They started apart but Macklin Celebrini, Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon were again reunited late in the first period and by the middle of the second period, they were a thing again.
Also of note, Celebrini replaced the injured Crosby on the first power-play unit and assisted on MacKinnon’s power-play goal, which evened the score 2-2.
Crosby’s injury hurts Team Canada for all kinds of reasons, but certainly the fact that his line with Marner and Stone was the most consistent since the start of the Olympic tournament is undeniable. So there’s that.
With Team Canada going the Mach3 route the rest of the game, and without No. 87 in the middle of his line, suddenly this looks more top-heavy as a forward group than was ever the plan.
Consider that head coach Jon Cooper explained early in the tournament how important it was to go with the three-headed monster down the middle of McDavid, MacKinnon and Crosby all centering their own lines. It was a balanced approach. Now with Crosby injured and MacKinnon and McDavid doing the ’87 Canada Cup thing, one has to wonder how that affects the offense moving forward.