Hellebuyck, Connor Come Out on Top in Battle Between Canada and USA

USA improves to 2-0-0-0 in the 4 Nations Cup.

Team USA took home a 3-1 victory over Team Canada on Saturday night from Montreal in the 4 Nations Cup.

It was a wild game, from start to finish, but it was the Americans who outplayed Canada from the get-go.

Opting to drop the gloves not once, not twice, but three times in the game's first nine seconds, USA took it to Canada - which was down the league's top defenceman, Cale Makar, and already using the emergency backup defender with the series-ending injury suffered by Shea Theodore in Canada's opener.

Josh Morrissey filled in as the No. 1 defenceman on Canada, and played the part well. He just couldn't help the Canadians score in the dying moments.

It was essentially a 2-1 game, with Jake Guentzel potting his second of the contest into an empty net. 

Connor Hellebuyck stood tall in the American net, turning aside 25 of the 26 shots that Canada sent his way. He has now allowed just once goal against per game - which just so happened to be the first goal of each game he has played in.

Kyle Connor was shifted to the USA's fourth line for the game - for reasons unknown - and finished the game with four hits. 

Morrissey had a shot on goal and two hits in his extended time on ice. 

Connor McDavid scored the first goal of the game, blowing by the American defenders en route to a backhander rush play that beat Hellebuyck up top. 

Guentzel got USA right back into it five minutes after McDavid's first period opener, putting one past Jordan Binnington 10 minutes into the game.

It was Dylan Larkin who got what would eventually stand as the game-winner, as he beat Binnington midway through the second period on a snap shot that probably shouldn't have gone in.

Guentzel's empty-netter with just over a minute left to play sealed it for USA, which improved to 2-0-0-0 in the tournament and secured its place in the championship game with the lone perfect record. 

Canada will now take on Finland on Monday in Boston, while USA will host Sweden. If Canada beats Finland in regulation, it earns a spot in the final against USA, and vice versa. That do-or-die matchup is set to take place at 12:00 PM on Monday.