With a win over Canada on Thursday night time, Staff USA would take residence the 4 Nations Face-Off trophy and assert itself because the crew to beat heading into the 2026 Olympics. The People have already got one win over their rivals to the north, however making it two in a row can be a tall job.

To ensure that the People to slay hockey’s greatest powerhouse twice in as many video games, a handful of key gamers must be at their finest. Canada is a crew stuffed to the brim with elite expertise and nationwide pleasure. Sidney Crosby has been on this place numerous instances all through his profession, and gamers like Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid aren’t precisely strangers to success.

With that in thoughts, Staff USA will want a good higher efficiency than the one it put forth in Saturday’s 3-1 win. That begins with captain Auston Matthews, who has but to attain whereas battling a nagging harm. Matthews, a 69-goal scorer within the 2023-24 season, has the power to take over a recreation offensively.

On the different finish of the ice, it helps to have the most effective goaltender on this planet, which is strictly what Staff USA has in Connor Hellebuyck. He was stellar within the People’ final recreation in opposition to Canada, and he’ll most likely should elevate his recreation much more because the Canadians throw the whole lot at him within the championship recreation.

Matthews and Hellebuyck will play huge roles in figuring out the result of the 4 Nations Face-Off last, however they are not alone in that regard. Listed below are crucial gamers for the U.S. going into Thursday night time’s showdown with Canada.

Auston Matthews | C

As has been the case for a lot of the NHL season, Matthews has been battling an harm. Matthews has registered only one level within the 4 Nations Face-Off, however he is able to exploding for an enormous recreation at any level, and there could be no higher time than Thursday night time.

For the reason that begin of the 2023-24 season, nobody has scored extra objectives than Matthews (89), and that elite scoring contact makes him an especially priceless weapon. His depraved launch and pinpoint accuracy permit Matthews to attain from wherever within the offensive zone, and that ought to come in useful for testing Canadian goalie Jordan Binnington, who has seemed shaky at varied instances all through the match.

One of many greatest keys for the U.S. in opposition to Canada is the power to forestall the Canadians’ huge weapons from getting a head of steam by means of the impartial zone. A great forecheck can cease these performs earlier than they even begin by making it troublesome for opposing defensemen to make clear passes on zone exits. Enter Matthew Tkachuk.

Tkachuk, a heart-and-soul sort of participant on the Florida Panthers and Staff USA, is a tenacious forechecker. He is like a canine on a bone when looking down the puck within the offensive zone, and his physicality can pressure defensemen to eliminate the puck a split-second earlier than they’re prepared, which might result in errant passes and turnovers. As soon as Tkachuk does get the puck again for the People, he is absolutely able to attending to the web and placing objectives on the board as nicely.

Why not simply maintain driving the recent hand? Larkin has been one of the noticeable People offensively on this match, and he did rating the game-winning aim in opposition to Canada on Saturday.

Used to taking part in huge minutes on the high of the lineup for the Detroit Purple Wings, Larkin has been lowered to taking part in a smaller function on a loaded Staff USA roster. That hasn’t bothered him one bit. In truth, Larkin thrived in higher matchups as a bottom-six middle. Larkin’s elite pace and playmaking means has been on full show as he has created harmful scoring probabilities in every of his crew’s first three video games. Having Larkin additional down the lineup additionally permits Staff USA to roll its ahead traces and maintain everybody contemporary for 60 minutes.

Slavin will not be a family identify amongst extra informal NHL followers, however they need to know his identify heading into Thursday’s rematch with Canada. That is as a result of Slavin is without doubt one of the finest — if not the most effective — shutdown defender within the NHL. Particularly with Charlie McAvoy out of the lineup, Slavin can be relied upon to restrict the likes of MacKinnon and McDavid.

At 6-foot-3 and 207 kilos, Slavin skates extraordinarily nicely for somebody of his dimension, and he’s hardly ever out of place. When speedsters like McDavid and MacKinnon enter the U.S. zone at full flight, Slavin is not intimidated. His hole management is ideal, and Slavin all the time manages to have his stick in the midst of a passing or taking pictures lane. On Saturday, Slavin was an enormous motive why the Canadians could not mount any sustained stress within the third interval.

At present within the midst of a profession season, Werenski is tied with Sidney Crosby for essentially the most factors within the 4 Nations Face-Off with 5. Werenski has a knack for turning sturdy protection into offense, and he has facilitated loads of offense from the again finish on this match.

Like Slavin, Werenski is an distinctive skater who makes use of his imaginative and prescient to maneuver the puck up ice to his forwards. The distinction is that Werenski affords extra as soon as play does attain the offensive zone. Werenski, whose 42 assists are second amongst NHL defensemen this season, is a spectacular facilitator. He is additionally bought a knack for leaping into the play and lighting the lamp himself. His 17 objectives are additionally second amongst all blue liners.

Connor Hellebuyck | G

If I have been rating these key gamers so as of significance, Hellebuyck could be on the high of the listing. Irrespective of how nicely the People play defensively, Canada will get its scoring probabilities. When the Canadians do break containment, there is no such thing as a one Staff USA would somewhat have within the crease than Hellebuyck.

A two-time Vezina Trophy winner, Hellebuyck is on observe to win his third this season. His excellent play has carried over from the NHL season to the 4 Nations Face-Off. In his two begins, Hellebuyck has stopped 45 of the 47 pictures he is confronted, and several other of them have been of the high-danger selection. With Canada searching for revenge within the championship recreation, Hellebuyck will possible should make a number of extra show-stopping saves to seal a win for the U.S.