#WCH2016: Electric vibe sets tone for Team USA in Columbus

COLUMBUS – Yes, there was plenty of confrontation. There was no shortage of disagreement or altercation. It was everything you’d expect from the United States and Canada in a hockey game.

But one thing set the tone right away, and that was the building.

Nationwide Arena had a special vibe on Friday night, one which elicited memories of the Stanley Cup playoffs two springs ago and reminded us how the place can really rumble when it wants to. It had been 12 years since Columbus last hosted a World Cup of Hockey game (fittingly, also the last time the city hosted Team USA’s training camp) and she did not disappoint.

Around the Team USA dressing room, players raved about the atmosphere and how it contributed to making the Americans’ 4-2 win over Canada feel like something more than just a pre-tournament game.

There was something else that helped push the U.S. over the edge in the third period when Canada came with a flurry of chances, and when they needed to bend and not break when it felt as though the game could tilt the other way.

It was the 17,791 who …

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