Canada has beaten Team USA in the 4 Nations Face-Off in an overtime thriller, 3-2, Thursday night in Boston. Connor McDavid scored the game winner to become a national hero and hockey legend.
After dropping the first meeting against Team USA on Saturday in Montreal, Canada asserted itself as the premier hockey powerhouse in the world. This win was also eerily similar to Sidney Crosby's "Golden Goal" at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics with Canada's biggest star plunging the dagger into the Americans.
Team USA's defense was exceptional for nearly the entire tournament, but it made a critical error in overtime. The Americans let McDavid find some quiet ice in the slot, and Mitch Marner knew exactly where to go with the puck when he got it on his stick.
Marner slipped a pass just out of the reach of Toronto Maple Leafs teammate Auston Matthews, and McDavid buried a shot over the shoulder of Connor Hellebuyck to win the game.
Up until his overtime goal, McDavid had a relatively quiet night by his standards. He had two shots on goal, and the Americans were able to hold him in check off the rush. In an on-ice interview with ESPN, McDavid admitted he wasn't at his best, but he just kept looking forward to the next play.
"I was not very good all night," McDavid said. "All that was going through my mind was just, 'Keep going.' I struggled all night, but these guys played great, and we just found a way."
The other hero of overtime was Canadian goaltender Jordan Binnington, who was much-maligned through the first three games. In the first few minutes of overtime, the Americans peppered Canada's netminder. Binnington denied Matthews on a chance in the low slot, and he flashed the glove to rob Brady Tkachuk of what appeared to be a wide open cage.
Binnington finished the night with 31 saves on 33 shots, which will go down as one of the best performances of his career given the stage.
Nathan MacKinnon, who registered Canada's first goal, was named the tournament MVP. He finished the 4 Nations Face-Off with four goals in four games.
Same Bennett had the second goal for Canada, which knotted the score late in the second period.
Brady Tkachuk, who played well in the most meaningful game of his career, had the first tally for Team USA. That goal tied the game at 1. His Ottawa Senators teammate, Jake Sanderson, was the next player to light the lamp, giving the Americans a 2-1 lead.
This highly-anticipated rematch of the round robin clash delivered on the hype with back-and-forth action that extended past 60 minutes. Canada and the United States both held a lead at some point in this game, and the pace was outstanding. Now we just have to wait 356 days until the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.
4 Nations Face-Off winners & losers: United States-Canada rivalry revived, All-Star weekend concept pales
Chris Bengel
Connor McDavid's moment
Even Connor McDavid himself acknowledged that he wasn't at his best for most of that game. Pucks were bouncing off his stick, and he wasn't generating as much offense as you'd expect from the best player in the world. However, when the game was on the line, he made the biggest play.
Despite his issues earlier in the game, there was no question about McDavid's ability to perform in high-leverage situations. All he did last postseason was lead the Edmonton Oilers to within one win of a Stanley Cup while rewriting the record books and winning the Conn Smythe Trophy while on the losing side. Still, it was a nice feather in his cap to score what will now be an iconic goal in Canadian hockey history.
McDavid just hasn't had many of those opportunities since entering the NHL. The only time we've seen him in major international competition since he was drafted was in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. At that time, he was just 19 years old on Team North America, an exciting but inexperienced team that got bounced in round-robin play.
With the NHL back in the Olympics and putting on international tournaments like this, McDavid will get to showcase his talents in best-on-best competitions. That's where other Canadian legends (see: Sidney Crosby) have enhanced the legacy they built in the NHL.
Redemption for Jordan Binnington
When the Canadian goaltending trio was announced for this tournament, that position was immediately flagged as a possible concern. There wasn't even any guarantee that Jordan Binnington would start. In fact, there were questions about whether Binnington would start on a game-to-game basis in this tournament after allowing some relatively soft goals.
Through it all, Canadian coach Jon Cooper stuck by Binnington, and that confidence paid off in a huge way on Thursday night. Binnington saved 31 of the 33 shots he faced, and he saved his biggest stops for overtime. In a matter of moments, Auston Matthews and Brady Tkachuk both had the game on their stick, and Binnington slammed the door.
If it weren't for Binnington, who went toe-to-toe with the best goalie in the world at the other end, the game would have been over long before McDavid got open in the American zone. There were plenty of Binnington doubters, of which I was one, but he returned to his 2019 Stanley Cup Final form in Boston.
Olympic rematch?
We now have exactly 356 days until men's ice hockey begins at the 2026 Olympics in Italy. As much as I'd hate to wish away a full year, I'm already itching for more of this.
The NHL sat out of international hockey competitions for almost a decade, and it's clear now that it was detrimental to the league. This small mid-season tournament produced the best hockey I've seen in years, and it completely reignited the rivalry between the United States and Canada -- while also dumping a barrel of gasoline on it.
Going into next year's Olympics, the Canadians will be looking to defend their place atop the hockey world, but that's not necessarily new for them. What is new is that other countries are closing the gap, and Team USA in particular will be looking to avenge this loss. Imagine this matchup again, except with iconic Olympic gold medals being on the line as opposed to a new trophy that people don't know.
On top of the United States-Canada dynamic, there will also be a bigger collection of NHL superstars. Assuming Russia is given the green light, Alex Ovechkin will play in what may very well be his last Olympics. David Pastrnak and Czechia will want a shot to prove themselves. Leon Draisaitl will lead Germany. Roman Josi and Nico Hischier will do the same for Switzerland.
International best-on-best hockey is back in a major way. If we got this level of drama from what most thought would be an afterthought of an event, just imagine what the biggest and most important international hockey tournament will produce.
