BOSTON — Nathan MacKinnon scored two goals as Canada punched its ticket to the 4 Nations Face-Off championship game against the United States with a 5-3 win over Finland on Monday afternoon.
Canada, which lost to the U.S. on Saturday in Montreal, will try to exact revenge and win the title on Thursday night.
The Canadians led 3-0 after the first period — scoring twice in a 46-second span within the first five minutes — and held a 4-0 lead in the third before a three-goal rally from Finland.
Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby each recorded a goal and an assist, while Brayden Point also scored and Sam Reinhart had three assists for Canada.
Canada’s Jordan Binnington had 23 saves, including 12 in the second period.
Finland’s Mikael Granlund scored twice in a 23-second span to make it a one-goal game with 1:17 left in regulation after Esa Lindell broke the shutout bid.
Kevin Lankinen made nine saves on the first 13 Canadian shots before being relieved by Juuse Saros, who stopped all 14 shots he faced.
McDavid netted an opening unassisted goal at 4:13, intercepting a pass at the blue line before twirling around in the left circle and firing off a wrist shot across the grain and inside the far post.
The Canadians doubled their lead at 4:59. Reinhart bumped the puck forward from the blue line, sending MacKinnon down the right side to bury a snapper.
Point made it 3-0 Canada at 13:02, burying the rebound of a Travis Sanheim shot from the left circle that Lankinen stopped. McDavid started the play with an odd-man rush and a cross-ice pass to the defenseman joining the play.
Canada continued to run away early in the second period, extending its lead to 4-0 at 5:03. After Crosby’s forecheck forced a turnover, the captain dished a perfect pass to MacKinnon from the corner to the bottom of the left circle.
Binnington made several important saves during the middle frame, stuffing Joel Armia on the doorstep at 15:25. The lone power play ensued for Finland, with Mikko Rantanen stopped on a one-timer from the right circle before Kaapo Kakko’s net-front redirect was denied.
Finland got on the board with 6:41 left as Lindell slotted home a wrist shot, picking the puck up from Artturi Lehkonen at the bottom of the right dot.
Granlund scored back-to-back goals with Saros pulled at 18:20 and 18:43, respectively, with the first a one-timer off a Patrik Laine feed.
Crosby added an empty-net insurance goal from center ice at 19:04.
–Joshua Kummins, Field Level Media
