The tension between the United States and Canada was palpable even before the puck dropped, with Canadian fans notably booing the US national anthem. The intensity escalated immediately with three fights erupting within the first nine seconds of the game. American brothers Matthew and Brady Tkachuk initiated two of these fights right at the start, setting a combative tone for the match. A third altercation followed swiftly between American JT Miller and Canadian Colton Parayko, sending the arena into a frenzy.
Despite Canada’s superstar Connor McDavid scoring the first goal of the game with a backhand strike against USA’s goalie Connor Hellebuyck, the lead was short-lived. American forward Jake Guentzel countered with a goal of his own, leveling the score to 1-1. The game’s intensity persisted into the second period, where Dylan Larkin of the USA broke the deadlock, delivering a precise wrist shot past Canadian goalie Jordan Binnington to secure a 2-1 advantage for his team.
Notably, the tournament at the Bell Centre was the first in nine years to include NHL players, intensifying the competitive nature of the event. The US team capitalized on this opportunity, solidifying their lead with Guentzel’s empty net goal in the final minute, which was pivotal in ensuring the win. This victory not only maintained their unbeaten record in the tournament, improving it to 2-0-0, but also secured their place in the championship game to be held in Boston.
Brady Tkachuk, seen as a key player in this match, embraced the role of the ‘villain’ as his team faced a less-than-friendly crowd in Montreal. He remarked, ‘I feel like a lot of unhappy people here, especially Montreal… As a group, we were all coming in with that villain mindset that we weren’t going to be liked tonight and we just found a way to win.’ Meanwhile, his brother Matthew, despite sitting out most of the third period, was confirmed fit for the next game against Sweden.
Earlier in the day, the tournament witnessed another thrilling match between Sweden and Finland. After both teams faced initial losses, Finland emerged victorious with a dramatic 4-3 overtime win against Sweden. Mika Zibanejad’s goal initially put Sweden ahead, but a series of exchanges saw Finland’s Mikko Rantanen performing a power play that pushed Finland ahead 2-1. Sweden briefly regained the lead with goals from Rasmus Dahlin and Erik Karlsson, but Aleksander Barkov’s goal for Finland leveled the match again. The game concluded in overtime with Mikael Granlund’s decisive shot securing Finland’s victory.
The USA’s win against Canada in Montreal highlighted the fierce rivalry between the two teams, with the American squad demonstrating skill and resilience. This victory has set the stage for a compelling championship game.
