Rivalries aside, it provided the type of entertainment that those involved in the contest hope can help fuel a new generation of fans.

Canada and Finland are in the driver’s seat, but Sweden still has a path to the final if the matinee at TD Garden, home of the Bruins, goes to OT. That, plus beating the U.S. in regulation, would set up a rematch between the Americans and Swedes for the 4 Nations title.