USA beats Canada, earns spot in title game NBC Boston [Video]

If anyone thought that NHL players weren’t totally invested in the new 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, all they had to do was watch the first nine seconds of Saturday night’s much-anticipated United States vs. Canada showdown at the Bell Centre.

One of the best rivalries in sports is alive and well.

The atmosphere in Montreal pre-game was electric, and once the puck dropped, multiple fights broke out. Matthew Tkachuk and Brandon Hagel fought right after the opening faceoff.

Soon after, Brady Tkachuk and Sam Bennett dropped their gloves for another fight. And then J.T. Miller tussled with Colton Parayko in a third fight a few seconds later.

After giving up the first goal, the Americans scored three unanswered tallies to secure a 3-1 win over Canada. As a result, the United States has clinched a spot in Thursday’s championship game at TD Garden in Boston. The loss also snaps Canada’s 17-game win streak in best-on-best competition.

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