Matthews proud that Team USA sent a message in win over Canada

Team Canada held an optional practice at TD Garden in Boston on Sunday. Team Sweden and Team USA held media availabilities. 

Auston Matthews sensed that Saturday's showdown with Team Canada may start with some fireworks. 

"Definitely wanted to come out and send a message right away," Team USA's captain said. "And those three guys stepping up like that, I mean, those guys are as hard as it gets when it comes to just playing the game hard and with an edge."

Matthew Tkachuk challenged Brandon Hagel to a fight off the opening faceoff. Off the ensuing faceoff, younger brother Brady Tkachuk dropped the gloves with Sam Bennett. And just seconds after the next faceoff, J.T. Miller went at with Colton Parayko. 

"Just to get the game started like that, I thought it gave our bench a lot of energy, a lot of life and we just went from there," Matthews said.

Three fights in nine seconds of game time in a hostile environment. The Tkachuk brothers and Miller plotted the passionate start in a group chat conversation hours before the game. 

What message did Team USA send? 

"We're here to win," Matthews said. "That's about it. That's the bottom line is we're here to win." 

Canada had not suffered a best-on-best loss since the preliminary round of the 2010 Olympics when the United States beat them before dropping the rematch in the gold-medal game in Vancouver. Canada also claimed the gold medal at the 2014 Olympics and 2016 World Cup. The United States finished fourth in 2014 in Sochi and went winless in 2016 in Toronto. At both those events, the Americans suffered losses to Canada. 

"The message we wanted to send is it's our time," Matthew Tkachuk said. 

Despite falling behind 1-0 on a magical Connor McDavid dash up the ice in the first period, Team USA rallied to win 3-1 on Saturday. The Americans have clinched a spot in the 4 Nations Face-Off championship game on Thursday at TD Garden in Boston. 

Team Canada must win in regulation against Finland on Monday afternoon to earn a rematch with their bitter rivals. Canada can also advance with an overtime or shootout win as long as Sweden doesn't win in regulation against the Americans on Monday night. 

"We haven't done anything yet," Matthews stressed. "Two games in, obviously two big wins, but, you know, we've got a lot of work to do."

Team USA expected their anthem to be booed again on Saturday and, indeed, the Star Spangled Banner received sustained jeers, which were louder than on Thursday when the Americans opened the tournament with a 6-1 win over Finland. The American players made it clear they don't like how their anthem was received in Montreal, but they also loved playing inside the Bell Centre. 

"It was pretty electric," said Matthews, who was again booed every time he touched the puck. "It was probably one of the best atmospheres I've been a part of. A lot of fun. It feels a lot better when you come out with the win."

The Americans showed their physical strength early and their mental strength late as they locked down the lead with a suffocating approach. 

"We just checked hard," said Matthews, who was a Selke Trophy finalist last season. "Obviously, goaltending was great. I mean, Buck's [Connor Hellebuyck] been unbelievable both games for us, making big key saves at the right times. You're facing that amount of speed and skill, I mean, just trying to check as hard as you can and stay in front of guys. We did a good job of that, playing physical as well."

Despite trailing the entire third period, Canada mustered only eight shots on net in the final stanza. 

Matthews didn't produce a point and didn't land a shot on net, but the Toronto Maple Leafs centre registered three hits and blocked a shot while leading all American forwards in ice time (20:39). He also saw linemate Jake Guentzel score twice, including the empty-net goal to seal the win. 

"He flies under the radar," Matthews said. "He makes so many great little plays. He seems to always be in the right spot. And, obviously, big goals in both games that we played."

Guentzel, who is playing for Team USA for the very first time, leads the tournament in goals with three. 

"Very fortunate to play on this stage and at this level," said Guentzel. "Obviously playing with some superstar linemates [Matthews and Jack Hughes] makes it easy on myself. Just trying to be at my best at this moment."

Matthews spent much of the night matched up against Leafs teammate Mitch Marner, who started the game on Canada's top line with McDavid and Sam Reinhart. 

"It's strange at times," Matthews acknowledged. "But, you know, just out there focused on my game, focused on our team, and trying to make things happen out there."

Another strange feeling for Matthews right now? He's not scoring. The Arizona native did not score in his last six games with the Leafs so his goal drought has now reached eight games.  This is his longest drought since early in his rookie NHL season (2016-17). 

However, the Matthews line continues to win the possession battle when on the ice in 5-on-5 play. Per NaturalStatTrick.com, shot attempts favoured the Americans 16-11 with Matthews on the ice on Saturday. 

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After scoring the overtime winner on Wednesday against Sweden, Marner had a quiet second game on Saturday. The Leafs winger landed one shot on net while playing 19 minutes and 29 seconds, which trailed only McDavid among Canada's forwards.

But Canada's top line hasn't sustained much offensive-zone time at the tournament and head coach Jon Cooper experimented with some new looks down the stretch on Saturday night. 

"In the third period, we had the puck a lot, but we had the puck for about 180 feet," Cooper observed. "We couldn't get it past that extra 20 feet. That is stuff we have to look at."

Canada doesn't have much time to adjust. After arriving in Boston early on Sunday morning, the team held only an optional practice with all the players who suited up on Saturday night staying off the ice. With the matinee start on Monday, there likely won't be a full morning skate before the must-win game against Finland either. The window to experiment with combinations in an attempt to find chemistry has been limited. 

"It is such a short event," Cooper said. "We don't have multiple exhibition games. There are probably guys in here who have to get in a little bit more, but this is what you find out in the two games. You have to learn from this. We will see what happens and who plays where, but we learned a lot [against the United States]."

Like Matthews, Marner finished Saturday's game minus-one. Marner had the lowest CorsiFor percentage (26.1) on Team Canada, according to NaturalStatTrick.com, as shot attempts favoured the Americans 17-6 with him on the ice in 5-on-5 play. 

Canada's attack will get a jolt if Cale Makar is able to return after missing Saturday's game due to illness. The Colorado Avalanche defenceman skated again on Sunday. 

"I'm going to do everything I can to play tomorrow," Makar told reporters. "I just got to make sure I feel right, body and everything-wise and go from there."

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William Nylander picked up his first point of the 4 Nations Face-Off on Saturday with a nice assist on Sweden's opening goal by Erik Karlsson, but it wasn't enough as Finland triumphed 4-3 in overtime. 

"You guys build up the rivalries as if it's something crazy, but we just hate losing," Nylander said in the immediate aftermath of the defeat. "Like, we want to win this tournament. It's not going to help you when you're two losses deep in a three-game tournament." 

Sweden now needs the game between Canada and Finland to go past regulation to have any chance of advancing. 

"It's not great," Nylander said of the mood around his team. "I mean, we have two OT losses in two games. We just got to regroup."

What's the issue? 

"We're playing too much on the outside," Nylander diagnosed. "We gotta get inside to the middle and attack more. USA was attacking, playing good the other game, so we got to get to the inside too if we want to compete with them."

Nylander led all Swedish forwards in ice time (21:35) but failed to register a shot on net. 

"I felt OK," the Leafs winger said of his performance. "There were a couple times when I came inside where it was just pucks went off the stick, whatever. I just gotta get into the shot-attack mindset is the most important thing."

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Team Canada lines to start Saturday's game: 

Reinhart - McDavid - Marner
Crosby - MacKinnon - Stone
Hagel - Cirelli - Point
Marchand - Bennett - Jarvis

Morrissey - Parayko
Toews - Sanheim 
Harley - Doughty 

Binnington  

Team USA lines to start Saturday's game: 

B.Tkachuk - Eichel - M.Tkachuk
Guentzel - Matthews - Hughes
Miller - Larkin - Boldy
Nelson - Trocheck - Connor

Slavin - Faber
Werenski - McAvoy
Hanifin - Fox

Hellebuyck