Recap of NHL from 17 February

The championship game of the 4 Nations Face-Off is set for Thursday (8 p.m. ET on ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS), when longtime rivals Canada and the USA will write the next chapter in their lengthy on-ice history. It will be the first time since the 2010 Winter Olympic Games that the countries meet to decide the champion of a best-on-best men’s international tournament – and just the second major men’s championship game between them on U.S. soil (also 2002 Olympics).

* Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Sidney Crosby and Sam Reinhart all produced multi-point efforts to help Canada reach the championship game.

* Sweden closed the round-robin portion of the 4 Nations Face-Off with its first win of the tournament, finishing as the only team without a regulation loss. All four teams have lost at least once, meaning that the 4 Nations Face-Off champion will follow a different path than the past two World Cup of Hockey champions (Canada went 6-0-0 in 2016 and 2004).

CANADA’S NEW LINES, FAST START PROPEL THEM TO CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

In the first-ever NHL International Tournament game played in Boston, Canada opened the scoring early with reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner Connor McDavid (1-1—2) netting the 1-0 goal for the second consecutive game. That helped Canada build a 4-0 lead, with the newly formed line of Sam Reinhart (0-3—3), Nathan MacKinnon (2-0—2) and Sidney Crosby (1-1—2) producing three of Canada’s five goals overall.

* Canada and the USA will meet in the final of an NHL International Tournament for the third time, with each team winning once: USA at the 1996 World Cup of Hockey and Canada at the 1991 Canada Cup. The 1996 World Cup of Hockey is the only NHL International Tournament in which USA defeated Canada twice – a feat they will have to achieve to win the 4 Nations Face-Off championship. Back in 1996, USA went 3-1 against their rivals including a round-robin victory and Games 2 & 3 of the best-of-three final.

* Canada and USA will meet to decide the champion of a best-on-best men’s international tournament for the first time in 15 years (last: 2010 Winter Olympic Games). Thursday’s 4 Nations Face-Off final will mark the fifth time the two countries will clash in a championship/gold medal game at an NHL International Tournament or Olympics (CAN: 3-1). In their last head-to-head meeting in best-on-best hockey at the 2010 Olympics, USA defeated Canada in the preliminary round before Canada earned the victory in the gold medal game – Canada will look to continue that trend on Thursday.

* The two nations have also met in the final of five World Junior Championships (USA: 4-1) and three Under-18 World Championships all-time (CAN: 2-1).

SWEDEN FINISHES AS ONLY TEAM WITHOUT REGULATION LOSS

Sweden, who had all three games of the tournament decided by a single goal, won its first game of the 4 Nations Face-Off after falling in overtime against Canada and Finland to finish the tournament as the only team without a regulation loss. Sweden improved to 3-4-0 all-time against the USA in NHL International Tournaments, defeating the American team for the first time since a 9-2 win at the 1984 Canada Cup semifinals.

* After falling behind 1-0 just 35 seconds into the contest in front of USA’s home crowd in Boston, Gustav Nyquist scored the tying goal midway through the first period. It marked Sweden’s third tying goal of the tournament – they scored one in each game – the most among all teams (USA and FIN have two each).

* Jesper Bratt potted the game-winning goal for Sweden. Bratt has 64 points in the 2024-25 NHL regular season (17-47—64 in 57 GP), the most of any Swedish player. Samuel Ersson, announced as the starter close to game time after Linus Ullmark fell ill, made 32 saves to earn his first-ever victory in best-on-best play.

4 NATIONS NUGGETS

* After netting the overtime winner Saturday against Sweden, Mikael Granlund scored twice to pull Finland within a goal late in the third period on Monday, marking the fifth time a player from Finland has recorded a multi-goal game at an NHL International Tournament. He joined Esa Tikkanen (1991 Canada Cup vs. USA), Janne Ojanen (1991 Canada Cup vs. Canada), Juhani Tamminen (1976 Canada Cup vs. Sweden) and Lasse Oksanen (1976 Canada Cup vs. Sweden).

* Chris Kreider of Boxford, Mass., playing in his home state, scored 35 seconds into his first game of the 4 Nations Face-Off, the fastest goal of the tournament and eighth time a player has scored in the first 35 seconds of a game at an NHL International Tournament.

* USA forward J.T. Miller had a 98.51 mph slap shot at 12:11 of the third period (via NHL EDGE), which displaced Sweden’s Victor Hedman (97.60 mph vs. Canada) for the hardest shot of the 4 Nations Face-Off so far.

* Zach Werenski notched his tournament-leading fifth assist of the 4 Nations Face-Off and now shares the lead among all players with five points (tied with Sidney Crosby). Werenski matched Derian Hatcher (3-2—5 in 6 GP at 1996 WCH) for the second-most points by an American defenseman at a single NHL International Tournament, behind Brian Leetch (0-7—7 in 7 GP at 1996 WCH).

* Werenski will become the fifth player with at least five assists in a single NHL International Tournament while playing four games or fewer (the max GP for any player at 4 Nations Face-Off). The others (all in 4 GP): forwards Peter Forsberg of Sweden (7 at 1996 WCH), Gilbert Perreault of Canada (6 at 1981 CC), DanielAlfredsson of Sweden (6 at 2004 WCH), as well as defenseman Calle Johansson of Sweden (6 at 1996 WCH).