Chaotic Start to Canada Vs. USA at 4 Nations Face-Off Shows Rivalry is Alive and Well

There was plenty of hype over the last few days as fans and players anxiously awaited Canada and the United States to take the ice together on Saturday night at the 4 Nations tournament in Montreal.

As the puck dropped, fans were not disappointed with three spirited tilts in the first ten seconds.

First up was Matthew Tkachuk and Brandon Hagel, which saw the two Florida rivals connecting blows.

On the ensuing face-off, Brady Tkachuk and Sam Bennett were next to go toe-to-toe.

Just three seconds after that, fans were treated to third scrap, with Colton Parayko demolishing J.T. Miller after a scrum in front of the Canadian net.

As things finally settled down, Connor McDavid broke the ice as he received a pass from Drew Doughty through the middle of the ice before slicing his way past Charlie McAvoy and beating Connor Hellebyuck glove-side with a ridiculous backhand.

The electricity in the Bell Centre was short-lived, however, as Jake Guentzel squeezed one under Jordan Binnington from a sharp angle to even the game at 1.

As the first period drew to a close to a loud applause, fans got what they wanted after a long-awaited renewal of the biggest rivalry in international hockey.