Marchand, Bennett teaming up for Canada at 4 Nations to push back against U.S.

BROSSARD, Quebec -- If Brady and Matthew Tkachuk and the United States want to flex their muscles in the huge showdown against Canada Saturday, Sam Bennett has a simple message for them: Bring it on.

“They’re physical, they’re in your face, that’s part of their game,” the Canada forward said Friday. “That’s what makes them really good. I expect a lot of that (Saturday).

“I expect us to give it right back to them.”

There it is. With those words, the gauntlet has officially been thrown down for Canada-U.S. on Saturday (8 p.m. ET; ABC, ESPN+, SN, TVAS), the highlight of the 4 Nations Face-Off to date.

And leading the charge for Canada’s pushback will be the unlikely duo of Bennett and his long-time rival Brad Marchand.

Grudge matches can create strange bedfellows. Or, in this case, unlikely linemates.

In Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Second Round matchup between the Florida Panthers and Boston Bruins, a controversial hit by Bennett on Marchand caused the Bruins captain to miss the next two games with an upper-body injury. The Panthers forward did not receive any supplementary discipline on the play, but Marchand later said that Bennett “got away with one.”

Nine months later, foes have become friends. Now they have a common enemy in the U.S. Now it’s time to combine their forces.

And after watching the Tkachuk brothers physically pound on Finland in a 6-1 victory Thursday, Canada coach Jon Cooper and his staff decided to fight physical fire with physical fire.

As a result, Bennett, who was a healthy scratch for Canada’s 4-3 overtime win against Sweden on Wednesday, will play on a line with Marchand and Carolina Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis.

Sandpaper, anyone?

Bennett and Marchand are two of the orneriest competitors in the League. They each are known for towing the line, if not crossing it at times. And if anyone knows how abrasive the Tkachuks can be, especially Matthew, it’s Bennett. After all, he and Matthew are teammates with the Panthers and helped Florida win the Stanley Cup last spring.

In an attempt to defeat the Tkachuks and the Americans, Bennett and Marchand are combining their forces. But before they get to that task, did they discuss the playoff incident of last spring first?

"We didn't really get into it,” Marchand said. “I just told him I'm not passing him the puck.”

He laughed.

“No, we were just joking around. Stuff happens out there. Whatever happens out there during the season, you let it go. We're all here for the same reason and fighting for the same goal. Those are things we can laugh about.”

For his part, Bennett said the two have let bygones be bygones.

At least for now.

“Look, that’s hockey,” he said. “You are going to have rivals when you have intense playoff games. And he’s been nothing but great to me since I’ve been here. He’s a super, super guy and I’m excited to play with him.

“It’s going to be nice to have him on my side tomorrow night.”

Cooper feels the same way about having Bennett in the lineup.

“It’ll be interesting if Sam and Matthew meet in a corner tomorrow night,” he said.

They might not have to wait long.

“Look, Sam has proven, if he hasn’t proven it already, he rises to the occasion in these big moments, especially when the game is at its brightest,” Cooper said. “He’s done a heck of a job and I expect that from him.”

If Bennett needs any more of an endorsement, it’s come from Canada forward Connor McDavid. The two played minor hockey together when they were 7 with York-Simcoe, about 30 miles north of Toronto. One of their teammates was Tristan Joseph, son of former NHL goalie Curtis Joseph. In fact, Curtis told NHL.com in June that the mini-stick games McDavid and Bennett would have in the hallways of hotels during road trips to tournaments were “so competitive, even vicious at times.”

It might be just that against the U.S. on Saturday.

“He’s big and strong and plays with a little bit of an edge, as we know,” McDavid said of Bennett. “I expect him to bring that. I expect him to bring energy. He’s a great player. He scores big goals too.

“I expect him to jump right in.”

To a grudge match we haven’t seen to this extent in a long time.

“There’s no bigger rivalry in hockey than Canada and the U.S.,” Marchand said. “I think these are the games everyone dreams of playing hockey.

“Those are the memories that last a lifetime. And we’re all looking forward to it.”