I only started following hockey a couple of months ago, but somehow I made it to yesterday's Canada vs. USA game in person. It still feels kind of surreal, so here’s everything I remember from that game:
People were shouting “Go Canada Go!” on the street outside the Bell Centre while waiting for the gate to open. On the escalator to upper levels too. I’ve never seen an audience so pumped up before a hockey game.
I entered Centre Bell through a less busy side door and went straight down to watch the warm-up, securing a first-row spot behind the net. Just like in the first Canada vs. Sweden game, the lower level was completely full by the time warm-up started.
Because of my first-row spot, I witnessed Nathan MacKinnon take a puck to the face right in front of my eyes.
That was the moment I realized “oh no things are not going very well”, especially with Cale Makar already out for this game.
As usual, Mitch was the last one off the ice, he traded a puck for candy (Mitch, always the gift-giver). Brad Marchand patiently waited for him at the player entrance. They had a fist bump before exiting.
The Canadian national anthem was the loudest I’ve ever heard. It gave me goosebumps and I’m not even Canadian.
Before the puck drop, I saw the third line (the Bolts line) on the ice and was like “Wait what why”. Then the fight started so I was like “Ohh okay sure”. And then the second fight started, and again I was like “Wait what why”. By the third fight I was like “Okay but isn’t this a bit much” but I took out my phone and filmed it.
After the fights I thought it was obviously too much. You could feel the adrenaline both on and off the ice overflowing. The speed of the game was crazy and I wondered how they could possibly keep this up for 60 minutes.
The McDavid goal. I saw someone describe McDavid’s skating in the first game as “the space/time continuum actually bending around him”. It was accurate. And he doesn’t tuck his jersey into his equipment, so it always flutters like a flag in the wind as he cuts through the center.
The Guentzel-Matthews-JHughes line was terrifying. Matthews was strong defensively. Guentzel was ruthless.
Jordan Binnington didn’t receive nearly as much hate at Centre Bell as he does online. In fact, after several of his good saves, people around my section started chanting “Binnington! Binnington!” I also don’t think he’s the one to blame for the loss. Canada felt more more out-coached than out-goalied. He also leaves the net a lot to play the puck, which I think is interesting because it feels like the “sweeper-keeper” in soccer.
Toward the end of the game Team Canada swapped McDavid and MacKinnon, so there were several shifts where 87-97 and 29-16 played together. There were also a few Crosby-McDavid-MacKinnon shifts. I saw some comments aying Nate didn’t look as sharp and I'd still blame the puck that hit him in the face. What do you mean one of those creatures of routine had to miss half of warm-up.
Since I went to the game alone, my friend texted me “Be safe” after the loss. But the streets were actually pretty quiet, almost peaceful. The only sound was the crunch of winter boots underfoot as snow fell gently, shimmering on the ground. Ahead of me were two guys wearing Team Canada jerseys—one McDavid, the other MacKinnon. And I think there was something poetic about that scene.
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