- The 4 Nations Face-Off have had fireworks, specifically between the United States and Canada, who had three fights in nine seconds in their first meeting.
- Canada defeated Finland to earn a spot in the final, set for Thursday night in Boston.
- The United States lost to Sweden in a meaningless game as they had already clinched their place in the final.
The 4 Nations Face-Off has been a terrific substitute for the NHL All-Star Game, and unlike other All-Star Games, these players genuinely care about the outcome.
After a wild first meeting, Canada and the United States will square off in the final on Thursday night in Boston.
Canada, United States Finish Top of the Standings to Meet in Final
Canada needed to beat Finland in regulation to make it to the final, and they jumped out to a 4-0 lead after two periods. Finland battled back with three goals in the third period, but Canada captain Sidney Crosby closed the door on a comeback with an empty-net goal to give his team a 5-3 win.
Nathan McKinnon scored twice, while Sam Reinhart added three assists for the Canadians, who got 23 saves from goalie Jordan Binnington. Crosby, who also had an assist to go with his empty-net goal, leads the tournament with five points.
Meanwhile, the United States had already clinched a spot in Thursday’s final, so a 2-1 loss to Sweden didn’t mean anything to either team. Jesper Bratt and Gustav Nyquist scored for Sweden, while Chris Krieder replied for the United States, and Jake Oettinger made 21 saves for the Americans.
The Americans rested Auston Matthews, while Matthew Tkachuk also sat out. Brady Tkachuk was injured in the second period and didn’t return, but you can bet he’ll be on the ice on Thursday night.
What Happened in the First Game Between Canada and the United States?
4 Nations Face-Off betting odds have the Americans as slight favorite for the rematch on Thursday in Boston, and the first game was a barn burner. It started out with three fights in the first nine seconds of the game, including both Tkachuk brothers.
The Canadians had the momentum in the first period as McDavid opened the scoring. But the Americans replied through Jake Guentzel, who had two goals in the game, and Dylan Larkin added a marker as the United States won 3-1 in Montreal. Binnington stopped 20 shots but was upstaged by his American counterpart, Connor Hellebuyck, who made 25 saves.
Both teams are banged up, but they’ll be out there at full strength. The Tkachuk brothers will be on the ice, while Crosby has played the entire tournament with a forearm injury.
the players on both teams have shown that there is immense pride in playing for your country. It’s the first best-on-best tournament in hockey since the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, which was hosted and won by Canada.
This is also a prelude to NHL players returning to the Olympics in 2026, so the stakes will be high and the heads will be hot.
