And from the second the puck was dropped on the marquee matchup of the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-off, it was an instant classic as Team USA secured a 3-1 win in front of fiery crowd of 21,105 inside hockey’s grandest cathedral, Bell Center, to secure their spot in the first best-on-best championship game since the 2014 Olympic Games.

Behind a strong effort by Connor Hellebuyck and a tremendous game by the defense in front of him, Team USA snapped Canada’s 26-game best-on-best winning steak and earn itself a spot in the finals of the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off.

Dylan Larkin scored the go-ahead goal in the second period and the United States beat Canada 3-1 in the 4 Nations Face-Off on Saturday night, wrapping up a spot in the championship game by winning a game that started with three fights in nine seconds and was played at a blistering pace with physicality throughout.

Canada and the United States have played some heated games on hockey's international stage. The rivalry reached a new — and nasty — level Saturday. Dylan Larkin scored the go-ahead goal in the second period as the U.