After the round robin, the Team USA and Team Canada will face off again in the Four Nations Face-Off Final on Thursday night at TD Garden in Boston. Matthew Tkachuk, who missed the game against Sweden due to injury, talked about the intense showdown against NHL star Sidney Crosby‘s team.
Tkachuk was the center of attention last Saturday at the Centre Bell in Montreal as Team USA defeated Team Canada 3-1 in a hard-fought battle that featured three fights in the opening seconds. Captain Crosby‘s team, meanwhile, will be looking for revenge after qualifying for the tournament with a 5-3 victory over Team Finland behind stellar performances from Nathan MacKinnon and Brayden Point.
Tkachuk, who previously stated that he had waited years for the first meeting between the two teams, emphasized the importance of the final against their fierce rivals, with the opportunity to win at home against a team that boasts the experience of Marchand and Connor McDavid.
Tkachuk’s strong admission before Canada game
“Stanley Cup, Game 7 aside, this is probably the biggest game we’ve all played up until this point. We have 23 guys who will do everything they can for this game on Thursday. We are so excited about this opportunity and very thankful we have this chance at home to play our biggest rival. It doesn’t matter what happened on Saturday, it’s a fresh start on Thursday, and we can’t wait,” Tkachuk said during the game against Team Sweden in an interview with Sportsnet.
Tkachuk, who has a good chance of playing against Team Canada, has high hopes for the Four Nations final, comparing it to Game 7 of the 2024 NHL Staley Cup, in which his Panthers defeated Canadian star Connor McDavid’s Edmonton Oilers to become champions.
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Nathan MacKinnon makes something clear to Matthew Tkachuk and the rest of Team USA
MacKinnon, who currently leads the NHL with 87 points for the Colorado Avalanche, did not miss the opportunity to send a strong message to Team USA ahead of the Four Nations final. “The last thing we wanted to do was go home, today or tomorrow or whatever. We’d love to play again against Team USA. We feel like we can beat those guys. We plan on playing a little better Thursday,” Nathan MacKinnon stated postgame against Finland, via Mollie Walker from The New York Post.
