Thursday night’s 4 Nations Final between Team Canada and Team USA brought a ton of hype. The 4 Nations even drew excitement outside the game of hockey. And it certainly did not disappoint. Team Canada started the scoring thanks to Nathan MacKinnon in the first period. But the Americans battled back to make it a close game. In the end, Team Canada got the last laugh.
Canada defeated the United States by the score of 2-1 at TD Garden in Boston on Thursday night. This marks the nation’s first international best-on-best win in men’s hockey since 2014. They may also end up as the only 4 Nations Final winners. The NHL is bringing back the World Cup of Hockey in 2028, potentially making this tournament a one-year thing.
MacKinnon began the scoring in the 4 Nations Final during the first period. The Team Canada star threw a shot on goal from the high slot. The puck evidently had eyes as it found a lane past Team USA star Connor Hellebuyck. Hellebuyck did not track it well, and the Americans fell behind.
However, the Americans did not let the lead last too long. Team USA captain Auston Matthews threw a shot on goal that deflected in off the stick of Brady Tkachuk. This marked Tkachuk’s third goal of the tournament, and tied the game 1-1 entering the first intermission.
The two nations played an incredibly close second period of hockey. However, it was the hosting Americans who grabbed the lead. A loose puck in front of Canadian goaltender Jordan Binnington found its way to Team USA’s Jake Sanderson. Sanderson did not miss his shot, giving his country the 2-1 lead.
The Americans battled to keep their lead. Jaccob Slavin, in particular, made one of the best defensive plays of the tournament to keep it 2-1. However, Team Canada soon broke through. Sam Bennett found the back of the net to bring the 4 Nations Final level again.
Canada endured a back-and-forth third period to force overtime. In the extra frame, Connor McDavid scored to make it a 3-2 contest and give his nation the victory. This goal marked his third goal of the tournament and possibly the biggest goal of his career to this point.
Team Canada claimed glory at the 4 Nations tournament with a win on Thursday night. As a result, they have international bragging rights until the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. It will certainly be interesting to see how much of this game carries over into next year’s Olympics.
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