Dylan Larkin could be labeled as the ‘savior’ for Team USA in the second period of the 4 Nations clash against Canada. He scored an amazing goal that gave his team the lead in a fiercely contested game where the Canadians refused to give an inch on the ice.
The best thing that could have happened for the United States was Larkin scoring that goal. With over 40 games played for the national team and now more than ten goals, he was the perfect player to score that goal and take the team into the third period with the lead.
Larkin has scored 23 goals in the 2024-25 NHL season with the Detroit Red Wings. He is the only player from that team on the USA roster, while another teammate, Raymond, is playing for Sweden, a team they will face on February 17.
Prior to this game, Larkin played a little over 11 minutes in Team USA’s 6-1 rout of Finland, where they took a 2-1 lead by the end of the second period. In that game, he neither scored nor provided an assist.
Tight Game Between USA and Canada
At the end of the second period, the shots were even at 18-18, but the USA had a slight edge with 43 shots on goal. However, Canada was pressing on every play, and the defense was tight, evident by the 27 hits from the USA and 22 from the Canadians.
Matt Boldy’s Golden Assist
It was Matt Boldy who assisted Larkin in scoring the 2-1 goal. He has played an important role in both of Team USA’s games in the 4 Nations. During the victory against Finland, he also contributed with an assist and a goal in the 12:43 minutes he spent on the ice.