in Montreal to clinch a spot in the 4 Nations Face-Off championship game.
The U.S. still has to play Sweden in round-robin action Monday, but its six points puts it through to the final as the only undefeated team after two games.
The highly anticipated clash between North American rivals started with plenty of fireworks as three fights broke out in the opening 9 seconds. Team USA's Matthew Tkachuk dropped the gloves with Canada's Brandon Hagel immediately after the opening faceoff, then Brady Tkachuk scrapped Sam Bennett. U.S. forward J.T. Miller and Canada defenseman Colton Parayko went at it 6 seconds later.
The first fight was premeditated.
"Right when we found out the starting lineup, he said he wanted a piece of him," Brady Tkachuk said of his brother's fight, per ESPN.
Added Hagel, who's faced off against Tkachuk's Florida Panthers numerous times as a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning: "He asked, and I'm not going to back down from him. I think me and him have a pretty good history just going back and forth throughout the season. I thought potentially if we started together he was going to ask me. Long time coming."
Canada opened the scoring in the first period on a vintage rush from Connor McDavid, but it was unable to solve Vezina Trophy favorite Connor Hellebuyck afterward.
Jake Guentzel tied the game less than 5 minutes after McDavid's goal, and Dylan Larkin scored the eventual winner with 6:27 left in the second period. Guentzel added an empty-netter for his third goal of the tournament.
The United States put on a terrific defensive performance after taking the lead, limiting Canada to only eight shots in the third period.
The loss was Canada's first at a best-on-best event since 2010 - a span of 17 games - when it fell to the United States in the preliminary round of the Vancouver Olympics. Canada got revenge in the gold-medal game that year, and it's a possibility this time around, too, as Canada will advance to the final if it beats Finland in regulation Monday.
Canada, Sweden, and Finland have two points apiece.