NHL Players’ Association executive director Marty Walsh announced Wednesday that the league’s new international calendar could produce another “Golden Goal” moment.
It didn’t take long.
Canada defeated Sweden 3-2 in overtime at Montreal’s Bell Centre in the 4 Nations Face-Off opener. The sellout crowd of 21,105 erupted for Mario Lemieux during pregame ceremonies and chanted “Crosby! Crosby! Crosby!” in overtime.
Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, and Nathan MacKinnon combined for Canada’s first goal. Sweden staged a late comeback before Mitch Marner scored the winner with 3:54 left in overtime.
Canada earned two points in the standings, Sweden one.
Star Power Leads Canada
Crosby recorded three primary assists, controlling play throughout the game. McDavid showcased his speed repeatedly, while MacKinnon drew an early penalty and finished the opening scoring sequence.
Canada’s top players logged heavy minutes. McDavid led all forwards with 21:26 ice time, followed by MacKinnon at 19:56.
“That’s probably the fastest hockey I’ve ever played,” said Canada defenseman Drew Doughty. “Not only did you have to move more with your legs, mentally you had to have your head on a swivel at all times.”
Cale Makar added: “Playoff-type atmosphere. But the pace was maybe better than the playoffs. A lot of back and forth, and not a lot of time to create plays.”
Defensive Changes
Canada lost defenseman Shea Theodore to a wrist injury after seven minutes. He’ll miss the rest of the tournament.
“It’s heartbreaking for the kid,” said Canada head coach Jon Cooper.
Devon Toews emerged as Canada’s top performer on defense. Travis Sanheim, scratched for the opener, will play against the U.S. on Saturday.
Fourth Line Impact
Anthony Cirelli centered an effective fourth line with Brandon Hagel and Travis Konecny. The trio created consistent offensive pressure despite limited ice time.
Jordan Binnington made key saves in goal for Canada.
Sweden Shows Resilience
Sweden recovered from a slow start that saw them without a shot for the first 14 minutes. Filip Gustavsson stopped 26 shots in a strong goaltending performance.
“A little bit of a nut-kicker,” defenseman Erik Karlsson said about the overtime loss.
Gustav Forsling and Rickard Rakell stood out for Sweden, with Forsling excelling in transition and Rakell providing a strong net-front presence.
Canada faces the United States on Saturday night.
