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BOSTON — Everyone on both sides of the USA-Canada 4 Nations Face-Off final on Thursday knows that this was the matchup everybody was hoping for.
But after Bell Centre turned into a UFC octagon for three fights within the first nine seconds of the teams’ first meeting this past Thursday in Montreal, the clash has somehow become even more of an anticipated event than it was before the tournament even started.
“The only thing that went through my mind is, that first game was such a great hockey game,” Team USA head coach Mike Sullivan said. “I think it’s great for hockey that there’s an opportunity for these two teams to meet again. Both teams have star power all around the lineup. It was a very competitive hockey game, the first game. I would anticipate the next one will be every bit as competitive, if not more. As I said after that game against Canada, the way that game was played, with the emotional investment on both sides, it’s just such an indication of how much these guys care and what this means to them.
“There’s a lot of pride at stake, and it will be a hard-fought battle. That’s what I would anticipate. So I think it’s a great celebration of hockey. It really is. I mean, there’s some of the generational talents on both sides. It’s so awesome from my standpoint.”
With two days between Monday’s slate and the championship bout, the consensus is that it’ll be beneficial for both teams after travels through a snow storm from Montreal to Boston weren’t the easiest to endure.
Logistically, too, several players — especially the Americans — need the rest after a competitive round-robin portion.
“I was saying today it’s been a long time since I’ve won something,” Dylan Larkin said. “I know there’s other guys in here in the same boat. There’s a lot on the line.”
Canada head coach Jon Cooper had a message for his best players before Monday’s 5-3 win over Finland clinched his team’s spot in the 4 Nations Face-Off final.
“Here’s the thing, I talked to Connor [McDavid], if you remember against the U.S., he’s basically one-on-one with [goalie Connor] Hellebuyck and he passes to [Sam] Reinhart, it gets broken up,” he said in his postgame press conference. “I was talking to Connor, ‘Somebody’s got to shoot it in the net. So why not you?’ To see what he did in the first goal of the game, he kind of circled down and got it and got a great screen.
“Meeting with those guys last night, to win hockey games you have to be so selfless, but it’s weird how you have to tell the players at times to be selfish. Being selfish is like you have to shoot it in the net. [Nathan] MacKinnon did it twice, Mac did it once. [Sidney] Crosby with a little more distance [on an empty-netter].”
Consider the message received.
Canada’s Big 3 — McDavid, Crosby, MacKinnon — combined for four goals and six points in the win.
