4 Nations Face-off: What to expect in Championship game, USA vs Canada

The United States and Canada will have a rematch on on Thursday night to determine the winner of the 4 Nations Face-off Tournament.

Less than a week after their historic matchup, Canada and the United States will be battling one last time in the 4 Nations Face-off Championship. 

The matchup will feature four Lightning players which include Brayden Point, Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel alongside head coach Jon Cooper for Team Canada. Jake Guentzel will be playing for Team USA.

The Americans punched their ticket by beating Canada on Saturday. Because of the loss, the Canadians still had to secure their spot on Monday by beating Finland. The Fins rallied late in the third period, scoring three goals but it wasn’t enough to cross the finish line. Canada held on to win it 5-3.

Now Canada and the United States will face-off again in Thursday's championship game. The Americans got the best of Canada in a 3-1 win last week, which featured three fights in the opening nine seconds. Lightning forward Jake Guentzel scored two of the three goals to push his team to victory.

The 4 Nations tournament has proven to be a huge moment for hockey, with more than 10 Million viewers tuning in on Saturday. Since the World Cup of Hockey in 2016, there has not been an official best-on-best international tournament, which cut into the overall visibility of the sport. 

"Nothing's done more for hockey in a decade than what this tournament's done,” said Canada coach Jon Cooper.

"I think it's great for hockey that there's an opportunity for these two teams to meet again," said U.S. coach Mike Sullivan. "It was a very competitive hockey game the first game. I would anticipate the next one will be every bit as competitive if not more."

If Thursday's championship game is not won in regulation, overtime will take place in the traditional playoff format with 5-on-5 hockey in consecutive 20-minute periods until a winner is decided. Puck drop is at 8 p.m.