Jake Guentzel tied the game 1-1 at 10:15 of the first, and McAvoy popped McDavid again at 11:55. The hits kept on coming.
And after Dylan Larkin gave the United States a 2-1 lead at 13:33 of the second, the Americans frustrated the Canadians’ attack until Guentzel iced the game with an empty-net goal at 18:41 of the third.
“That was one of the best experiences of my life,” Larkin said. “Just an unbelievable hockey game. I hope you guys feel the same way. The start, the guys, the Tkachuk brothers and ‘Millsy,’ what a start, and credit to those guys for answering the bell. You know, the crowd, just a great night for our sport and a great night for this rivalry. Can’t wait to get back to Boston and get on home soil.”
The question now is whether we’ll get a rematch.
Each team plays three round-robin games, earning three points for a win in regulation, two points for win in overtime or a shootout, one point for loss in OT or a shootout, and none for a loss in regulation.
The United States leads the tournament with six points. Canada, Finland and Sweden each has two points.
The teams play a doubleheader at TD Garden in Boston on Monday: Canada vs. Finland (1 p.m. ET; MAX, truTV, TNT, SN, TVAS) and Sweden vs. the United States (8 p.m. ET; MAX, truTV, TNT, SN, TVAS).
“Other than Game 7 last year, this has been the highlight of my hockey career,” said Matthew Tkachuk, who won the Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers last season. “I’m just going to enjoy it with the guys. We have such a fun group in there. It’s going to be a fun plane ride tonight.”
