In the first game of the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, Team Canada defeated Team Sweden 4-3 in overtime in what was one of the most entertaining hockey games that fans have seen in a very long time. From phenomenal saves from Jordan Binnington to Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon making magic, and everything in between, here are the three top takeaways from the game.
Nova Scotia’s Star-Power on Display
With MacKinnon, Brad Marchand, and of course, captain Sidney Crosby all representing Nova Scotia for Team Canada, they certainly showed up to play in the first game of the tournament. With the first goal of the game being just 56 seconds into the game from MacKinnon, it was Crosby setting him up with his first assist of the night. It took just 13:15 for Marchand to score to give Canada a 2-0 lead and then to have all three Nova Scotians on the scoreboard.
Related: Guide to the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off
There was no doubt that MacKinnon and Crosby were going to have a big game. They haven’t had a chance to play together yet in their successful careers, and the long-time friends were looking forward to it.
Crosby added another assist in the second period, which was just as pretty as the first one. To top it all off, Crosby also got an assist on Mitch Marner’s game-winning overtime goal.
Crosby was named the first star as the best player of the game, and hearing the crowd erupt with “Crosby” chants gave fans all over the nation goosebumps.
Binnington’s Saving Grace
While it is going to be nearly impossible for a goaltender to come out of this tournament with great numbers considering the talent shooting on them, Binnington made some incredible game-saving saves. There were a few instances during regulation where he didn’t look as sharp as Canada needed him to be, but he certainly made up for it in overtime with some outstanding saves.
Jordan Binnington doing Jordan Binnington things on the international stage. #4Nations #stlblues pic.twitter.com/ydaAsxFXau
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) February 13, 2025
There was no doubt about the skill that the skaters had for Canada heading into the tournament. Where the concerns, which are very valid, came from, was in the net. Binnington, along with Adin Hill and Sam Montembeault, are not at the same…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at The Hockey Writers…