The 4 Nations Face-Off has exceeded expectations and Thursday’s ultimate, a rematch between Canada and the USA, is setting a excessive bar for an thrilling end.

The primary match between these two was as heated and hard-fought as a playoff recreation and the ultimate now provides one other layer. An opportunity at a championship, bragging rights, and hockey supremacy for a yr.

In order we rejoice the closing of the return of a best-on-best event and look ahead to what must be one other thrilling recreation, this is a have a look at 5 storylines that can play out in Canada-USA Half 2.

The beginning of the primary Canada-USA matchup on this event was as entertaining as you may have requested for. An enviornment charged up from Mario Lemieux’s look at centre ice and the impassioned booing of 1 anthem and singing of the opposite led to a few fights over the sport’s first 9 seconds. Generally video games like these do not stay as much as the hype, however Half 1 of this rivalry immediately did.

The chatter has already begun. After the Tkachuks let it out that Saturday’s antics started in a bunch chat that mentioned beginning the sport with such flare, Canada’s Brandon Hagel — one of many fighters — shot again with the insinuation that their aspect did not must create ardour.

“What occurred the opposite night time, I feel I did it for the flag and never for the cameras,” Hagel mentioned. “We haven’t any group chats happening. We’re going on the market taking part in after which giving it the whole lot.”

Matthew Tkachuk got here again on Friday: “Perhaps their staff does not like one another then if they do not have group chats.”

“We care about one factor on this room and we’ve hundreds of thousands of individuals watching us and supporting us round this nation and we’re very prideful of taking part in for them and the blokes on this room,” Tkachuk mentioned.

Extra is on the road this time, because the event ends with a one-game championship. The setting is totally different, now in Boston. So how in a different way will the groups come out of the gate? Will tensions boil over as rapidly this time, or probably at different factors within the recreation? Or will this be extra centered on the duty at hand: getting out of this occasion with bragging rights till subsequent yr’s Olympics?

WHO’S PLAYING AND HOW HEALTHY ARE THEY?

Cale Makar missed the primary recreation between these rivals however returned towards Finland and shall be in Thursday’s lineup. That is an enormous addition for Canada.

Staff USA, meantime, has some considerations.

We all know they will be with out Charlie McAvoy, who has been hospitalized with a “important harm” to his proper shoulder and will not instantly return to Boston’s lineup after the 4 Nations. Which means Jake Sanderson shall be in for a second recreation after he logged 17:08 in a 2-1 loss to Sweden.

Matthew Tkachuk and Auston Matthews did not play within the recreation towards Sweden both, however each had been at follow Wednesday.

“I am feeling quite a bit higher,” Matthews mentioned. “Simply wakened Monday in a variety of discomfort, skating did not really feel good. So I simply decided with the workers to carry me out of that recreation and simply deal with feeling higher.”

Matthew Tkachuk additionally mentioned he was able to go for the ultimate.

Nonetheless, Brady Tkachuk wasn’t feeling properly and didn’t follow with the People on Wednesday, although each his brother and head coach Mike Sullivan mentioned they anticipated he’d be able to go.

For a short time, there was a Quinn Hughes query. A complicated little bit of communication started Tuesday with Sullivan suggesting that Hughes was on his option to Boston, which opened up hypothesis and opinion as to his eligibility to play within the recreation. Hughes determined to sit down out the event with an harm, however was after all on the People’ preliminary roster.

In the long run, the long-distance journey with out figuring out if he’d play was an excessive amount of and Hughes will not be in Boston in spite of everything. Nonetheless, Frank Seravalli of Each day Faceoff reported the People did invite Brett Pesce and Tage Thompson — situated in New Jersey and Buffalo — to Boston for insurance coverage. Neither participant could be eligible to play or follow with Staff USA except they fell a participant quick at their positions and whereas it does not look like that would be the case now, we do not know the total extent of what is going on on behind the scenes.

Even when all of those gamers are properly sufficient to play, eyes shall be fixated on them as a result of they’re all necessary to the success of their groups. How efficient will they be? Are they battling by an harm or illness to play within the massive recreation? And the way will that change the flavour of this one?

Connor Hellebuyck has stepped up to date and been the most effective goalie on the 4 Nations Face-Off, with a .957 save share and 1.00 goals-against common in two video games. Take any goalie on this occasion for a one-game showdown and most everybody you’d ask would decide Staff USA’s stopper.

However whereas Jordan Binnington’s save share has been a a lot much less shiny .892, he is been as much as the duty for Canada. His play in OT towards Sweden is what acquired Canada out of there with two factors and earned him the No. 1 job the remainder of the way in which. He solely allowed two targets towards the People and just one towards Finland till the ultimate two minutes of that 5-3 win.

On the flip aspect of notion, Binnington allowed the Swedes again into the event opener after Canada held leads of 2-0 and 3-1. He let Finland off the mat and gave them a glimmer of hope late in Monday’s recreation. And the weak Jake Guentzel aim he allowed towards the People was a back-breaker.

Hellebuyck, in the meantime, has allowed the primary aim of the sport in each of his begins however closed the door afterwards. Adam Vingan wrote a few delicate weak spot Canada could possibly exploit in Hellebuyck’s recreation in relation to second probability alternatives. Hellebuyck’s rebound management hasn’t been as robust within the small pattern measurement of the 4 Nations Face-Off, nevertheless it’s sufficient to know that if it creeps into Thursday’s recreation, it might be the distinction in one other tight checking, low-scoring recreation.

Binnington has gained a Stanley Cup and certainly gained Sport 7 of the ultimate in Boston again in 2019. Hellebuyck, in the meantime, has extra usually shrivelled within the greatest moments and has two wins in his previous 10 playoff video games. Thursday’s ultimate will both proceed these narratives for the 2 goalies or open up new ones.

WHO CAN PRODUCE DOWN THE LINEUP?

Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby have been the celebs producing for Canada up to now and can once more be in focus when the puck drops on Thursday’s ultimate. But when this subsequent match-up is something just like the final one — arduous to get to the prime scoring areas, few targets to come back by — then the distinction might be discovered within the margins.

Regardless of scoring the three-on-three winner in OT towards Sweden, Mitch Marner has had a reasonably quiet event for Canada, averaging 17:47 a recreation however a minus-2. Sam Bennett has been to and thru the arduous areas however does not have a degree to indicate for it but. Sam Reinhart has develop into one of many higher goal-scorers in NHL motion however has been shut out on the 4 Nations. Seth Jarvis has quietly been one of many extra disappointing gamers for the Canadians and should not even play within the ultimate. Even Brad Marchand — taking part in in entrance of his dwelling NHL crowd on Thursday — has been moved down the lineup and performed simply 8:23 within the first assembly with the People.

And but, would anybody be shocked if any of those gamers delivered within the massive second?

Likewise, the Tkachuks have been getting all the eye and a lot of the manufacturing for the People, whereas Zach Werenski is tied for the tournament-scoring lead with Crosby.

However Auston Matthews hasn’t scored but, and neither has Kyle Connor, one in every of six snipers with a minimum of 30 targets this NHL season. J.T. Miller hasn’t recorded a degree but and neither has commerce candidate Brock Nelson.

These are the gamers we’re to ship within the ultimate, able to making a world of distinction.

SETTING THE TONE FOR ITALY

When Canada misplaced the primary recreation, there was after all a variety of response on this nation.

• “That recreation confirmed why Tom Wilson ought to have been on this staff!”

• “Canada might have used Mark Scheifele’s offence!”

• “We want greater wingers to cope with the People!”

• “The goaltending drawback is just too nice!”

In fact, final Saturday was only one recreation, determined by only one aim plus an empty-netter. A unique consequence this time will go away us with solely totally different takeaways, and views on what we should always find out about Canada’s roster development and the way it ought to inform the Milano Cortina Olympic staff subsequent winter.

Greater than another earlier than it, Thursday’s recreation is what is going to set the tone for the Olympics. Will Canada arrive because the champion of the newest head-to-head? Will anybody who hasn’t stepped up but come by with such a clutch efficiency all of them however lock in a roster spot in 2026?

What actually are Canada’s weaknesses and strengths as a hockey nation proper now?

That is the sport that can give us a very powerful classes about the place Canada is at and what Canada wants earlier than the Olympic event. A win and all of a sudden the entire negativity from Saturday is gone. A loss in comparable vogue, nonetheless, will go away behind some arduous questions with a yr till the subsequent best-on-best occasion.