I Dig Sports
Benetton stage second-half comeback to beat Ulster
Ulster failed to score a point in the second half as three yellow cards hampered their efforts in a 34-19 loss to Benetton.
The province scored three first-half tries through Nathan Doak, Mike Lowry and Jacob Stockdale and led 19-10 after 30 minutes.
But David McCann, Nick Timoney and Stewart Moore were all sent to the sin bin in the second half as the hosts fought back to claim a bonus-point win.
Ulster have lost seven of 11 games in the United Rugby Championship (URC) this season and sit 14th in the table.
With Irish internationals Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale and James Hume all back from injury for Ulster, Simon Easterby also released Rob Herring and Cormac Izuchukwu from Six Nations camp.
Prop Tom O'Toole also returned from a six-game ban and a bolstered Ulster side made a strong start to the contest.
There were only five minutes on the clock when Doak touched down at the base of the posts from close range after a spell of pressure.
A sharp line-out move from the visitors minutes later looked set to open the Italian side up again but instead produced a levelling try.
Timoney palmed the ball down for a charging Stockdale to create the line-break but Ulster forced the offload and Matt Gallagher hacked forward three times to go down the other end and score.
Argentina international Tomas Albornoz added the extras but would have a hand in Ulster restoring their lead as his pass was picked off by Lowry who went over untouched.
Despite losing Izuchukwu to injury, Ulster extended their lead when the returning Stockdale exchanged possession with Doak and stepped inside Benetton's covering defence to mark his comeback with a try.
Ulster's discipline was wavering, however, most especially at scrum time. And it was from a quick penalty after a Lowry knock-on that Benetton grabbed their second score through Ignacio Mendy just before half-time.
Connacht: Piers O'Conor; Shayne Bolton, Hugh Gavin, Cathal Forde, Chay Mullins; Josh Ioane, Ben Murphy; Peter Dooley, Dave Heffernan, Jack Aungier, Josh Murphy, Joe Joyce, Cian Prendergast, Shamus Hurley-Langton, Paul Boyle.
Replacements: Dylan Tierney-Martin, Jordan Duggan, Oisin Dowling, Sean Jansen, Matthew Devine, J Hanrahan, Santiago Cordero.
Cardiff: Cameron Winnett; Gabriel Hamer-Webb, Rey Lee-Lo, Rory Jennings, Harri Millard; Callum Sheedy, Johan Mulder; Rhys Barratt, Liam Belcher, Rhys Litterick, Josh McNally, Seb Davies, Alex Mann, Dan Thomas, Alun Lawrence.
Replacements: Efan Daniel, Danny Southworth, Will Davies-King, Rory Thornton, Ben Donnell, Thomas Young , Callum Braley, Jacob Beetham.
Referee: Hollie Davidson (SRU)
Assistant referees: Keane Davison & Tomas O'Sullivan (IRFU)
TMO: Sam Grove-White (SRU)
Ireland's Doris and Kelleher doubts for Wales clash
Backs (17): Bundee Aki, Caolin Blade, Jack Crowley, Ciaran Frawley, Jamison Gibson-Park, Mack Hansen, Robbie Henshaw, Hugo Keenan, James Lowe, Stuart McCloskey, Conor Murray, Calvin Nash, Jimmy O'Brien, Jamie Osborne, Sam Prendergast, Jacob Stockdale, Garry Ringrose
Forwards (23): Ryan Baird, Finlay Bealham, Tadhg Beirne, Jack Boyle, Thomas Clarkson, Jack Conan, Gavin Coombes, Caelan Doris, Tadhg Furlong, Cian Healy, Rob Herring, John Hodnett, Ronan Kelleher, Diarmuid Mangan, Gus McCarthy, Joe McCarthy, Peter O'Mahony, Andrew Porter, Cian Prendergast, James Ryan, Dan Sheehan, Nick Timoney, Josh van der Flier
DETROIT Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racings Cooper Webb grabbed the win in a thrilling Detroit Supercross at Ford Field. Webbs first win of the season put the two-time champion into a point tie for the title just six races into the 17-round Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship.
Progressive Insurance ECSTAR Suzukis Ken Roczen jumped into the lead on the first lap and led the field for most of the 20-minute plus one lap Main Event. He defended several attacks by Webb throughout the race but gave up the top spot in the final minutes. Red Bull KTM Factory Racings Chase Sexton got stuck in the starting gate then crashed on the opening lap, but from there he put in blistering laps and passed his way up to a third-place finish. Sexton retains the red plate but now stands in a point tie with Cooper Webb in both the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and the SMX World Championship. In round two of the Eastern Divisional 250SX Class, Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasakis Levi Kitchen nabbed the win after a late-race re-start tightened up the field.
I really liked where I was by lap three, when I got around Aaron [Plessinger] and was with Kenny, Webb said. I knew he was riding well today so it was going to be a good pace, and we had some good laps He felt the pressure and rode well all through the Main Event. I was trying hard, and he picked up on some of my lines.
It was a tough Main Event Ive been in that position before and it felt great. Im stoked to get that first win, get the red plate. It just felt awesome.
250SX Class
The 250SX Class created excitement of its own when a red flag came out late in the race. Levi Kitchen, running seven seconds behind the leader in second place, used incredible sprint speed to take over the lead just two laps before the checkered flag came out. Prior to the re-start, last weekends winner, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racings Max Anstie, grabbed the lead early and pulled out a comfortable gap.
After several side-by-side racing moments with Kitchen in the final laps, Anstie eventually settled for second. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racings RJ Hampshire fought into third place, even recovering from a fall. Hampshire tried to capitalize on the staggered-start re-start but wasnt able to better his spot.
Note: The AMAs re-start procedure after a red flag was updated prior to the 2024 season. The rule states that if the leader has completed at least three laps, and if there is any time remaining on the race clock, the riders line up in a staggered-position on the start straight. A green flag re-starts the race, and the remaining race duration will be, at minimum, three laps.
Max rode so good in the beginning of that event then the red flag came out and I was like, Its time to reset and I can capitalize on this. I took a few deep breaths and just treated it like I was doing a two-lap sprint at Sandbox [Training Facility], Kitchen said. I sent it, made a pretty aggressive pass, and was able to get that [triple jump] out of the turn and got a little gap. Well take that.
I had to bounce back after last weekend [After the re-start] I knew it was [going to be] green flag, white flag, checkers, so I tried to plan to get a pass and get some room, and thats what I did.
MILTON, Fla. Dale Howard led wire-to-wire to win Night 2 of the Battle At The Beach for the United Sprint Car Series Presented By Hoosier Racing Tire Saturday night at Southern Raceway.
The 30-lap feature, Round 4 of the USCS Winter Heat Series, was marred by eight caution flags and one red flag, a situation that Howard hated to see.
When youre leading, you never want to see cautions and red flags, Howard said. But, we held on and pulled it off, as the car felt good all night long. Since were coming back here to race again next weekend, well take the car home, wash it, load it back up, and do this again.
Austyn Gossel finished second and third went to Chris Martin. Matt Covington started 17th and finished fourth, while Max Stambaugh came home fifth.
The yellow flag fest began at the start of the race when Brogan Carder spun in turn one and collected John Robicheaux. After the complete restart, Howard took the lead from the pole followed by Sterling Cling, Gossel, Danny Smith and Jason Martin.
The yellow caution bulb was ignited on lap two when Van Gurley Jr. spun in turn two. When the field went back to green flag action, Jason Martin got by Smith to take over the fourth spot with an inside pass in turn two. Van Gurley Jr. was charged with his second caution of the race on lap six when he stalled in turn four.
Davie Franek moved into the top five on lap eight when he got around Smith and Jason Martin passed Gossel for third on lap 14. Another yellow came on lap 20. It started when Shelby Kelly spun in turn four, just after Howard put him one lap down.
The look of the top 10 changed dramatically on the restart when Jason Martin challenged Cling for the second spot coming off turn two. Martins right-rear jumped over Clings left-front causing both cars to spin and collecting Franek in fourth and Lance Moss. The re-racked top five for the restart was Howard, Gossel, Chris Martin, Smith and Max Stambaugh.
The red flag came out on the next restart when Smith flipped in turn four. Smith and his car were both OK and he restarted after an open red flag to refuel the field. However, the hits kept on coming as the restart green turned to caution when Kyle Mabry and Moss spun in turn two.
When the field finally got back to green flag racing, Covington moved up to the fourth spot on lap 21 when he got by Stambaugh for the position, Bryan Gossel spun in turn four to bring out the caution flag on lap 22. The final caution flag came out on lap 23 when Moss spun in turn two.
Howard, Austyn Gossel, Chris Martin, Covington and Stambaugh brought the field down for the restart. The final eight laps went caution free and Howard took the checkered flag with a 1.446-second margin of victory over Austyn Gossel.
The finish:
Feature (30 laps): 1. 47 Dale Howard, Byhalia, MS (1); 2. 16g Austyn Gossel, Windsor, CO (4); 3. 44 Chris Martin, Ankeny, IA (5); 4. 95 Matt Covington, Glenpool, OK (17); 5. 5m Max Stambaugh, Lima, OH (8); 6. 12 Corbin Gurley, Hebron, IN (11); 7. 9 Lane Whittington, Denham Springs, LA (7); 8. 11 Trey Meredith, Dade City, FL (10); 9. 28f Davie Franek, Wantage, NJ (12); 10. 5h Carson Bolden, Quinlan, TX (20); 11. 4 Danny Smith, Chillicothe, OH (3); 12. 77t Tyeller Powless, Ohsweken, ON CAN (19)and; 13. 23 Lance Moss, Cherryville, NC (16); 14. 51 Shelby Kelly, Runnemede, NJ (21); 15. 1a Jacob Allen, Hanover, PA (14); 16. 6g Bryan Gossel, Windsor, CO (15); 17. 34 Sterling Cling, Tempe, AZ (2); 18. 36 Jason Martin, Liberal, KS (6); 19. 88 Brogan Carder, Sioux Falls, SD (9); 20. 10vc Vince Chicklets, Constantia, NY (23); 21. 77 Kyle Mabry, Cottondale, FL (22); 22. 13v Van Gurley Jr., Valparaiso, IN (13); 23. 10 Terry Gray, Bartlett, TN (18); 24. 94 Parker Davis, Mobile, AL (24); 25. 57 John Robicheaux, Gulfport, MS (25); 26. 28 Jeff Willingham, Ripley, MS (26) DNS.
Davenport Runs Down Troutman In Volusia WoO LM Run
BARBERVILLE, Fla. With more than two decades of dirt late model experience and hundreds of wins on his résumé, Jonathan Davenport rarely accomplishes a feat for the first time.
But thats exactly what he did Saturday night at Volusia Speedway Park , as Superman scored his first World of Outlaws Late Models victory at the track in the Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals finale.
A 12th-place starting spot could have meant a win was out of the question for most drivers, considering how track position had been at a premium throughout the week. But not for Davenport. The Blairsville, Ga., driver cracked the top 10 by Lap 5, then into the top five a dozen laps later, and finally up to second 20 laps into the 50-lap feature.
What made the drive all the more impressive was that it came without any cautions to bunch the field up. That meant that when Davenport got by Bobby Pierce for second, he had a gap of nearly five seconds to make up to Drake Troutman, who left the field in the dust in the first half of the race.
Davenport was up for the challenge though. The margin immediately began to wither away, and 10 laps later, Davenport was on Troutmans outside, ripping the top lane trying to wrestle the lead away. That would become a theme for the closing laps, as Troutman and most of the field stuck to the rubbered-up bottom groove while Davenport worked the high side for everything it was worth.
I kind of got lost in lap traffic and didnt really know where I was, Davenport said. I looked on the board and saw that I was second and the 22 was leading, so I just started looking for Drake. He was caught in lap traffic just riding around in the rubber, just didnt know I was coming.
Their battle went on pause with 13 to go when a flat right-rear tire on Dustin Walkers car brought out the caution after 37 laps of green-flag racing. Once the race got going again, it was more of the same between Troutman and Davenport, as the two put on a show running side-by-side lap after lap.
With 10 laps remaining, Davenport finally cleared Troutman, slipped down into the preferred low lane and quickly drove away. A pair of late cautions gave the field their chance at Davenport, but no one was able to stop him from claiming his second Gator of the week.
It just worked out perfect, Davenport said. I aint never raced side-by-side with somebody in the rubber with me on the top, thats just crazy. I hate to do that to Drake, I cleared him just enough into Turn 1 where I could turn back down in the rubber and then protect. From then, I knew I had really burnt my tires up trying to get there. So then it was just ride and save my tires as much as possible.
While Troutman may have come up short, Saturday was nothing short of a statement night for the MD3 Rookie of the Year contender. Following five days of racing that saw the Pennsylvanian finish no better than 15th, Troutman took on one of the greatest dirt late model drivers of all time head-to-head and nearly came out on top.
Went a little bit too hard early and then the track rubbered down on us, we went with soft tires tonight and just used them all up, Troutman said. Congrats to JD, hes a hell of a wheelman and its tough to beat him on this kind of racetrack. Hes really experienced and just really smart behind the wheel. Congrats to him, and well be back.
The finish:
Feature (50 Laps): 1. 49D-Jonathan Davenport[12]; 2. 22*-Drake Troutman[1]; 3. 9-Nick Hoffman [4]; 4. 76-Brandon Overton[8]; 5. 99-Devin Moran[3]; 6. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[6]; 7. 32-Bobby Pierce[2]; 8. 111-Max Blair[13]; 9. 58-Garrett Alberson[16]; 10. 19R-Ryan Gustin [5]; 11. 97-Cade Dillard [10]; 12. 16-Tyler Bruending[17]; 13. 9M-Tim McCreadie[9]; 14. 93-Carson Ferguson[18]; 15. 3S-Brian Shirley[15]; 16. 1T-Tyler Erb[11]; 17. 157-Mike Marlar[7]; 18. 60-Dan Ebert[22]; 19. 09-Michael Leach[20]; 20. 74X-Ethan Dotson[23]; 21. 19-Dustin Sorensen [24]; 22. 28-Dennis Erb Jr.[25]; 23. 40B-Kyle Bronson[21]; 24. 1-Brandon Sheppard[19]; 25. 20TC-Tristan Chamberlain[28]; 26. 114-Jordan Koehler[14]; 27. 14W-Dustin Walker [29]; 28. 2-Cody Overton[27]; 29. 96-Tanner English[30]; 30. B1-Brent Larson- [26]; 31. 18D-Daulton Wilson[31]
Canada's Cooper hopeful Makar can return Monday
MONTREAL -- Team Canada defenseman Cale Makar did not play Saturday night as the United States defeated his club 3-1 in the 4 Nations Face-Off.
Makar, Canada's top defenseman, was a game-time decision after missing Friday's practice due to an illness. Makar was back on the ice for Saturday's morning skate, and Canada coach Jon Cooper said after the workout that the team would decide on Makar's status later in the day.
Ultimately, he was ruled out, and Dallas Stars defenseman Thomas Harley, who had not practiced with the team and didn't arrive until Friday, played in Team Canada's second game at the Bell Centre.
After Saturday's game, coach Jon Cooper told reporters that "hopefully" Makar can play Monday in Boston against Finland at TD Garden, as Team Canada shoots for a berth in Thursday's final.
"This is our Game 7," Cooper said.
Harley, 23, who has nine goals and 29 points in the NHL this season, had a strong debut, albeit a losing one. He skated in 25 shifts, covering 18:17 of ice time. And his final statistical line included three blocks and two shots on net.
The Canadian blue line was already depleted when Shea Theodore suffered an upper-body injury in the tournament opener against Sweden on Wednesday. Makar took on a larger role in that game after Theodore exited in the second period; Makar finished with a team-high 28:06 time on ice.
Theodore's injury left Canada with just six healthy defensemen, and with Makar out, the NHL and NHLPA agreed Friday that Canada could bring Harley to Montreal on standby.
Harley would have been allowed to skate Saturday morning, with his teammates, if Makar had been absent. Instead, Harley watched the session from a hallway, and when Makar went off the ice, Harley joined the rest of Canada's group and received loud cheers from teammates.
Granlund OT goal gives Finland 1st 4 Nations win
MONTREAL -- Mikael Granlund scored the overtime winner, and Finland beat Sweden 4-3 Saturday in an instant classic, back-and-forth game between the bitter rivals at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
Granlund scored 1:49 into 3-on-3 OT, sending fans in Finland's blue and white at Bell Centre to the exits cheering and chanting, "Suomi!"
"It's always great to beat Sweden," Granlund said in his postgame media availability.
Anton Lundell and Mikko Rantanen also scored for Finland, and Kevin Lankinen made 21 saves in his debut at the NHL-run international tournament, including a pad stop on Mika Zibanejad seconds into overtime. Coach Antti Pennanen switched from Juuse Saros to Lankinen after his team lost 6-1 to the United States on Thursday night.
"I don't think we needed to do much, we knew that there was a lot of good things we did in the game against USA," Finland captain Aleksander Barkov said in his postgame interview on SportsNet. "Obviously, the result, 6-1, was not great, it did not look good. But I thought we did a lot of good things. And same thing today."
Mikael Granlund after putting Finland on his back!
: Vitor Munhoz/4NFO/World Cup of Hockey pic.twitter.com/Vgzu07CLU6
ESPN (@espn) February 15, 2025
Knocking off Sweden puts the Finns right back in it with one game for them left in round-robin play. The top two teams among the U.S., Canada, Sweden and Finland meet in the championship game next week in Boston.
Despite goals from Zibanejad and Rasmus Dahlin, the Swedes are in trouble and now might need some help to make the final. Filip Gustavsson was pulled after allowing two goals on four shots in the first period, and Linus Ullmark allowed two on 17 the rest of the way.
Finland also has a potential injury situation to monitor after Barkov came up limping from blocking a shot late in the second. The reigning Stanley Cup champion from the Florida Panthers continued playing through it.
"We got a little better, and played for a full 60-something minutes," Barkov said. "We knew, playing against Sweden, even if it's 4 a.m., it doesn't matter. Everyone is going to be fired up. We came out hard, and we played really well."
The U.S. faces Canada on Saturday night in the most anticipated game in Montreal, but Sweden and Finland put on quite the show in the matinee. Facing off 19 years after Sweden defeated Finland in the 2006 Olympic gold medal game in Turin, this time the Finns were on the winning end of an entertaining game featuring a blend of speed, skill and physicality -- and some pushing and shoving after the whistles, which was expected of players from countries that do not like each other.
The tournament shifts to Boston, where Finland faces Canada on Monday afternoon at 1 p.m. ET and Sweden plays the United States at 8 p.m.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Fight night: U.S., Canada open tilt with 3 brawls
It took less than nine seconds for Team USA to record three fights in their 3-1 win over Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off showdown at Bell Centre in Montreal on Saturday night.
Unsurprisingly, Matthew and Brady Tkachuk were the instigators.
The brothers -- who stole the show in Thursday's game against Finland with a combined four goals and five points -- took it a step further Saturday by coordinating with teammate J.T. Miller to put Canada on its heels early.
"We needed to send a message," Matthew Tkachuk said after the win. "We're here in Montreal on a Saturday night. We want it to be our time, and that message started right from the get-go."
The hockey rivalry renewed with Matthew dropping his gloves against Canada's Brandon Hagel after the opening faceoff, igniting a sold-out crowd. Tkachuk and Hagel are rivals in the NHL as well, playing for the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning, respectively.
It was the fastest fight to start an NHL international game, topping the previous record of 20 seconds in 1996 when Canada's Keith Primeau and Claude Lemieux fought Team USA's Keith Tkachuk and Bill Guerin in the World Cup of Hockey. Guerin is the U.S. general manager in the 4 Nations Face-Off, and Tkachuk is Matthew and Brady's father -- although Matthew denied that his father's history influenced his and Brady's actions.
One second after Matthew Tkachuk went to the penalty box, Brady Tkachuk fought his older brother's Florida teammate, Sam Bennett, after the game's second faceoff. Matthew Tkachuk slammed his arms against the glass in the penalty box in support.
Six seconds later, Miller fought Colton Parayko after the two jostled in front of Canada's net. Miller also received a cross-checking penalty on the play, giving Canada the first power play of the game.
For the parties involved, it was no accident the game started that way.
"There was a little discussion during the day," Brady Tkachuk said about the fights as his brother implored him to "tell the truth" while they sat at the podium.
"Yeah, there was a group chat going on today," Brady Tkachuk said. "We just reaffirmed we were going to do that. I think Matthew's fight to start it off was just such an energy boost. I think I was more excited, more nervous for my own. And then for Millsy to cap it off against a big guy like that, he did a great job. It was a pretty awesome experience."
The NHL hadn't had a fight in an international tournament it had hosted since the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. Miller was just as pleased as the Tkachuks to be part of the plan.
"That was pretty fun," Miller said. "That was the coolest experience I've probably had on the ice, one of them. To hear the building like that, it's something you'll never forget. There's a lot of bad blood, but at the same time, tons of respect for the other team."
That's what drove Hagel to fight Matthew.
"I'm not backing down," Hagel said. "A little bit of the talk was these guys are going to take over the Canadian way, but I'm not going to let it happen."
The exuberance on both sides wasn't lost on anyone in the building -- least of all the teams' coaches. Canada's Jon Cooper called the start of the game "mayhem" and credited "two passionate teams" for the intense opening.
Team USA's coach Mike Sullivan thought each country's response showed the importance of this tournament.
"I just think it's very indicative of what this means to the players," he said. "There's two teams out there that are very competitive that have a ton of pride for their respective teams and countries. For me, when you have an investment in trying to win like the way that it occurred, I think that's an indication of it. What an incredible hockey game."
The U.S.-Canada game at 4 Nations was years in the making. The NHL hadn't participated in a "best on best" tournament since the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. A generation of star players are representing their countries for the first time in such a tournament, from Canada's Connor McDavid -- who scored the lone goal for his nation Saturday -- and Nathan MacKinnon to Team USA's Auston Matthews and Jack Eichel.
The showdown had an added dimension due to recent political tensions between the U.S. and Canada. President Donald Trump threatened -- and subsequently enforced -- significant tariffs on Canadian imports. Trump has also repeatedly made references to his proposal of Canada becoming the 51st U.S. state.
The U.S. national anthem was booed by NHL fans in Canadian cities leading up to the tournament. There was a smattering of boos before the Americans' win over Finland on Thursday, as the public address announcer at Bell Centre asked for the anthems to be respected. But before Saturday night's game, the fans booed the introduction of the U.S. players by Olympic figure skating legend Michelle Kwan and loudly booed the anthem.
With the win, the U.S. secured its place in the 4 Nations Face-Off championship game in Boston on Thursday night.
"Getting a win here on a Saturday night, that puts us in the finals, that's a pretty neat feeling," Brady Tkachuk told ESPN's Emily Kaplan in his postgame, on-ice interview. "I feel like there are a lot of unhappy people here, especially in Montreal, a place that isn't my favorite."
When Team USA takes part in the final, Matthew Tkachuk intends to play despite suffering an apparent injury late in the game Saturday. He played just three shifts in the third period and sat out the final 12:36. Sullivan said Tkachuk is being evaluated for a lower-body injury and wouldn't say whether he'd be held out of the USA's game against Sweden on Monday.
Tkachuk, though, downplayed any nagging issue Saturday.
"No concern at all," he said of a potential ailment. "Just going to enjoy this win tonight. Other than Game 7 last year [when his Florida Panthers won the Stanley Cup], this has been the highlight of my hockey career. I'm just going to enjoy it with the guys."
Fly high, free bird: Keys to Team USA's statement win over Canada, plus grades, lingering questions
A 4 Nations Face-Off game that began with three fights in nine seconds produced some of the best hockey on display in recent memory. The result: a 3-1 win for the United States over Canada, much to the dismay of a majority of the fans at Montreal's Bell Centre on Saturday night.
The victory gives Team USA six points and clinches a spot in the championship game this Thursday. Each of the other teams has two points, so Monday's matchups will determine whom the Americans will face for the title:
Here are grades for the U.S. and Canada, our biggest takeaways, key players to watch in the next game and lingering questions.
Grading the teams
United States: A
Team USA's opening win over Finland on Thursday was the kind of emphatic, confidence-building victory the Americans needed before facing their archrivals. But it also was important for proof of concept about this roster. It established two scoring lines, anchored by Auston Matthews and Jack Eichel. It showed that star players on their NHL teams could adapt to becoming role players on the national team -- players such as Dylan Larkin, who scored a critical goal against Canada. It was a win that showed the Americans as poised and in control of their emotions.
Everything they exhibited in that matchup with Finland informed this effort against Canada on Saturday, underscored by a strong performance from Connor Hellebuyck in goal. It was a victory in the most hostile of environments for the Americans, a total team effort in a cyclone of emotions.
The Canadians will note the absence of Cale Makar due to illness and that the game's importance was diminished following Sweden's overtime loss to Finland. The Americans -- who of course are missing Quinn Hughes for the entirety of the tournament due to injury -- certainly will take that under advisement as they travel back home celebrating an epic win, clinching a spot in Thursday's championship game in Boston and ending Canada's 17-game "best-on-best" tournament winning streak, per ESPN Research. -- Greg Wyshynski
Canada: B-
Maybe placing such a high emphasis on a single play could be considered unfair when it comes to Canada's overall performance. But in a game between the two most talented teams in the tournament, there was going to be little separation.
The Americans found that separation in the second period, with Matt Boldy breaking up a Sidney Crosby cross-ice pass that was further compounded by a line change. That saw an odd-skater rush in the other direction, with Larkin firing a shot for what proved to be the winning goal in just the second period.
Mistakes often have the potential to prove costly, with the notion that miscues are further amplified by facing the reigning Vezina Trophy winner in Hellebuyck, who could win the award again this season. Even with the copious high-danger scoring chances Canada created later in the game, it wasn't enough to overcome the gaffe that led to the winning goal. -- Ryan S. Clark
Dylan Larkin takes advantage of a 2-on-1 situation for Team USA and buries the puck to give his team the lead.
What we learned
Hellebuyck answers the critics
Hellebuyck is considered the best goaltender in the world, having won the Vezina Trophy last season and the favorite to claim it again for the Winnipeg Jets this season. But the 31-year-old American has his detractors, who point to his lack of success when it matters most. In the Stanley Cup playoffs, he has a 33-49 career record and back-to-back first-round exits with a save percentage under .890.
While some felt the goal he surrendered against Finland was specious, he was solid for the rest of the contest. Against Canada, he gave a goal to Connor McDavid on the rush -- what NHL goalie hasn't? -- but was a formidable last line of defense the remainder of the way with 20 saves, coming up some big stops in the third period.
Hellebuyck was one of the players in this tournament who needed a strong showing -- for his confidence and to cement himself as the starter for the 2026 Winter Olympics ahead of a very crowded field. So far, he is making a statement. -- Wyshynski
Canada found countermeasures but still missed Makar
Even with Dallas Stars defenseman Thomas Harley on standby, there were questions that Canada needed to answer when it came to how it would effectively replace one of the game's best defensemen. Makar finished with a little more than 28 minutes of ice time in Canada's overtime win against Sweden. It was the most of any skater for either team.
Makar's absence went beyond his ice time. It meant having to find someone who could operate on the first-team power-play and penalty-killing units. Canada turned to Josh Morrissey to operate in Makar's place on the power play, only to finish 0-for-2. As for Harley, he would finish with two shots in 18:47 of ice time. It's not overstating it to say Canada needs Makar back for Monday's game against Finland. -- Clark
Historic, chaotic start
Maybe it was the emotions of the rivalry manifesting in the only way they could have. Maybe it was the Florida Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk seeing Brandon Hagel, an NHL rival with the Tampa Bay Lightning, in the starting lineup and finding himself unable to do anything but drop the gloves -- which was brother Brady Tkachuk's theory. Maybe it was the Tkachuk brothers honoring their dad, Keith, who held a share of the record for earliest fight in an NHL international game at 20 seconds during the 1996 World Cup of Hockey.
That's a record that fights by the Tkachuks and J.T. Miller against Hagel, Sam Bennett and Colton Parayko shattered. Whatever motivated three fights in the first nine seconds of Saturday night's showdown, it turned a rivalry hockey game in a round-robin tournament into a cultural moment on Saturday night. People who don't talk about hockey were talking about hockey, which is what the NHL wanted out of this tournament -- even if the catalyst for that spike in interest was something no one could have predicted.
The best rivalry in hockey, United States vs. Canada, just got better, with a return game potentially on tap next week. -- Wyshynski
Three players each from USA and Canada are penalized for three fights in the first nine seconds of the game.
Where were the individual displays for Canada when it needed goals?
Looking ahead to this game, there was a hearty debate over which side was more talented. The way McDavid found space and burst past Charlie McAvoy for the game's first goal is arguably the strongest example that those on the Canadian side were right.
But outside of that lone moment? Many of Canada's stars struggled to find the necessary openings that would allow them to utilize their talent. Perhaps the most evident example came in the third period, when reigning Hart Trophy winner Nathan MacKinnon used his speed on a zone entry only to rethink his approach once Jaccob Slavin arrived to take away what appeared to be a path toward the net.
Much of the frustration had to do with the Americans relying on a tight structure, which made finding those opportunities difficult until later in the third period. It amounted to Canada ending the night with 12 high-danger chances, according to Natural Stat Trick. That's more than the 10 high-danger chances it mustered against Sweden -- but with fewer goals to show for it. -- Clark
Players to watch
Jake Guentzel
F, United States
What a tournament for the Lightning winger. He had a goal and an assist against Finland followed by two goals -- including an empty-netter -- against Canada.
Guentzel has always had the reputation of rising to the occasion as a Stanley Cup playoff performer with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Carolina Hurricanes. He is the leader for tournament MVP. -- Wyshynski
Sam Reinhart
F, Canada
Part of what made Canada one of the initial favorites to win the tournament was the squad's scoring depth. That includes Reinhart. Since the 2022-23 season, only five players have scored more NHL goals than Reinhart, who is on pace to finish with more than 40 for a second straight campaign.
But against the U.S., he finished with zero goals on no shots, in the wake of a performance against Sweden in which he scored zero goals on three shots. -- Clark
Big questions for the next game
How do they approach a (potentially) meaningless game?
The Americans already have qualified for Thursday's championship game. That they know. Who their opponents are is a mystery.
Canada's game against Finland on Monday afternoon will determine whether the Canadians will punch their ticket for a rematch in the title game or if Monday night's U.S.-Sweden contest carries any importance.
Do the Americans play another goalie to give Hellebuyck a rest? Does Matthew Tkachuk heal up from whatever was ailing him in the Canada game and give Chris Kreider his 4 Nations debut? All in all, these are good problems to have for tournament-leading Team USA. -- Wyshynski
Charlie McAvoy delivers a punishing hit to Connor McDavid that everyone can hear in the first period.
Can the space that eluded Canada against the U.S. be found against Finland?
Much of what allowed the United States to have success against Canada was the ability to take away time and space, while also blocking shots and using a physical style by finishing with 30 hits. Could Finland look to employ a similar strategy on Monday when it faces Canada for a championship game berth on the line?
Finland overcame giving up six goals in its first game to the U.S. by making it difficult for Sweden to find chances of any kind by taking away space. It's one of the major reasons Sweden finished with only two high-danger chances. If Finland employs a similar system, what adjustments will Canada have to make to force a rematch with the U.S. -- and avoid an earlier-than-expected exit? -- Clark
Phone: (800) 737. 6040
Fax: (800) 825 5558
Website: 
Email: 
