Dylan Larkin’s second period goal held up as the game winner when the United States beat Canada 3-1 on Saturday in an emotional 4 nations Face-off-collision in Montreal.
Jake Guentzel did twice and Larkin also recorded an assist for the Americans in a comeback victory that contained a textbook’s defensive effort. Goalkeeper Connor Hellebuyck made 25 rescues.
The United States has won its first two matches in the tournament’s round Robin of the tournament and hit his ticket to the final, which will be held on Thursday in Boston.
Connor McDavid did for Canada, who opened the tournament with an overtime victory against Sweden. Goalkeeper Jordan Binnington stopped 20 shots.
Canada, Finland and Sweden are all bound in the position with two points per piece. Team USA has six points.
Any questions about what this game meant for both sides were answered with a trio of fights during the first nine seconds of action. Canada Brandon Hagel fought Matthew Tkachuk at the drop of the puck, American Brady Tkachuk dropped the gloves with Sam Bennett on the subsequent faceoff and JT Miller from the US and Colton Parako not square.
McDavid opened the score at the frenetic store 5:31 and lifted a backhanded shot on the back of the net to complete a deck on a break.
Guentzel leveled the score almost five minutes later as he fired a shot through Binnington’s legs from the left wing, a goal that clearly frustrated the Canadian Netminder.
Larkin put the Americans forward at 13:33 in the second period. By utilizing a Team Canada turnover at the offensive blue line, Larkin was spread on an odd man rush. He chose to shoot from his off -wing and paid the opportunity.
Guentzel added an empty net target with 79 seconds left in regulation to round off the score.
The victory may have come at a high price for Team USA. Matthew Tkachuk played only two shifts during the third period – and none in the last 12:36 of the frame due to an obvious injury. He took the ice that tested the problem under TV timeouts.
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