USA will play in the championship game of the 4 Nations Faceoff, defeating Canada 2-1 at the Bell Centre.
MONTREAL, QC - Brock Nelson and Team USA will play in the title game of the 4 Nations Faceoff, defeating Canada 2-1 at the Bell Centre on Saturday.
After getting only 9:42 seconds of ice time in their opener against Finland, Nelson got 5:31 of playing time in the first period. His ice time, however, was a footnote of what was an eventful first period.
Following three fights in the first nine seconds of play, Connor McDavid opened the scoring on a tremendous individual effort. The goal was his first of the tournament from Drew Doughty and Jordan Binnington at 5:31 of the frame.
The game continued to settled down with the Stars and Stripes getting the game even just past the halfway mark. After an outlet from Jack Eichel, Jake Guentzle beat Binnington five-hole to tie it at 10:15 of the first.
The two teams each had eight shots in the period with the score tied at one after 20 minutes.
Nelson's role was reduced in the second period, seeing his ice time fall to 3:42 in the period. However, the United States found themselves ahead after 40 minutes thanks to Dylan Larkin.
After a breakout pass from Matt Boldy, Larkin went coast-to-coast, finishing a two-on-one to make it 2-1 at 13:33 of the second.
The two teams each had 10 shots in the period, making the totals 18 all after 40 minutes of play.
The rest of the game was a clampdown by the U.S. on defense. Nelson played a big role in the third on defense, clocking in 4:17 in addition to several important shifts late in the game.
Despite being outshot 8-5, Team USA limited high danger chances, setting the stage for an empty net goal by Guentzel, his second of the game, to finish off a 3-1 win.
With Team USA's spot in the final secured, the team will wrap up Round Robin play against Sweden on Monday. Puck drop is scheduled for 8:00 at TD Garden in Boston.