Poulin scored in overtime in the gold-medal game in Calgary as Canada came back from a 2-0 deficit to beat the U.S. 3-2 and end the Americans’ run of five straight women’s world championship titles. Poulin’s shot over Nicole Hensley bounced out of the net so quickly that play resumed before the scorekeeper signalled a goal.

Connor McDavid etched his name in Canadian hockey history with a golden goal Thursday in Boston, winning the game 3-2 in overtime to secure a tournament title that felt bigger than anything ever played during an All-Star break. After 68 minutes of intense, high-level play, it took just one Team USA defensive lapse for Canada to win it.

International hockey history has always been kind to Team Canada. Paul Henderson’s Summit Series heroics. Sidney Crosby’s shining moment in 2010. Gold in four of five best-on-best tournaments from 2002-16.

Canada’s men’s hockey team defeated the USA 3-2 in overtime Thursday to capture the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off Championship as the NHL put on a show in the first edition of this midseason international tournament.

Think the 4 Nations Face-off was a meaningless exhibition? Ask the players from Team Canada and Team USA who fought for it.

The result was the culmination of a midseason tournament that featured stars from Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States — and a surprisingly political atmosphere.