Team USA and Team Canada will square off in Thursday’s 4 Nations Face-Off championship game. After a wild Saturday night matchup in Montreal, the teams are able to renew the rivalry stateside. Matthew and Brady Tkachuk began that game with fights that galvanized the Americans. But Stanley Cup Champion Matthew didn’t play with an injury for many of the third period. After which Brady left Team USA’s loss against Sweden. Head coach Mike Sullivan said each brothers are on course to play.
“The Tkachuk brothers are also expected to play,” Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported from Sullivan’s press conference.
Sullivan also expects Auston Matthews to play after he left the Sweden game with an injury. The Americans had already clinched a spot within the title game before Monday’s matchup so Matthews and the Tkachuks were held out for “precautionary reasons.”
But there may be one big injury that Team USA can be felt on Thursday. Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy was great against Connor McDavid in the primary 4 Nations USA-Canada game but won’t play Thursday. He was admitted to an area hospital with an infection related to an upper-body injury.
Even with McAvoy out, Team USA have to be thrilled with the injury updates. Having each Tkachuk brothers playing in the ultimate 4 Nations Face-Off game gives them an awesome likelihood to win.
The Tkachuk brothers are key to a 4 Nations Face-Off win
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When Matthew Tkachuk opened up Saturday night’s game by fighting Brandon Hagel, it set the tone for the remaining of the sport. When Brady Tkachuk followed with a bout against Sam Bennett, the sport left the stratosphere. Nobody on any team within the tournament has the physicality that the Tkachuk brothers bring to Team USA.
That played out of their first game of the 4 Nations Face-Off as well. Team USA smoked Team Finland 6-1 last Thursday with each Brady and Matthew Tkachuk scoring two goals. Their physicality helped break a solid Finnish defense and open up the floodgates within the third period.
The 4 Nations Face-Off is each a vehicle for the NHL to profit off of international hockey and a training ground for the 2026 Olympics. While the Tkachuks didn’t must prove much to be considered for that team, they’ve evolved into USA’s most vital forwards. Securing an awesome center in Jack Eichel to play between them has helped this American team and will come back in Italy next yr.
Team USA and Team Canada drop the puck just after 8 p.m. on Thursday night for the 4 Nations Face-Off crown.
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