USA and Canada will battle in intense 4 Nations Face-Off hockey championship

• The hockey rivalry between Team USA and Canada will be on full display in the 4 Nations Face-Off final. They will drop the puck Thursday, Feb. 20, at 8 p.m. EST.
• Team USA beat Canada 3-1 in an earlier tournament game, which raised the profile of hockey for casual fans.
• President Donald Trump has also weighed in on the matchup, calling Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau “Governor Trudeau.”

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What was initially billed as a friendly international competition while the NHL took its mid-season break, The 4 Nations Face-Off has turned into an uber-intense, at times politically charged, ratings blockbuster. The tournament has raised hockey’s profile with casual fans.

Thursday night, Feb. 20, the U.S. and Canada will battle for the championship and the players can feel the intensity.

How are the players feeling ahead of the game?

“It is a game seven. It’s a winner-take-all situation here and we know what’s at stake so ah, we know the intensity, the passion, the detail we have to play with,” Team USA captain Auston Matthews said.

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From the fantastic skating and goal scoring to the fisticuffs in the first game between the two rivals, the tournament has its share of drama.

The pride the players have shown playing for their flag is something that no one saw coming in an exhibition tournament.

“I think everyone’s been really excited to finally have games like this,” Canada’s captain Sidney Crosby said. “To see it up close and I think it’s been something probably even more, maybe, than people expected with the intensity and everything that’s been part of it.”

What did President Trump say?

President Donald Trump weighed in Thursday morning on his Truth Social account. He said he will be watching the game from the Republican Governors Association conference and added, “If Governor Trudeau would like to join us, he would be most welcome.” Once again, suggesting Canada become the 51st U.S. state. Trump also called Team USA and wished them luck.

Which team has the advantage in the final?

Who will have the advantage in the final? That’s tough to predict with teams that are so evenly matched, but the coaches were both asked Wednesday about what would help them claim victory. Team Canada has improved every step of the way, said head coach Jon Cooper.

“I thought we took a big step forward in the Finland game. Y’know if I was gonna break it down, I think the Sweden game we played 30 minutes, the U.S. game we played 40, the Finland game we played 50 and tomorrow night we gotta play 60. We do that, we’ll be ok,” Cooper said.

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Team USA has allowed just 4 goals in 3 games, and they shut down Canada in the first meeting. Head coach Mike Sullivan said without stalwart defenseman Charlie McAvoy, who’s out with an injury, others need to step up.

“I’ve been really impressed with our team’s commitment to playing away from the puck,” Sullivan said. “It’s such an important aspect of winning and I think these guys understand it. And so as talented as they are offensively, they’ve made a commitment to playing defense. I just think they understand what it takes to win”