Sights, sounds, highlights from TD Garden in Boston
© Bill Price
Welcome to the 4 Nations Face-Off. The round robin portion of the best-on-best international tournament ends Monday with a second straight doubleheader. It’s Canada vs. Finland in the first game at 1 p.m. ET and then the U.S. takes on Sweden at 8 p.m. Each game is on MAX, truTV, TNT, Sportsnet and TVA Sports. NHL.com Editor-In-Chief Bill Price is in Boston to provide all the sights, sounds and highlights of each game.
1:30 p.m. ET
Canada has taken control here early, scoring twice in the first five minutes.
First, Connor McDavid, who wrists a shot by Kevin Lankinen at 4:13.
Then, Nathan MacKinnon strikes just 46 seconds later.
Finland has already used its timeout to possibly regroup.
It’s a huge boost for Canada, which you know wants another shot at the U.S. and it can get it today with a regulation win.
1:20 p.m. ET
Just one more reminder of what’s at stake here. If either team wins in regulation, it will face the U.S. in the 4 Nations final game. If this game goes to OT, then both teams have to wait and see what happens tonight between the U.S and Sweden.
The puck has dropped for the first game of our doubleheader, and it seems plenty of Canadians have made the trip down here because they are loud. Oh, and this place is quite full.
Of course, Brad Marchand of the Boston Bruins got the biggest cheer, and Jordan Binnington, who helped the St. Louis Blues win the Cup in Boston in 2019, got booed.
I hope they all have a better commute than our pal Per Bjurman of Sweden.
Because of snowstorm in Montreal on Sunday, his flight — like those of many others — was cancelled. So he took a 12-hour train ride to New York on Sunday and stayed in a hotel by Penn Station New York that night. This morning, while leaving his hotel to get to his train to Boston, the elevator got stuck between the 10th and ninth floors, where it stayed for 10 harrowing minutes until security was able to rescue him. It’s like the Swedish version of “Planes, Trains and Automobiles.”
But he is here in Boston. A real trooper.
1:07 p.m. ET
Here are the starters for the Finns:
Sebastian Aho, Roope Hintz and Mikael Granlund at forward
Niko Mikkola and Esa Lindell on defense
Kevin Lankinen in goal
The Boston writers are very happy today because it’s not frigid in here, which is usually the case.
I’m very proud of Team NHL.com. The lunch offering up here was freshly grilled burgers or a Caesar salad and by my count, we all took the salad except for Zeisberger.
1:03 p.m. ET
We have our answer. Cale Makar is in the lineup. Hockey Canada just tweeted the lineup and he’s in with Thomas Harley out.
The other change is Travis Konecny is in and Seth Jarvis is out. This is a huge boost for Canada to have Makar back in the lineup.
Here are the starters for Canada:
Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand, Travis Konecny at forward
Devon Toews and Cale Makar on D
Jordan Binnington in goal
12:55 p.m. ET
A few things to watch here early.
Will Cale Makar play for Canada?
How will Canada come out of the box? They had a long commute from Montreal to Boston on Sunday morning, arriving here around 6 a.m. after sitting on the tarmac in Montreal for a few hours and clearing customs in Boston. It was quite a trip.
How will the Canada anthem be treated by the fans in Boston?
And how will Finland play? Will it try to keep it tight and frustrate the Canadians or try to open it up? It would say the first option is what we will see, but who knows?
It’s a really, really windy day in Boston. When we got off the media bus, we all had to walk over a patch of the ice on the sidewalk and I almost tumbled for the second time in a few days.
Luckily, I made it to Dunkin’ in one piece. And I have my favorite Dunkin’ — the one in North Station Boston. Check out how they mark the green tea — which is my favorite.
12:30 p.m. ET
The Cale Makar watch is on. As of this morning, there was no indication if the superstar defenseman would play after he missed the last game with an illness. It’s a huge game for Canada, which needs to win in regulation to be assured a spot in the final game against the U.S. If this game goes to OT, then neither team is assured a spot and must wait for the result of U.S.-Sweden tonight.
Also, in case you missed it, Thomas Harley, who joined Canada to give it six defensemen when Makar missed the U.S. game (Shea Theodore is already out), so it’s possible he plays today and someone else sits, even if Makar plays.
Anyway, here is a refresher of what is at stake today:
Canada will clinch a berth in the 4 Nations Face-Off final:
If it defeats Finland in regulation OR if it defeats Finland in overtime or shootout AND any result of United States-Sweden other than a regulation win by Sweden
Finland will clinch a berth in the 4 Nations Face-Off final:
If it defeats Canada in regulation OR if it defeats Canada in overtime or shootout AND any result of U.S.-Sweden other than a regulation win by Sweden
Sweden will clinch a berth in the 4 Nations Face-Off final:
If it defeats the U.S. in regulation AND the Canada-Finland game is decided in overtime or shootout.
NOTE: Standings below are updated after each game.
