2025 NHL 4 Nations Face-Off Team USA @ Team Canada (2/15/25)

You could always cut the tension on the ice between Team USA and Team Canada with a knife in the past, but tonight, you could've cut it with a spork. 00:02 after the puck dropped on period one, Team USA's M. Tkachuk and Team Canada's B. Hagel would go to blows first. But, as was with the prior Team USA game, the Thachuk brothers do everything together. Case in point, Team USA's B. Tkachuk and Team Canada's S. Bennett would ditch their gloves at 00:03!. But, we're not done yet, folks! Before the dust could settle on those first two fights, Team USA's T.J. Miller and Team Canada's C. Parayko would each toss their gloves to the ice as well. In this instance, the Refs would charge all six men with 5-minute majors for fighting, but with the third fight, T.J. Miller would also gain a 2-minute for a cross-check. This seemed to cool the rink a bit and the game actually began after this point.   

C. McDavid would score his first goal of the tournament for Team Canada at 5:31. D. Doughty and J. Binnington would each pick up their first assists on this goal of the tournament, too. The score would remain a 1-0 lead for Team Canada until J. Guentzel scored his second goal of the tournament and the equalizer at 10:15. J. Eichel would add his third assist this tournament with the primary while Columbus Blue Jackets' defenseman, Z. Werenski, would add his fourth assist on the secondary. This would be the final goal of period one, and we'd have a tied game heading into the middle period. 

D. Larkin would give Team USA their first lead of the night with his first goal of the tournament at 13:23. M. Boldy would have the only assist on this goal and it would be his second of the tournament. Aside from this goal, C. Hellebuyok for Team USA and J. Binnington for Team Canada really put on a goal-save show in this period particularly. With one goal all period, this may seem obvious, but I had to emphasize it because it was truly that fun to watch. Now, on to period three! 

With no luck in tying the game early into period three, Team Canada would mix up their lines, but even creating a fantasy line of S. Crosby, C. McDavid, and B. Point couldn't translate to another goal. At 18:41, Team USA's J. Guentzel would find his third goal of this tournament and his second tonight in the back of an empty Team Canada net. D. Larkin would add his first assist on the primary while B. Farber would add his second assist on the secondary. The 3-1 lead would hold and Team USA would go on to win in Canada, clenching their spot in the 2025 NHL 4 Nations Face-Off Final in TD Garden on Thursday! Before then, though, Team USA will play once more in the round-robin rounds against Sweden on Monday night at 8:00 p.m. EST. 

First Star: Team USA's J. Guentzel with a 2-0-2 night. 

Second Star: Team USA's D. Larkin with a 1-1-2 night. 

Third Star: Team Canada's C. McDavid with a 1-0-1 night. 

For my Columbus readers, Z. Werenski is currently at 0-4-4 over 2 games with Team USA. He leads in assists for Team USA. 

Until Monday, good evening, hockey fans!