{"id":16440,"date":"2025-02-13T14:36:00","date_gmt":"2025-02-13T14:36:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/torontotribune.ca\/index.php\/2025\/02\/13\/crosby-to-marner-4-nations-opener-electrifies-as-canada-downs-sweden-in-ot\/"},"modified":"2025-02-13T14:36:00","modified_gmt":"2025-02-13T14:36:00","slug":"crosby-to-marner-4-nations-opener-electrifies-as-canada-downs-sweden-in-ot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/torontotribune.ca\/index.php\/2025\/02\/13\/crosby-to-marner-4-nations-opener-electrifies-as-canada-downs-sweden-in-ot\/","title":{"rendered":"Crosby to Marner: 4 Nations opener electrifies as Canada downs Sweden in OT"},"content":{"rendered":"


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It\u2019s been nearly a decade since men\u2019s international hockey<\/a> has seen the best players from those countries face off against one another.<\/p>\n

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And on Wednesday night in Montreal, Canada and Sweden showed all those who watched what the hockey world has been missing out on.<\/p>\n

An overtime thriller saw Canada down Sweden 4-3 in the opening game of the 4 Nations Face-Off<\/a> that saw a vintage performance from captain Sidney Crosby<\/a>, a statement goal from forward Mitch Marner and a rocking home crowd.<\/p>\n

Here are 5 highlights from the game.<\/p>\n

There were doubts Crosby, 37, would even be able to suit up for the opening game after picking up an injury just before the tournament began.<\/p>\n

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However, Crosby looked like was performing at 100 per cent, picking up three assists in what will go down as a vintage performance for the future hall-of-fame player.<\/p>\n

Crosby facilitated the opening goal with a spin-o-rama backhand pass across the crease to fellow Nova Scotian Nathan MacKinnon on the power play in the first period. Crosby then dished it to a trailing Mark Stone in the second period to make it 3-1 for Canada.<\/p>\n

In overtime, Crosby sent a back pass to the Mitch Marner in the neutral zone and hurried out of Sweden\u2019s zone to avoid an off-side call, setting up Marner to bury the game-winning goal and seal the 4-3 win.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\tCheers for Marner, boos for Matthews\t\t\t<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

The Toronto Maple Leafs are well represented in the tournament, with Marner and Swedish forward William Nylander squaring off against each other in Wednesday\u2019s game.<\/p>\n

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But captain Auston Matthews, who is leading team USA, was also featured in Wednesday\u2019s showcase. Matthews was brought out during the opening ceremony, alongside Finland captain Aleksander Barkov.<\/p>\n

Unlike the cheers heard for Marner, Matthews was greeted to loud boos from the pro-Canadian crowd \u2013 a typical experience for Matthews when he and the Leafs play the Canadiens in Montreal.<\/p>\n

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Matthews and the Americans will play Finland on Thursday, with puck drop set for 8 p.m. Eastern at the Bell Centre.<\/p>\n

Crosby and MacKinnon may be the first players that come to mind when thinking about prominent hockey players out of Nova Scotia.<\/p>\n

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But Brad Marchand, born in the Halifax suburb of Hammonds Plains, popped in a goal after receiving a cross-ice pass from linemate Brayden Point to make the score 2-1 in the first period.<\/p>\n

Marchand, who captains the Boston Bruins, doesn\u2019t ever get cheers when in Montreal. But after scoring that goal, the crowd erupted.<\/p>\n