With all apologies to Team Finland and Team Sweden, every hockey fan watching this tournament wanted this final. Team USA is set to host Team Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off final in Boston tonight. The Americans took the first match-up, a game that lived up to the pre-tournament hype. Sequels are rarely better than the original, but tonight’s game could top the fun of the first one.
It seems Team Canada has found their rhythm after a lackluster opening, as they shut down Team Finland on Monday to advance to the final. They have Cale Makar back on the blueline, and Coach Jon Cooper seems to have figured out his lines. The biggest question mark for them remains in net as Coach Cooper continues to endorse Jordan Binnington as his starter.
As for Team USA, the big question revolves around the health of their players. The Tkachuk Boys say they’re ready to go despite picking up some undisclosed minor injuries along the way. Charlie McAvoy is out, and we’re not sure who is replacing him, but it’s probably not going to be Quinn Hughes. The Vancouver Canucks defenseman was not cleared to join the team, so they’ve brought Brett Pesce and Tage Thompson to Boston.
The roster substitution rules for the tournament are fairly strict, so the two newcomers weren’t able to practice with the team, and will only be able to suit up if Team USA drops below 12 healthy forwards or 6 healthy defensemen.
No matter who ends up in the line-up, it’s going to be a fun game. The Americans are looking to beat the Canadians in a best-on-best tournament final for the first time since the 1996 World Cup of Hockey. Canada has taken the last two, beating the US in the 2002 and 2010 Olympic Gold Medal games.
The game takes place at 8:00 PM EST and will be broadcast on ESPN and ESPN+.
