The 4 Nations Face-off matches between the US and Canada had sports fans everywhere and talked about Anthem Booing and the three subsequent matches in the first 9 seconds of the game.
Lost in it was what the United States had to overcome to win Matchup and move on to the final.
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Connor Hellebuyck, #37 in Team USA, celebrating with Charlie McAvoy, #25, as Brock Faber, #14, looks at their 3-1 victory in 4 Nations Face-off match between US and Canada in Bell Center on 15 . (Other Ringuette/4nfo/World Cup of Hockey Via Getty Images)
Canadas Connor McDavid opened the scoring shortly after when the electricity was at its highest. Canada hoped to steal one and send their fans home happy, but the United States seemed to reset the tone immediately after, and the Americans thought Charlie McAvoy did just that.
McAvoy set a big hit on McDavid in the first period, and 19 seconds later Jake Guentzel got the equalization past Jordan Binnington. Matthew Tkachuk said it was McAvoy’s hit that revitalized the team.
“It’s also a message-setting moment, of course, one of the actings in the game,” said the Florida Panthers star. “They just scored a goal, the building rocked, and Charlie comes there and pops McDavid, just like one of the hardest hits I’ve seen.”
Canadas Connor McDavid, #97 and Sidney Crosby, #87, speak in the third period of a 4 Nations Face-off Hockey game against the United States in Montreal on Saturday, February 15, 2025. (Graham Hughes // The Canadian press via AP)
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Tkachuk added that McAvoy’s teammates “followed” McAvoy’s aggressiveness afterwards.
“The hit Charlie threw on (McDavid) was a kind of game election,” said American defender Zach Werenski. “He’s been known to do it. He’s great with his size, he’s really good defensively, and I thought it was a perfectly timed hit to get our team in the right direction.”
Dylan Larkin set up the United States 2-1 in the second period, and Guentzel later put one in an empty net and the United States won the game.
McDavid still held Hope out that Canada can jump back and come to the final for a new match.
“It was fast, tight -controlling, competitive, emotional,” he said via the athletic. “It had everything you wanted in a hockey game. It sucks that it didn’t go our way, but this thing is far from over.”
Canada’s Sidney Crosby, #87, is controlled by US Charlie McAvoy, #25, as Vincent Trocheck, #16, looks at in the first period 4 Nations Face-off Hockey Action in Montreal on Saturday, February 15, 2025. (Christinne Muschi/the Canadian press via AP)
The US plays Sweden and Canada plays Finland in the last matches before the championship.
