Sidney Crosby, who grew up idolizing the Montreal Canadiens, delivered another unforgettable performance at the Bell Centre on Wednesday. The 37-year-old Canadian captain notched three assists, including the setup for Mitch Marner’s overtime winner, as Canada triumphed 4-3 over Sweden in the opening game of the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament.
“There’s a certain feel to it,” Crosby said before the game. “So much history and just the hockey feel that you get being here. It’s a special place.”
Crosby received a roaring ovation before the puck dropped, second only to the entrance of hockey legend Mario Lemieux. The veteran star then teamed up with Connor McDavid to assist Nathan MacKinnon’s power-play goal just 56 seconds into the first period.
Fans in attendance chanted Crosby’s name throughout the night as he added to his illustrious record wearing the Canadian jersey. “It’s no coincidence,” head coach Jon Cooper said. “He will go down as the greatest player to ever represent this country.”
Mitch Marner’s overtime goal, assisted by Crosby, sealed the dramatic win for Canada. Marner described the moment as surreal: “You tell 10-year-old Mitch he scored an overtime goal, assisted by Sidney Crosby… it’s pretty crazy.”
Canada’s other goals came from Brad Marchand and Mark Stone, while Jordan Binnington made 23 saves. Despite the loss, Sweden impressed with goals from Jonas Brodin, Adrian Kempe, and Joel Eriksson Ek.
The tournament continues with games in Montreal before moving to Boston for the final on February 20, offering fans a rare taste of best-on-best international hockey ahead of the NHL’s Olympic return in 2026.
Source: Swifteradio.com
