MONTREAL – Starting with three fights in the first nine seconds and ending with celebrations and spots in the 4 Nations faceoff final, the US defeats Canada on Saturday night to tell exactly what Matthew Tokachuk wanted I did.
“We had to send a message,” Tkachuk said. “The message we want to send is, “It’s our time.” ”
Tkachuk fought Brandon Hagel from the opening faceoff, the Brady brothers stumbled with Sam Bennett next when the pack fell, JT Miller dropped Colton Pareiko and Gloves, and the Americans 3 with their biggest rivals -1 victory.
“It was one of the best experiences of my life. It’s an incredible hockey game,” said Dylan Larkin, who scored a Go-Ard goal in the second term. “Tkachuk Brothers and Mullsy, what a start, and the achievements of those who answered the bells. And the crowd, the great night for our sport, and the perfect night for this rivalry.”
Playing at physicality and fierce pace throughout, the most anticipated games of the 4 Nations round robin play are from opening faceoffs to Canadian stars Sydney Crosby and Conor McDavid and several more Charlie McAvoy to big hits. I wasn’t disappointed. A key save between 24 by Connor Helebuick. And the US has shown that it can keep up with Canada’s speed, skill and talent in its first international tournament with the NHL’s best players in nearly a decade.
“What an incredible hockey game,” US manager Mike Sullivan said.
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It all unfolds against the backdrop of uneasy tensions between North American neighbours and longtime allies, and was loudly booed by 21,105 sold-out crowds at Bell Center through pre-match productions of the US national anthem. As soon as the pack was dropped it spills on the ice, Matthew Tokachuk asks Brandon Hagel to drop the gloves, and the Canadian winger in the fourth line joined the fight in two seconds.
Canadian fans will cheer on the team as they take them to the ice before a four-country face-off hockey game in Montreal on February 15th, 2025. Canadian media via Christinne Muschi/AP
Brother Brady Tokachuk did the same thing as Bennett the moment the puck was dropped in the showdown that follows three seconds later.
The idea came from a group chat involving Tkachuk Brothers and Miller. Canadian director John Cooper called the first minute purely “Mayhem.”
“That was a 10-year, international hockey-like experience in just a minute and a half,” Cooper said.
Old school pugilism didn’t go too fast for the US as Tkachuks were on the penalty box for the first five minutes. McDavid accelerated around the top defensive pair of McAvoy and Zach Werenski, putting Hellebuyck’s backhander on the roof.
But the Canadian questions online continued when Jake Guanzel defeated Jordan Binnington in five holes midway through the first period to tie it together. And Crosby, a constantly reliable Canadian captain, made a rare mistake with turnovers, which combined with a bad line change opened up the way Larkin scored 2-1 in the middle of regulation.
“He’s not afraid to shoot it,” Brady Tokachuk said. “He has a great shot, and it ultimately became the winner of the game.”
Binnington around that play has created some timely stops, and although Canada has had plenty of chances to tie it together without Carl McCal, the top defensive man, due to illness, I couldn’t get the pack past Helebuick again. Guentzel will be picked up in the empty net with 1:19 left, resulting in all world rosters led by McDavid, Crosby and Nathan Mackinnon facing Finland on Monday.
“It’s like Game 7,” McDavid said. “Many people in this room were in that situation before. I managed to win. ”
The US has nothing to play against Sweden that night, but there are concerns about Matthew Tokachuk after not finishing the game due to what Sullivan called a lower body injury.
“I feel good,” Tkachuk said, shaking his injuries away. “After winning, it definitely got a lot better. Everything should be good. ”
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The tournament will shift at Boston’s TD Garden for Monday’s match, with Canada facing Finland at 1pm and Sweden at 8pm
By Stephen Wans
