DO OR DIE! That is what Monday’s Four Nations Face-Off Tournament game between Canada and Finland was.
The 1 PM game between The Great White North and The Finns had a little bit of everything. Each team needed a regulation win (three points) to clinch a spot in Thursday’s Championship game against Team USA. And Team Canada did exactly what it needed to as it earned a 5-3 regulation win over Finland. This was no WWE automatic rematch clause invocation either. Canada needed to go out and EARN its way into The Title Game against America and its top players – Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Sidney Crosby, Brayden Point, etc. – led the way. However, it did get hairy towards the end.
The Canadians came out flying and Connor McDavid was right in the middle of it. 4:13 into the opening period Roope Hintz turned the puck over and McDavid made The Finns pay, shooting the puck low, past Kevin Lankinen for the early 1-0 lead.
“A lot of emotions after last game,” Nathan MacKinnon explained. “We knew we had to win this, most likely in regulation, to advance. It was a great start and obviously, the best player in The League made an unreal play. And a great screen by Stony (Mark Stone) there as well. A great start for us.”
“The last thing we wanted to do was go home today or tomorrow,” MacKinnon continued. “Whoever we were going to be playing in The Finals, obviously it’s gonna be the Americans, we’d love to play ’em again. We feel like we can beat those guys and we plan on playing a little better Thursday.”
Then, 46 seconds later, Nathan MacKinnon took a pass in stride from Sam Reinhart and whistled a shot that beat Lankinen blocker side to double Canada’s lead to 2-0. Just over eight minutes later, Brayden Point swooped in to clean up a rebound with a backhander past Lankinen to give Canada a 3-0 lead. (McDavid was credited with an assist to give him two points in the period).
The second period saw MacKinnon add a second goal to his ledger at the 5:03 mark. He was assisted by longtime friend Sidney Crosby. That goal chased Lankinen and brought Jusse Saros into the game.
Another key aspect of the game was the return of Canada’s star defenseman Cale Makar, who missed their loss to America Saturday night with an illness. The 26-year-old defenseman began the game skating alongside Avalanche teammate Devon Toews as Canada’s top D-pair.
Makar’s overall game, skating, vision, etc. were on display throughout Canada’s win over Finland. So whatever illness was ailing him was clearly in the past. He was strong on and off the puck and the Canadian team looked far crisper because of him (as well as because their “Big Guns” performed up to the level expected of them). He also finished with an ice time of 23:57, which was tops on Team Canada and third overall for all skaters in the game.
“He’s a star,” Jon Cooper said about Cale Makar. “Just to play half the game, he’s a one-man breakout. He just glides out there on the ice. His reads are phenomenal. It’s a luxury, let’s be honest. I was so glad to have him back.”
Esa Lindell, Finland’s top defenseman, broke up Jordan Binnington’s shutout 13:19 into the third period to draw The Finns within 4-1, but it was too little too late. Or so everybody thought.
A tick over five minutes after Lindell broke up the shutout, Mikael Granlund scored to draw The Finns within 4-2 and give their fans a glimmer of hope. And then, 23 seconds later, Granlund did it again. All of a sudden, a palpable feeling overtook the crowd. It was 4-3 with 1:17 to go.
Could The Finns do the previously thought unthinkable? Remember, if the game went to overtime, that would open the door for Sweden to steal the spot in The Final.
That’s when Sidney Crosby, who really should be named, “Mister Canada” at this point, gave everything he had and potted the empty net goal to calm everyone’s nerves and seal Canada’s 5-3 victory.
“At a tournament like this, you try and lean on the experienced guys who have been there before,” Sam Reinhart said about Sidney Crosby’s leadership. “You see the way he handles himself every day. He’s the leader in the locker room and we take a lot from that.”
“I thought we played extremely well tonight,” Jon Cooper explained. “We managed the puck. You’ve got the best players in the world doing things they’re probably not accustomed to and all for the benefit of our team winning hockey games. It was a 200-foot game. You’ve got (Connor) McDavid, (Nathan) MacKinnon, (Sidney) Crosby and all these guys dumping pucks and going and getting ’em. It was a way we had to play to, to win this game. We did it and whatever you can dissect the game. Does it matter by how much you won? Bottom line, the goal is to play Thursday night. If anything, we got great video for five-on-six if we need it on Thursday.”
With that victory in the books – as Howie Rose would say – the re-match the hockey world has been clamoring for is set.
Team Canada versus Team USA. Thursday night. To quote Canada’s Head Coach, Jon Cooper, “It will be a made-for-TV event.”
