Lightning players represent USA and Canada in 4 Nations Final [Video]

TAMPA, Fla. — When the puck dropped, so did the gloves.

Bad blood boiled over when the U.S. met Canada on Saturday in the 4 Nations Face-Off round-robin.

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel fought Florida Panthers star and American Matthew Tkachuk.

“It’s going to be the same way,” Hagel said. “Listen, what happened the other night, I think, I did it for the flag. Not the cameras.”

That was the kickoff to the wildest start to a hockey game. Three fights broke out in the first nine seconds before Lightning’s Jake Guentzel scored twice for the Americans as the U.S. beat Canada 3-1.

On Thursday, Canada gets a re-match with the United States in the 4 Nations Face-Off Final in Boston.

“It’s going to be an intense game,” Team Canada forward Anthony Cirelli said. “As you saw Saturday, the physicality of it, the fast pace, more of the same …