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🇨🇦 CANADA GOAL 🇨🇦 CONNOR MCDAVID WINS THE FOUR NATIONS FACEOFF FOR CANADA!!! 🎥: Sportsnet | NHL #Canada #USA

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4:28 AM · Feb 21, 2025

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Arun Srinivasan

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Mitch Marner with two primary assists, he was outstanding.

4:44 AM · Feb 21, 2025

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Here are seven takeaways from Canada’s 3-2 overtime victory

• Connor McDavid finally generated his iconic moment, notching the overtime winner for Canada. It was a relatively quiet night for McDavid, but no one’s going to remember that now. McDavid proved that on any given shift, he’s the best player in the world and scored a goal that will live in the annals of Canadian history forever. It wasn’t necessarily a signature game, but McDavid was looking to make plays off the counterattack and he has a moment that will last forever in the national memory.
• Mitch Marner buried a ton of unfair narratives about his ability in the clutch, with two primary assists, including the pass that set up McDavid’s overtime winner. Marner was deployed in a number of different roles throughout the tournament and started the game on a shutdown line with Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli, before Jon Cooper moved him up in the lineup, in a scoring role. Marner was looking for players off the rush and generated a decent scoring chance for Travis Sanheim in the first period, and he continued to improve as the game went on, setting up Sam Bennett’s game-tying goal. He was cool, calm and composed in all facets throughout the game and was looking for shooters cutting to the net, throughout the contest. Marner almost ended the game with a seeing-eye pass to McDavid at the end of the third period, but J.T. Miller batted away the puck at the last possible moment. All of the unfair narratives surrounding Marner may have died in earnest, when McDavid buried the overtime winner. But we’re not arguing against a straw man here, this could be the catalyst for Marner unlocking another gear this spring.
• You have to feel for Auston Matthews, who was excellent throughout the game, generating two primary assists and seemed poised to win the game for his country in overtime. Matthews was a chance generation machine, he kept Canada on its heels throughout the contest, he was constantly winning puck battles and very much lived up to expectations in the final. USA controlled the shots on goal by a 14-4 margin when Matthews was on the ice at 5-on-5, via Natural Stat Trick. There’s an attendant expectation that Matthews should shoot the lights out on every shift, but he was one of the dominant players Thursday night, and there’s no shame in losing like this.
• Jordan Binnington kept Canada alive, particularly in the overtime period, where he robbed Matthews several times. Binnington outduelled Connor Hellebuyck, who was the tournament’s best goaltender overall and is the runaway Vezina Trophy favourite at the moment. Binnington was the only goaltender Jon Cooper trusted, a risky gambit that paid dividends in the clutch.
• Nathan MacKinnon is a deserving tournament MVP with four goals, and his explosion often paid off in transition. MacKinnon sniped home an expertly placed shot through a Sam Reinhart screen for the game’s opening goal and generated five shots throughout the contest. The reigning Hart Trophy winner’s explosion and opportunism stood out in a game full of the world’s best players, and it was pretty cool to see him walk away with the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off MVP.
• Sam Bennett scored the game-tying goal and registered a game-high six shots throughout the game. Bennett’s inclusion was questioned by some, many believing that his theatrics weren’t necessary in a best-on-best tournament. He can play against the world’s best players, constantly make plays and he’s going to get paid handsomely in the offseason, either by the Florida Panthers or several other suitors.
• Zach Werenski was the tournament’s best defenceman and should’ve won MVP, if the United States won in overtime. He constantly activated off the rush, he was giving Canada fits with his speed and his ability to find open shooters. Werenski finished the tournament with six assists, and he should be firmly in the running for the Norris Trophy, if Quinn Hughes doesn’t run away with the race upon returning to the Vancouver Canucks.

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