Marner, Canada Recover, Top Sweden in OT in 4 Nations Face-off opener

Marner scored 6:06 on overtime, and Canada recovered to defeat Sweden 4-3 in an emotional, fast pace first game in 4 Nations Face-off at Bell Center Wednesday, the first best-on-best competition since the world cup Hockey 2016.

“I’ve said we’ve missed the best-to-best, and it’s obvious why,” said Canada Center Connor McDavid. “It’s just as high-end a game that you want to find, as soon as a game that you will find. Skilled, good players doing great things. That’s what we’ve been missing for a decade now. It was A good game around.

Marner ended it with his own dream goal. He took a fall pass from Crosby in the neutral zone, and when Canada’s captain went after a change, Marner found some space down the middle.

As Crosby jumped over the boards on the bench, Marner knotted, pushing Sweden Defender Erik Karlsson back and tore a shot into the net between the circles to finish a hectic, fast pace 3-to-3 overtime.

“You tell 10-year-old Mitch that he scored an overtime goal assisted by Sidney Crosby, the guy he looked up to since day 1, yes, it’s pretty crazy,” Marner said. “I’m sure my family will be very excited about one. It will be a really cool thing that I get now.”