The Americans fell short of the Canadians 3-2 in overtime to conclude the NHL’s 4 Nations Faceoff. The hand-to-hand combat was not as feisty as the first matchup, but it was as good of a game as any hockey fan could have asked for.

The game started like the first meeting between these two teams. This time, Nathan MacKinnon struck first for Canada in the game’s first five minutes. MacKinnon found the top shelf over goalkeeper Connor Hellebuyck’s left shoulder. Hellebuyck was screened heavily and could not do much against the well-placed shot.

Later in the period, Auston Matthews found himself crashing hard to the net, leading to a carrom at Brady Tkachuk’s stick blade. Tkachuk capitalized with a chip shot into the back of the net, tying the game at one.

The second lead change of the game occurred in the second period when Jake Sanderson found the net from the high crease after a rebound from an Auston Matthews shot. This gave the States a 2-1 lead crossing into the halfway point of the game. Sanderson became the second Ottawa Senators player to score after Tkachuk’s first-period marker.

With six minutes left in the second period, Mitchell Marner picked up a loose puck at center and pushed the tempo. Marner dished it over to Sam Bennett, who got in tight and hit the top shelf. This would be the final goal of regulation, leaving the final 26 minutes without a red light.

Overtime was a tense back-and-forth battle, with both teams trying to find the game-winner in five-on-five play. Just over eight minutes into overtime, Cale Makar sent a pass around the boards to Mitchell Marner. Marner found McDavid in the high slot with plenty of room. McDavid rarely misses such opportunities – he scored. Glove-side high, McDavid became the hero for Canada.

The back-and-forth play and overtime finish made this game an instant classic, and Canada retains its reputation as the best hockey country in the world. The NHL created this small, in-season tournament as a preview for next year’s Olympics. After this game, the excitement for the Winter Olympics has heightened. The United States will look to get their revenge, Canada will want to hold onto the title and other countries such as Russia and the Czech Republic will look to join in on the fun.

The NHL will resume on Saturday, Feb. 22, at 12:30 with the Wild and the Red Wings.

Feature image via @NHL on X