Cale Makar returned to Canada’s lineup in a 5-3 win over Finland at the 4 Nations Face-Off at TD Garden on Monday. The defenseman played a team-high 23:57, scored four shots on goal and blocked four shots. He is preparing to face the United States in the championship game on Thursday. “I feel great,” Makar said. “I felt really good today.” Makar would not go into details of what he was dealing with the past few days, but did say, “it was really unfortunate.” “I did everything I possibly could to play in that game [3-1 loss to the U.S. on Saturday], and hopefully, obviously, we get another crack at them now, so it’d be ready for that, but no, [I’m] feeling a lot better now,” he said. As for being able to play Thursday, Makar said, “Unless something happens in the next few days here, that’d be the plan for sure.” Makar played in Canada’s 4-3 overtime victory against Sweden on Feb. 12 in the tournament opener for each team but did not skate the following two days because of what was classified as “an illness.” He took part in the morning skate Saturday, but did not play that night against the United States at Bell Centre in Montreal.
