Canada is set to face off against the U.S. in the final of the 4 Nations Face-Off later this week, marking a rematch of their intense encounter from the weekend, which saw three fights erupt in just nine seconds. Players Brad Marchand and Nathan MacKinnon expressed their enthusiasm about the opportunity to compete against the U.S. again after Canada’s 5-3 victory over Finland on Monday.
“We’re obviously really excited about having another chance against these guys. It’s going to be an intense game, for sure,” Marchand stated. “There’s no bigger rivalry in hockey than Canada-U.S., and I think it’s the matchup that everyone wanted. It’s going to be an extremely intense game that we’re all looking forward to.”
MacKinnon is optimistic about Canada’s chances in Boston, saying, “We feel like we can beat those guys and we plan on playing a little better on Thursday.”
The U.S. team faced challenges in their loss to Sweden, which concluded the round-robin stage of the tournament. Brady Tkachuk exited the game in the second period after a collision with Sweden’s Samuel Ersson, while Auston Matthews and Charlie McAvoy were not in the lineup.
U.S. head coach Mike Sullivan expressed anticipation for the upcoming matchup, noting, “The first game was such a great hockey game. It’s fantastic for hockey that these two teams have the chance to meet again. Both teams have star power throughout their lineups. The first game was very competitive, and I expect the next one to be just as competitive, if not more so.
