Team USA and Canada will square off once again in the 4 Nations Face-Off final on Thursday, and if it’s even half as good as their last tilt, hockey fans are in for a treat. The Americans won a heated battle Saturday, and the Canadians will be looking for revenge in the championship game.
In the round-robin matchup between these teams, the first true best-on-best meeting since 2016, the rivalry picked up where it left off and then some. After the Bell Centre crowd booed the U.S. national anthem, three fights took place over the first nine seconds. It was a raucous atmosphere, and we should expect more of the same Thursday in Boson.
The Americans stepped up in a hostile environment and notched a 3-1 win over their rivals to the north. Dylan Larkin had the game-winning goal and Jake Guentzel found the back of the net twice. Connor McDavid scored the lone Canadian goal, and Connor Hellebuyck stopped the other 25 shots he faced.
4 Nations Face-Off: Where to watch USA vs. Canada in final, schedule, scores, TV channel, rosters, live stream
Chris Bengel
Coming into the rematch, both teams will be missing some key players. Canada’s blue line depth has already been tested in this tournament after it lost Vegas Golden Knights teammates Shea Theodore and Alex Pietrangelo. Theodore was injured in the team’s opening game against Sweden, and Pietrangelo bowed out due to illness.
The Americans will definitely be without Charlie McAvoy, who had to be hospitalized with an upper-body injury. Matthew Tkachuk, who missed the third period of the game against Canada and Team USA’s loss to Sweden, is questionable. The same can be said for Brady Tkachuk and Auston Matthews, who are dealing with more minor injuries.
There is some good injury news for the U.S. as Norris Trophy contender Quinn Hughes, who missed the start of the tournament, will serve as McAvoy’s replacement.
Regardless of which players suit up, Thursday’s championship game is sure to be a knock-down, drag-out fight in TD Garden. It will also be the last chance we get to see these teams on the ice until the 2026 Olympics in Italy.
How to watch Team USA vs. Canada
Date: Thursday, Feb. 20 | Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
Location: TD Garden — Boston, Massachusetts
TV: ESPN | Streaming: fubo (try for free)
