Team Canada fell short in its group stage game against Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off on Saturday night, but that doesn’t mean that its championship hopes are dashed. The Canadians rebounded nicely on Monday morning, getting a critical 5-3 regulation win over Finland in the final group game to clinch a rematch against the Americans in Thursday night’s championship game.
Team Canada will certainly be disappointed with Saturday’s loss, but they are also excited at the prospect of revenge with the trophy on the line. Before the tournament started, Canada defenseman Drew Doughty didn’t mince words on the expectations for his team according to Chris Johnston of The Athletic.
“As Canadians, the players feel the same way as the fans,” Doughty said, per Johnston. “We expect to win and we’re not going to be satisfied with anything but a championship. I think a lot of the guys in here, we feel that pressure obviously, but that’s what we thrive under. It doesn’t affect our game.”
The first game between Canada and the United States started off with a bang, as there were three fights between the two sides within the first nine seconds of action. Canada then got on the board first on a goal by Connor McDavid before the Americans took control and eventually sealed it with an empty-netter late in the third.
Things seemed to be going smoothly for Team Canada on Monday. The Canadians took a comfortable 4-0 lead over Finland, but they seemed to book their title game spot in their heads a bit prematurely. Three late goals from the Fins made it just a one-goal game with a minute to go before Sidney Crosby scored an empty-net goal to put the game out of reach for good.
The first game between Team Canada and Team USA was a spectacle on Canadian soil, with physical, high-level hockey being played between both teams. Now, the Canadians will be out for revenge on American Soil at the TD Garden in Boston, and they will be looking to lift the big prize in front of the American fans at the end of the night.
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