Rosner On Dobson The hockey world had waited nine years for another best-on-best tournament, specifically a duel between Team USA and Team Canada. The hockey world got that on Saturday night when the two rival nations went head-to-head at the NHL's 4 Nations Face-Off. It lived up to the hype. We saw three fights off the bat, with Matthew Tkachuk fighting Sam Bennett, Brady Tkachuk fighting Brandon Hagel, and J.T. Miller fighting Colton Parayko. We saw some big hits, too, like Brady Tkachuk sending Drew Doughty flying: But we also saw some incredible hockey, with Team USA coming away victorious with a slim 3-1 victory to punch their ticket to the Finals. Tampa Bay Lightning forward Jake Guentzel scored two goals--one an empty-netter-- with Detroit Red Wings Dylan Larkin scoring on the power play. Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid got the scoring started in the first. We saw two countries doing everything they could to get a W. Former New York Islanders [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/] forward and 2025 Stanley Cup champion Kyle Okposo took to X after the game to share his thoughts on the contest: Okposo, who represented Team USA at two IIHF World Junior Championships, never got to play in a best-on-best tournament. In 2014, after a strong start to the season, Okposo was left off Team USA ahead of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. After being snubbed, he scored the overtime winner against the Chicago Blackhawks with the crowd chanting "USA, USA" during his post-game on-ice presser: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6unvfeQTQsI[/embed] For the common fan, watching the USA vs. Canada game was incredible. For a former player who longed for the chance to play in that kind of game, him praising the product holds tremendous weight. The question is, will we see Canada beat Finland on Monday afternoon to advance to the Finals against USA? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stay updated with the most interesting Islanders stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwpuDfCA?ceid=CA:en&oc=3] to never miss a story.
