Elated fans across the country are celebrating Canada’s victory over the United States in the hotly-anticipated 4 Nations Face-Off final. Against a politically-charged backdrop, Canada’s Connor McDavid scored the winner, in a spectacular 3-2 overtime finish against the country’s fierce North American rival, Thursday night in Boston. “This was a heck of a lot more than just a little tournament,” McDavid said after the win. Hundreds of fans exploded out of their seats at YVR Greta in Vancouver, hugging each other and shouting “Canada! Canada! Canada!” after McDavid beat U.S. goalie Connor Hellebuyck with a winning shot over his left shoulder.
Connor McDavid scored at 8:18 of overtime to give Canada a 3-2 victory over the United States on Thursday night as the North American rivals turned what had been a tune-up for the 2026 Olympics into a geopolitical brawl over anthems and annexation as much as international hockey supremacy. Or, to put it another way: It was the 51st U.S. state 3, Canada’s 11th province 2. “You can’t take our country — and you can’t take our game,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau posted on X in a cross-border callback to President Donald Trump’s chatter about turning one of the United States’ closest allies into the 51st state.
Hockey fans wanted this inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off final to be epic, and that's exactly what they got as Team Canada defeated Team USA in overtime, 3-2. With six minutes to play in the second, Bennett tied it up on a perfectly placed wrister over the shoulder of Hellybuyck that was set up by Mitch Marner, who got USA defenseman Adam Fox to chase him to the middle of the ice before slipping the puck to an open Bennett. Team USA had a few chances in that overtime, especially Matthews getting a Jake Guentzel pass right in the crease, but Binnington stopped the game-winner with his right pad to keep the game going. Binnington stopped the final 20 shots from Team USA, and has to do some acrobatics in the process to allow McDavid to get his shot wide open in the slot, and No. 97 rarely misses the back of the net on those.
