Team USA, Canada planned for the Revenge match in the final 4 final nations – Orange County Register

By Jimmy Golen Sports writer AP

BOSTON – The first match between the United States and Canada in the confrontation of the 4 nations left both sides – and most hockey fans – want more.

And that’s exactly what they will get.

The North Americans played their way in a revenge match in the championship match, even with the United States losing against Sweden, 2-1, in the round-robin final on Monday evening. The American team had already won a place in the title match, and Canada obtained its way by beating Finland, 5-3, earlier on Monday to finish the group phase.

“It will be a difficult battle. This is what I expected, “said American coach Mike Sullivan. “I feel like I get the best seat of the house, to be behind the bench and to be near him. To look at what these guys do on the ice at the rate they are able to do it, sometimes we are amazing what is going on up there. »»

Sweden joined forces after having lagged behind 35 seconds in the match to give the Americans for its first defeat in the tournament that brought back the biggest players in the match on the international scene after sitting the last two Olympic Games .

Canada watched its four goals in the last minutes, but won Finland earlier on Monday to seize the other place in the title match. This won the revenge match of the round match filled with Saturday combat.

“They will be extremely hungry. They don’t want to lose two against us, “said American striker Dylan Larkin. “I think there will be nerves, but I hope it is this level that is in Montreal.”

Chris Kreider gave the Americans advance the first minute on Monday evening, but Gustav Nyquist equalized a dozen minutes later and Jesper Bratt gave the advance in Sweden with less than a minute remaining in the first period. Samuel Ersson made 31 stops, closing the United States for the 59:25 am of the match.

Officially, the Nightcap did not mean anything for the Americans or the Swedes: the United States had already won a place in the championship match on Thursday evening, and Sweden needed Canadians to vacillate for a chance in the final.

“I don’t think there was too much shock,” said American striker Jack Hughes. “They are obviously an excellent team and I know they are preparing for the bit to get us back. We are really delighted to get them, and that’s a bit what we were looking for. »»

With some fans wearing powder wigs and tricorne hats from the colonial era, Boston’s crowd yelled “The Star -Spangled Banner” before the match – a response to Canadians who hooked the US national anthem before the First clashes in Montreal. Songs of “USA!” Row in the TD garden in the last minutes, with goalkeeper Jake Oettinger fired for an additional skater, but the Americans could not beat Ersson to force overtime.

Instead, the Americans will come together for the tournament final.

“The first game was an excellent hockey match. And I think it’s great for hockey that there is an opportunity for these two teams to meet again, “said Sullivan. “Obviously, the two teams have a stars power all around the range. It was a very competitive hockey match, the first game. I plan that the next one will be competitive, if not more. »»

The Americans faced Sweden a player with the high center of Auston Matthews, then Brady Tkachuk left in the second period after colliding with Ersson in the Plé. More disappointing for Boston fans was the defender of Bruins Charlie McAvoy striped of the programming.

Sullivan said the team had not moved to bring reinforcements of alignment.

“We hope to recover some of these guys,” he said.

Tkachuk, who plays for the Senators of Ottawa, lost an advantage by leading to Sweden net in the first period and slammed his team in the goal cage at 7:37 in the match. He returned to the American bench in discomfort and finally left for the coache room.

He returned to the ice for a short quarter of 14 seconds later in the period but did not return with the team for the second period.

Tkachuk managed five quarters of work in the match for a total of 1:55 in time of ice. He scored two goals in the American team’s victory over Finland last week.

Matthew Tkachuk, Brady’s older brother, missed Monday’s match as a precaution in the injury. Florida’s panthers star was part of 12:36 of the US team’s third period on Canada due to a lower body injury.

The Tkachuk brothers helped set the tone for this 3-1 victory with two fights in the first three seconds. They play on each side of the Jack Eichel Center to form one of the most effective American score lines.

Matthews had upper body pain after the victory against Canada. He has an assist in two games for the United States, with an average of 20:16 in ice. McAvoy has an average of 19:36 in two points without points.

The United States has inserted the New York Rangers striker Chris Kreider and the senators defender Jake Sanderson in their alignment against Sweden, playing with 17 skaters (11 attackers, 6 defenders).

Canada 5, Finland 3: Nathan Mackinnon scored twice. Connor McDavid had a goal and a decisive pass. Sidney Crosby reversed an empty net of central ice after Finland cut a deficit of four goals to one in the last minutes.

The best players in Canada came on Monday to win a revenge match with the United States.

“This is what you need: the big games of great players,” said Crosby after the 5-3 victory over Finland. “These guys are used to playing in these big games under the spotlight and to deliver. They did again tonight.

Canada and the United States will play Thursday evening in a suite of a round match in Montreal last week which started with three fights and ended with the Americans celebrating a 3-1 victory. The Canadian striker – and the Boston Bruins captain – Brad Marchand will take the ice as an adversary at TD Garden in a series where fans had to be invited not to huer the national anthem of the opponents.

“We are obviously really delighted to (have) another crack at these guys. It will be an intense game, for sure, “said Marchand in the visitor’s locker room, in the corridor of the one where he has changed in the past 16 seasons.

“There is no more important rivalry in hockey than Canada-US, and I think it’s the match everyone wanted,” said Marchand. “So it’s going to be an extremely intense game, the one we are all looking forward to.”

Jordan Binnington stopped 23 shots for Canada on the same ice where he won the 2019 Stanley Cup for St. Louis Blues. Brayden Point also scored and Sam Reinhart collected three assists while the Canadians opened a 4-0 lead in the first 25 minutes.

The tournament is the NHL’s return to international competition after sitting at the 2018 Olympic Games and 2022. He delivered the intense game of American Canada last week in a context of icy relations in the real world between countries, Stimulated by President Donald Trump’s speeches on prices – or even transforming Canada into a 51st American state.

The Americans had to play Sweden on Monday evening in a match that lost all meaning once Canada won second place in the final. The United States has won the previous two round games, winning first place in the swimming pool.

After an ardent game in Montreal last week, Monday’s match was preceded by Huets luketes during the Canadian national anthem and all the intensity of a NHL match in the middle of the road between two teams with temporary coaches.

And then, the Finns have found life.

Esa Lindell scored with seven minutes to do it to do so 4-1, then Mikael Granlund scored twice in the last 100 seconds with the Finnish goalkeeper for an additional striker. Crosby put an end to the suspense when he returned a loose washer of central ice in the empty net.

“There were a few goals there late and arrived very close, but not today,” said Finnish striker Aleksander Barkov. “Obviously, it is not an easy task to return from a deficit of 4-0 against perhaps the best team in the world. So I think we did well there at the end. But the rest of the 50 minutes we might have and should have played a little better. »»