MONTREAL — Team USA experienced a rocky beginning but ultimately celebrated a resounding finish against Finland.

Initially, the Americans found themselves on the back foot, conceding the opening goal and allowing Finland to dictate the pace of play for much of the first two periods on Thursday night.

However, as the game progressed, Team USA asserted dominance with a convincing 6-1 victory to kick off the 4 Nations Face-Off, fueled by a spectacular third period from the Tkachuk brothers, Brady and Matthew, who were skillfully paired together by coach Mike Sullivan.

Yet, the match wasn’t as straightforward or convincing as the final score might imply for the pre-tournament favorites.

The game remained tenuous until early in the third period when Finnish goaltender Juuse Saros allowed two soft goals, allowing Team USA to convert a close contest into a decisive victory — a regulation win that carries significant weight in this short-format tournament.

The Americans will need to hope that their impressive last 20 minutes are a better reflection of their capabilities in this elite competition than their sluggish initial 40.

“It’s going to take time in this short tournament,” J.T. Miller commented. “It typically takes a while to establish chemistry and make key plays. Today, the team succeeded in that.”

This sentiment resonates for all four teams in the tournament, but the natural synergy between the Tkachuk brothers ultimately surpassed the chemistry the rest of Team USA was still developing.

Sullivan opted for a line shake-up midway through the game, aligning the Tkachuks with Jack Eichel, reorganizing defensive pairings, and placing Kyle Connor on the third line alongside Matt Boldy and Miller.

This strategy paid off, as a fragile 2-1 lead entering the third transformed into a blowout within the first 30 seconds of the period.

Just 15 seconds into the third, Matthew Tkachuk fired a shot from above the left circle that found its way past Saros for a power-play goal.

Only 11 seconds later, Jake Guentzel capitalized by scoring through Saros’s five-hole, once again with no traffic obstructing his shot.

Brady Tkachuk followed suit, deftly redirecting Eichel’s feed for his second goal of the evening. Matthew then scored his second on the power play later in the period, bringing the game well under Team USA’s control.

“It exceeded all the dreams I had,” Brady reflected. “To see it happen, especially for Matthew, that was a crucial goal for our team. There are no words to truly describe it right now.”

Before the Tkachuks took charge, Team USA was precariously close to defeat.

Earlier on Thursday, Sullivan discussed the importance of establishing unity as a complete team.

For the first 40 minutes, however, his squad struggled with misdirected passes and frequent offside calls, showcasing the growing pains of a newly assembled team.

“We’re all new,” Charlie McAvoy pointed out. “Everyone has a different playing style with different teammates. It can vary from shift to shift, so it’s vital to find that chemistry quickly. I felt we really began to establish it towards the end of the second.”

With Team Canada and an enthusiastic crowd looming on Saturday, Team USA must carry forward the lessons learned from Thursday’s game.

Against a Canadian team that showcased an exhilarating style of play in its opener, there can be no room for regression after the tough, physical encounter with Finland.

Aerosmith’s “Dream On” echoed through the USA dressing room as reporters arrived.

For the Tkachuks, dreams turned into reality on Thursday.

A similar transformation could await Team USA on Saturday.