Canada relishing second chance vs. USA in 4 Nations Face-Off
In the stands, the hype for a rematch between Team USA and Team Canada — and a championship rematch at that — in the 4 Nations Face-Off is certainly there.
On TicketMaster.com on Monday once a US-Canada final was secured, the cheapest ‘get in’ sat at $1,250 before fees, and that’s in the last row of Balcony 310. On AceTicket, it was closer to $1,500. Those are Stanley Cup Finals kind of prices not seen in Boston since, you guessed it, Game 7 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final between the Bruins and Blues. On the ice, the hype is even greater, with Team Canada knowing what a second chance against the Americans means after Team USA outlasted them in a tooth-and-nail showdown on Canadian soil last weekend at Montreal’s Bell Centre.
“The last thing we wanted to do was go home,” Canada’s Nathan MacKinnon said following his team’s 5-3 victory over Team Finland at TD Garden. “We feel like we can beat those guys [on Team USA].”
“Obviously, you look at the last game and the intensity, both teams got to know each other pretty well, pretty quickly,” Sidney Crosby echoed. “It’ll be a great challenge.”
The hype around a rematch, at this point, goes without saying.
When these sides first connected last weekend in Montreal, they dropped the gloves three times in less than 10 seconds, and with the Tkachuks and J.T. Miller apparently going into the game with the idea of doing that. And beyond the fights, it was perhaps the closest game possible, with Canada within one shot of tying things up throughout the third period until Jake Guentzel’s empty-net goal with 1:19 left in the third period, and with the sides nearly even in shots (26 for Canada compared to 23 for the U.S.).
“It’s gonna be intense,” Brad Marchand, who on Thursday night will once again be a ‘visitor’ in the only NHL arena who’s ever called home, said. “They showed what type of game they can play, they don’t give up much. they’re gonna be ready to compete hard on Thursday and we’re the same. We’re obviously really excited to have another crack at these guys, and it’s gonna be an intense game for sure.”
Monday began with all of the non-US teams still possessing a chance to go against Team USA in the championship game. But with Canada’s handling of Finland, it is indeed the matchup that just about everybody in and outside the Canadian locker room wanted to be the one to settle this in-season tournament that’ll put a bow on things at TD Garden.
“I mean, there’s no bigger rivalry in hockey than Canada-US, and I think it’s the matchup that everybody wanted,” Marchand offered. “There’s been a lot of buzz from the last game there, and everybody will be very excited for the rematch.”
For the Americans and Canadians, this will be the first time that we’ve seen a best-on-best involving NHL players for a championship since the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, which featured Sidney Crosby scoring what was a ‘Golden Goal’ for Canada in an overtime against Ryan Miller and the rest of Team USA.
As for if the electric start we got to the last Canada-US game will be there again on Thursday night, Marchand, who has been utilized in an ‘energy player’ kind of role, kept things close to the vest.
“To be determined,” Marchand said.
