Staff Canada will get a possibility to avenge its loss to the USA of America within the round-robin portion of the 4 Nations Face-Off with a rematch within the championship sport. Canada defeated Finland 5-3 behind a three-goal outburst within the opening 20 minutes. Forwards Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon had been instrumental within the victory. Jordan Binnington’s 23 saves secured the win regardless of some nervous late moments. The highly-charged duel between Staff USA and Canada will happen Thursday evening in Boston, Massachusetts.
Sport Recap
A fast Canadian left-right scoring punch put Finland in an early multi-goal drawback 5 minutes into the sport. Canada’s McDavid (2) beat Finland’s goalie Kevin Lankinen‘s glove aspect for a 1-0 lead at 4:13 of the opening interval. Finland’s Roope Hintz flung the puck into an open space on an tried clearance. Nonetheless, it was captured by Canada’s star heart earlier than he circled to an open area to create the taking pictures probability towards a scrambling Finnish defensive position.
Associated: Information to the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off
Forty-six seconds later, MacKinnon (2) ripped a shot previous Lankinen on a breakaway for a 2-0 lead. Canadian ahead Sam Bennett pushed the puck into an open space, permitting MacKinnon to make use of his velocity burst to seize the free object. The Colorado Avalanche star moved to his backhand and beat the Finnish goalie blocker aspect for a fast 2-0 lead for Canada.
Finland’s coach, Antti Pennanen, used his timeout to settle the sport down, which generated a stable push over the following handful of minutes, however it was Canada celebrating the sport’s subsequent purpose. Braydon Level dunked a rebound throughout the purpose line for a 3-0 lead with six minutes remaining within the opening body. McDavid positioned defenseman Travis Sanheim becoming a member of the push, making a scoring alternative when the blueliner ripped a low shot at Lankinen’s pads.
Early within the second interval, MacKinnon added his third purpose of the event on a one-time feed from Sidney Crosby to increase the Canadian benefit to 4-0. Finland swapped to goaltender Juuse Saros to protect the web for the rest of the competition following the Canadian celebration. Ultimately, it was an adjustment made too late to affect the loss.
Sidney Crosby ➡️ Nathan MacKinnon 😍 #4Nations pic.twitter.com/mKOMosnysM
— NHL (@NHL) February 17, 2025
Finland’s Esa Lindell (1) erased the shutout at 13:39 of the third interval on a slick snapshot that ricocheted off the left submit earlier than discovering the web. Finnish ahead Arturri Lehkonen saved the play alive alongside the aspect boards earlier than passing over Lindell for Finland’s opening rating. Saros was pulled for the additional skater with over 4 minutes remaining and trailing three targets. Patrick Laine scored with 100 seconds remaining, leading to a 4-2 lead on a shot that sailed via Binnington’s pads. Finland was not carried out but – Mikael Granlund, the OT hero towards Sweden, scored 23 seconds later to trim the result in one at 4-3.
Crosby (1) sealed the sport for Canada with an empty internet purpose from heart ice. The Pittsburgh Penguins pivot collected a puck on the 4 Nations Face-Off brand earlier than sending it the size of the best way into the empty internet for his 21st goal as a member of the nationwide hockey staff.
Event Scoring Leaders
Along with his empty-net tally, Crosby jumps atop the 4 Nations Face-Off leaderboard with 5 factors behind a purpose and 4 assists. A pair of teammates, McDavid and MacKinnon, are shut behind with 4 factors in three video games. Staff USA’s Jake Guentzel and Zach Werenski each have 4 factors and have a possibility to affix Crosby within the leaderboard penthouse tonight towards Sweden within the closing round-robin sport of the event.
