US beats Canada 3-1 at the 4 Nations Face-Off Saturday [Video]

MONTREAL (AP) — Starting with three fights in the first nine seconds and ending with a celebration and a spot in the 4 Nations Face-Off final, the United States delivered exactly what Matthew Tkachuk hoped for by beating Canada on Saturday night.

“We needed to send a message,” Tkachuk said. “The message we wanted to send is ‘It’s our time.’”

Tkachuk fought Brandon Hagel off the opening faceoff, brother Brady tussled with Sam Bennett the next time the puck dropped, J.T. Miller dropped the gloves with Colton Parayko next and the Americans followed those fisticuffs with a 3-1 victory over their biggest rival.

“That was one of the best experiences of my life — just an unbelievable hockey game,” said Dylan Larkin, who scored the go-ahead goal in the second period. “The Tkachuk brothers and Millsy, what a start, and credit to those guys for answering the bell. And the …