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Team Canada suffered a tough loss to rivals Team USA on Saturday night at the 4 Nations Face-Off, falling 3-1 in front of a packed crowd at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
The Americans have automatically booked a spot in the championship game on Thursday in Boston, while the Canadians need to beat Finland on Monday to set up a rematch with their bitter rivals. Ahead of that matchup, head coach Jon Cooper had a strong declaration.
Via Luke Fox:
“This is our Game 7.”
That does make sense considering Team Canada must win if they want to compete for the title. Finland won't be an easy opponent either after taking down Sweden in a high-octane clash on Saturday afternoon. But, this Canadian group is full of talent and they're hungry to win this event.
From the moment the puck dropped against Team USA, you just knew this game was going to be mayhem. Matthew Tkachuk and Brandon Hagel immediately threw hands, and two more scraps followed. In fact, there were three fights in the first nine seconds. Fans couldn't have asked for a better start to a rivalry matchup.
The States' fantastic blue line and goaltending lived up to expectations against Team Canada. Aside from Connor McDavid's incredible solo goal early in the first period, the hosts didn't create many legitimate chances in front of goal. Connor Hellebuyck was also solid as can be in net, making 25 saves on 26 shots.
Canada will have a day off to regroup before facing Finland. Star defenceman Cale Makar missed the USA contest due to sickness, but Cooper remains hopeful that he will be able to play on Monday. They will undoubtedly need him healthy if taking down the States is going to become a reality next week.
But for now, Team Canada must shift their focus to the task at hand — Finland.