It’s the dream rematch the 4 Nations Face-Off wanted.
“That is nice for the sport, it doesn’t matter what nation you’re from,” Workforce USA normal supervisor Invoice Guerin advised The Athletic on Monday after the championship matchup in opposition to Canada was set. “This has the makings for one more unimaginable recreation.”
And we’re going to exit on a limb right here and recommend we received’t see a Hanson Brothers redo in the beginning of the sport Thursday evening, at what needs to be a rocking TD Backyard in Boston.
No, anticipate a tight-checking affair through which open ice will likely be laborious to come back by. Neither workforce will wish to play too dangerous. An excessive amount of is on the road to open it up. An excessive amount of using to lack self-discipline.
What’s at stake?
Workforce USA has an opportunity to complete the job this time, in contrast to on the Vancouver Olympics 15 years in the past, when the People beat Canada in round-robin play however misplaced the sport that mattered — for gold.
Former Workforce Canada mainstay Chris Pronger had an attention-grabbing remark final week after I requested him which of his Olympic gold-medal wins meant probably the most.
“In all probability 2010, as a result of they beat us within the spherical robin and there was a whole lot of possibly swelled heads on their aspect, pondering that they had been going to run roughshod over us as we discovered our stable footing and found out how we wanted to play and are available collectively as a unit,” stated the Hockey Corridor of Fame defenseman, additionally an Olympic champion in 2002 at Salt Lake Metropolis. “I assumed, for probably the most half, we dominated that gold-medal recreation and had the higher of the probabilities.”
There was a whole lot of exuberance amongst Workforce USA gamers Saturday evening after they talked to reporters after beating Canada. There was an actual sense of feat in ending Canada’s 17-game win streak in best-on-best matchups, which dated 15 years. That’s comprehensible. You possibly can’t blame this technology of U.S. stars for feeling like what occurred Saturday evening was vital. Matthew Tkachuk referred to as it the most important second in his profession subsequent to final June’s Recreation 7 win within the Stanley Cup Ultimate.
All good. However the American gamers must park it now.
If Workforce USA doesn’t win Thursday evening in entrance of a house crowd, the one factor we’ll keep in mind of that Feb. 15 round-robin matchup years from now would be the three fights in 9 seconds. As a result of the ultimate phrase will likely be, “Yeah, however Canada got here again to win the massive one. Once more.” That’s what is actually at stake on Thursday evening.
Canada captain Sidney Crosby has an opportunity to proceed his outstanding period of dominance with a fourth best-on-best title (2010 Olympics, 2014 Olympics, 2016 World Cup of Hockey, 4 Nations), to not point out the truth that No. 87 can add to his already legendary fame by having performed this occasion with one good arm.
Simply as importantly, a win for Canada would go a good distance towards calming a religiously intense hockey nation whose nationwide delight has been dented with back-to-back quarterfinal losses within the World Junior Championship.
To not point out present world occasions and political tensions between the U.S. and Canada. A win on Thursday evening could be mighty candy for a lot of Canadians on plenty of ranges.
On the flip aspect, after profitable back-to-back World Juniors titles for the primary time in its historical past, USA Hockey could make fairly an announcement Thursday evening with a win and announce itself because the king of the hockey hill 12 months earlier than the Olympics in Italy.
The Miracle on Ice in 1980 is unmatched as a second, and the 1996 World Cup of Hockey upset win was a landmark accomplishment, and each of these occasions clearly will stay larger than no matter occurs this week. However a win Thursday evening to assert the best-on-best 4 Nations, given the People’ latest junior dominance, arguably would make this really feel like the primary time within the historical past of hockey that the US is actually No. 1 within the males’s sport.
No query, the Olympics will likely be extra essential in that narrative, however till then, Workforce USA would carry some well-deserved swagger as the perfect on the earth.
The opposite winners, no matter Thursday evening’s outcome, are the NHL and hockey itself. There have been lots of people who mocked the 4 Nations when it was introduced. As colleague Chris Johnston wrote on Sunday, the occasion is already a house run, which in all probability has rather a lot to do with lastly having best-on-best for the primary time in eight-and-a-half years. Nevertheless it’s additionally due to the gamers’ buy-in.
By no means thoughts that many hockey followers have craved best-on-best — the present technology of NHL stars had been begging for it.
“It’s a type of issues that’s sort of escaped me all through my profession,” Workforce USA star goalie Connor Hellebuyck stated final week. “I had a few world championships, however the NHL didn’t go to the final Olympics so we missed that chance. And you then by no means know; are you going to get one other shot? You’ve bought to remain in your prime for when that chance comes.
“With the ability to put that jersey on now, it’s a type of issues that nearly felt like it could by no means occur. Now that it has, it’s fairly surreal.”
He speaks for each single participant within the 4 Nations. They wished this so badly.
Now a championship recreation awaits. Two intense rivals giving us another best-on-best title battle.
Can not wait.
(Photograph of Canada’s Jordan Binnington and Sidney Crosby: Chase Agnello-Dean / 4NFO / World Cup of Hockey by way of Getty Photos)