The one squad standing in the way of Team Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off was always seen as Team USA and that became a reality on Saturday night, losing 3-1 to their bitter rivals.
With the victory, the Americans booked their spot in the championship game next Thursday at the TD Garden in Boston, while the Canadians still need to beat Finland to set up a rematch with the States.
In the process, Team Canada's epic 26-game winning streak with Sidney Crosby in the lineup ended where he put up 29 points during that span:
Team Canada had won 26 straight games with Sidney Crosby in the lineup over a 15 year span…
This USA Hockey Team is a PROBLEM pic.twitter.com/uwDqzbME2P
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) February 16, 2025
That run dates back to the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver where Crosby of course scored the winner vs Team USA in the gold medal game. It was only a matter of time until Team Canada did lose and it makes sense it came against such a quality American group. This could be the best team the US has ever assembled for a major tournament and they went into the 4 Nations as the favorite.
The Canadians had a very difficult time mustering up any legitimate opportunities on Saturday in Montreal due to the States' fantastic blue line and goaltending. While they did have 26 shots compared to Team USA's 23, Winnipeg Jets star Connor Hellebuyck was phenomenal in between the posts, making 25 saves.
As for Crosby, he was quiet after tallying three points in the opener on Wednesday. The legend had no shots on goal and finished with a -2. This rivalry clash definitely started off in the best way possible though, with three fights in the first nine seconds. Matthew Tkachuk and Brandon Hagel threw hands as soon as the puck dropped before two more scraps followed.
Team Canada will definitely be hoping they get another shot at the United States in Beantown, but the focus for now will shift to the Finland matchup on Monday.