United States' Kyle Connor, left, drops Sweden's Viktor Arvidsson to the ice during the second period of a 4 Nations Face-Off hockey game, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

The Associated Press

BOSTON — Nathan MacKinnon scored twice. Connor McDavid had a goal and an assist. Sidney Crosby flipped in an empty-netter from center ice after Finland cut a four-goal deficit to one in the final minutes.

Canada’s best players came through in the 4 Nations Face-Off on Monday to earn a rematch of their fight-filled preliminary bout with the United States. The rivals will meet in the tournament final.

“That’s what you need: big plays from big-time players,” Crosby said after the 5-3 victory over Finland. “These guys are used to playing in these big games under the spotlight and delivering. They did again tonight.”

Canada and the United States will play on Thursday night in a sequel to a round-robin game in Montreal last week that started with three fights and ended with the Americans celebrating a 3-1 victory. Canadian forward — and Boston Bruins captain — Brad Marchand will take the ice as an opponent at the TD Garden in a series where fans had to be asked not to boo the opponents’ national anthem.

“We’re obviously really excited about (having) another crack at these guys. It’s going to be an intense game, for sure,” Marchand said in the visitor’s locker room, down the hall from the one where he has changed for the past 16 seasons.

“There’s no bigger rivalry in hockey than Canada-U.S., and I think it’s the matchup that everybody wanted,” Marchand said. “So it’s going to be an extremely intense game, one we’re all going to be looking forward to.”

Jordan Binnington stopped 23 shots for Canada on the same ice where he clinched the 2019 Stanley Cup for the St. Louis Blues. Brayden Point also scored and Sam Reinhart had three assists as the Canadians opened a 4-0 lead in the first 25 minutes.

The tournament is the NHL’s return to international competition after sitting out the 2018 and 2022 Olympics. It delivered last week’s intense U.S.-Canada game against a backdrop of frosty real-world relations between the countries, spurred by President Donald Trump’s talk of tariffs — or even turning Canada into the 51st U.S. state.

Sweden tops USA

Sweden rallied after falling behind just 35 seconds into the game, and Samuel Ersson made 31 saves on Monday night to beat the United States 2-1 in the 4 Nations Face-Off round-robin finale, handing the title game-bound Americans their first loss of the tournament.

The nightcap meant nothing to either the Americans or Swedes: The U.S. had already clinched a spot in Thursday night’s championship game against Canada, and Sweden needed Canada to falter to have a chance of making the final.

With some fans wearing powdered wigs and colonial-era tricorn hats, the Boston crowd bellowed “The Star-Spangled Banner” before the game — a response to the Canadians who booed the U.S. national anthem before the early matchups in Montreal. Chants of “U-S-A!” rang out through the TD Garden in the final minutes, with goalie Jake Oettinger pulled for an extra skater, but the Americans couldn’t beat Ersson to force overtime.

Chris Kreider gave the Americans the lead in the opening minute, but Gustav Nyquist tied it a dozen minutes later and Jesper Bratt gave Sweden the lead.