Canada's regulation win sets up rematch with Americans in Thursday's 4 Nations championship

The rematch is set for the 4 Nations Face-Off Final after a hard-fought Monday slate. Canada and the United States will meet each other once again, this time in the championship in Boston Thursday night.

Canada held on to an early lead to beat Finland 5-3 thanks to two goals from Nathan MacKinnon and a score from the Lightning’s Brayden Point.

The U.S. sealed its championship fate over the weekend but played a neck-and-neck, shorthanded battle against Sweden in a 2-1 loss. Here’s how everything shook out over Monday’s action.

Canada’s big three step up to the challenge

Canada’s first matchup since Saturday’s rivalry game got off to a tamer start without the Paul brothers—sorry, the Tkachuk brothers on the opposition. Though Monday’s matchup with Finland came with the day’s highest stakes, nonetheless.

Their big three of Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid rose to the occasion from puck drop, combining for six points in a 5-3 win over the Lions.

McDavid and MacKinnon grabbed goals within 36 seconds of each other—the latter’s assisted by the Lightning’s Brandon Hagel—to put Canada up 2-0 less than five minutes into the game. Fellow Bolt Brayden Point then got his first goal of the 4 Nations on a nifty backhand roughly eight minutes later. It was a monster opening frame for the Canadians that helped build an insurmountable 4-0 lead early into the second.

"When you see McDavid, MacKinnon and Crosby\] going like that, it makes the rest of us want to elevate our games,” Point told [NHL.com. “To see those guys come out like that and finish early was obviously big for us, and it helps elevate our whole group.”

A sizzling last-minute rally pulled Finland within a goal and Canadian fans within proverbial inches of hockey abyss. The idea of that collapse was quickly put to bed with a gritty empty-net goal from Crosby to seal it.

USA falls to Sweden after physical start

The USA chants got going early after Todd Angilly’s operatic bellow of the “Star-Spangled Banner,” and the United States got through the first nine seconds of the game fisticuff-free.

It only took them 35 seconds, however, to blow the roof off TD Garden with their first goal of the night from Chris Kreider. The Boston College alum caught a pass off the pads to score in his old stomping grounds with assists from Zach Werenski and Jack Eichel. But the early 1-0 lead would dissipate quickly at the hands of Sweden and some tough injury luck.

The U.S. started the game shorthanded with Auston Matthews, Matthew Tkachuk and Charlie McCavoy sidelined and goalie Connor Hellebuyck getting some rest. They played most of the first period with only 10 forwards after Brady Tkachuk hit the locker room after catching an edge.

Gustav Nyquist and Jesper Bratt would put the Swedes up for good later in the first, but not for a lack effort by the Americans. The “clink” of the post rang five times for Team USA to no avail. And Sweden’s relentless, Victor Hedman-led defense was just enough to get the 2-1 regulation win, their first of the tournament

The Lightning’s Jake Guentzel led the USA in ice time with the aforementioned stars on the sideline. They’ll have an extra day to recover ahead of their rematch with Canada in Thursday’s 4 Nations Face-Off Championship.