Canada secured a spot in Thursday’s championship final against the US after beating Finland 5-3 in Monday’s match, advancing to face their North American rivals for the second time this week. The teams first met on Saturday, resulting in a intense and physical game that included three fights within the first nine seconds of play.
Matthew Tkachuk was injured during Saturday’s matchup against Sweden, which the US won 2-1. However, his brother Brady is expected to return for Thursday’s rematch alongside Auston Matthews, who missed Monday’s match with upper-body soreness but should be available. Nathan MacKinnon stated that Canada “could beat” their opponents and plans to play a better game in the final.
The 4 Nations Face-Off tournament was created as an alternative to the NHL All-Star game, featuring top players from USA, Canada, Sweden, and Finland. So far, it has been deemed a success due to player buy-in, differing from the NBA’s four-team All-Star tournament on Sunday which failed. The matchup between the US and Canada will take place in Boston on Thursday night, with American fans likely backing their team due to the venue shift.
Source: https://sports.yahoo.com/usa-canada-to-meet-in-4-nations-face-off-final-after-fight-filled-first-matchup-221538466.html