NHL stars will be out in full force on Thursday night during the thrilling conclusion to the 4 Nations Face-Off, featuring a rivalry rematch between USA and Canada. Sweden and Finland were both eliminated from the tournament.
In their first meeting of the tournament during the round robin games, USA beat Canada 3-1. It was an intense game that started off with not one, not two, but three fights. They’ll meet again to determine the 4 Nations Face-Off champions.
Which stars will stand out in the 4 Nations Face-Off final?
There will be star power on both sides of the ice. Matthew and Brady Tkachuk have been very visible in the tournament, especially during the USA vs. Canada game with their physicality. They put up five points combined in the USA vs. Finland game. Matthew sat out of USA vs. Sweden with an injury on Monday to rest, and Brady left the game injured. Both are expected to play on Thursday.
USA has plenty of other offensive weapons, such as Jake Guentzel. Guentzel scored two of USA’s three goals in the USA vs. Canada game. Jack Hughes has played well but has yet to make a big mark on the tournament. He could be an X factor on Thursday night. The same can be said for Auston Matthews, who is also a big weapon but hasn't shown up on the scoresheet yet as much as he's capable of.
Canada’s forward lineup features Connor McDavid, the world’s current best hockey player. He has four points in the tournament so far. McDavid opened the scoring during the USA vs. Canada game, and that ended up being Canada’s only goal that night. USA shouldn’t expect that to happen again. McDavid is not the only threat; there’s also Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon. Crosby has five points in the tournament.
On the defensive side, Canada has the leg up. Cale Makar is back in the lineup. He missed Canada’s first game against the United States, but he returned for the Canada vs. Finland game. Makar will pair with Devon Toews. Charlie McAvoy has been ruled out for USA due to an infection. USA is struggling with a lot of injuries and illness. They were hoping to bring in Quinn Hughes, who has recovered from an injury, but that hasn’t panned out. USA will need their defensemen to step up. Jaccob Slavin's defense will be key. Defenseman Zach Werenski has five points for USA in the tournament.
USA has unquestionably the edge with goaltending. They have the best goaltender in the world, Connor Hellebuyck, between the pipes. He’s expected to win the Vezina Trophy again this year. Hellebuyck has saved 1.00 GAA in the tournament. USA can count on him to keep Canada’s scoring to a minimum. Canada has Jordan Binnington, who is not having a good NHL season in net. He has saved 2.60 GAA in the tournament. If the championship game is very tight, goaltending will be key. Binnington having a strong game would be a difference maker for Canada.
USA and Canada will battle to decide the 4 Nations Face-Off winner on Thursday, Feb. 20, at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN. It will not be an easy game for either team. The intensity surely won’t disappoint.