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The 4 Nations tournament is off to the races now that every country has played a game. Team USA dominated Team Finland on Thursday night to claim three points. On Wednesday, Team Canada defeated Team Sweden in overtime. Next on the schedule for Team USA and Team Canada is each other. They face off on Saturday in a showdown American star Matthew Tkachuk cannot wait for.
Tkachuk played a crucial role in the Stars and Stripes defeating Finland on Thursday. He scored two goals and added an assist in the 6-1 win at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. This win marked the first time since the 2014 Winter Olympics that the United States won a best-on-best international game.
Tkachuk spoke with Sportsnet following Thursday's victory. He was eventually asked about the upcoming game against Canada. And he sent a rather strong message ahead of that contest. “I think I've thought about this game for nine years. So, we'll be ready for it,” the Team USA star said after defeating Finland.
Team USA, Team Canada set for intense 4 Nations clash
The United States and Canada have long had a sporting rivalry on the international stage. No matter the sport, the countries put all their effort into defeating each other whenever they played. This tension has been heightened on and off the ice due to ongoing geopolitical differences between the nations.
On the ice, there is a lot going into this 4 Nations contest. Team USA has had a bit of a resurgence in international hockey. The Americans have won back-to-back gold medals at the IIHF World Juniors. They claimed their second straight gold in the top junior hockey tournament back in early January.
Team Canada, meanwhile, have had some troubles on the international stage. This was especially on display at the most recent IIHF World Juniors tournament. The Canadians notably suffered a generational upset loss to Latvia during round-robin play.
Of course, that is junior hockey. But those tournaments put some pressure on the men's national teams to perform. Continued disappointment can cause upheaval in the governing bodies of hockey in their respective nations.
Matthew Tkachuk and Team USA want to win their first major tournament since the 1980 Olympics. Meanwhile, Team Canada is seeking its first major tournament victory since the 2014 Olympic Games. Something has to give, and all of this will come to a head when the teams face off at the 4 Nations in Montreal on Saturday night.
