BOSTON – Apologizing to Finland and Sweden, this is the rematch the hockey world has been hoping for, and a fan-worthy rematch.
Team USA has already beaten Canada once in this tournament, but not the second time, and the 3-1 victory in Montreal was just like the US victory in the group stage of the 2010 Olympics , relegated to historic trivia.
This is the championship or bust of both teams in the 4 Nations Final.
Post's Ethan Sears breaks down the biggest questions that determine the USA-Canada II.
How healthy is the United States?
Charlie McAvoy, who played 19:27 and was one of Team USA's best players to win Canada in Montreal, knows he's not on Thursday.
Apart from last minute changes, Americans must play Jake Sanderson for themselves, as opposed to Quin Hughes, who is not allowed to join Team USA unless they are injured elsewhere. I think so.
It's a blow.
And while the Tkachuk brothers, Vincent Trocheck and Auston Matthews all look likely to play, it's not clear how painful they are, how effective they are.
Brady Tkachuk did not practice on Wednesday. Others in that group did.
To state what is obvious, both Tkachuks were team USA's heart and soul players in this tournament, bringing the edge of the body to the group.
If they don't have full effect, it's a real game changer. One of Team USA's best goal scorers (though he hasn't affected Ton) and Trocheck are the same as Matthews who are quietly superior in the bottom six role.
Team USA's goal advantage
This was a big difference in the first matchup.
Connor Helebuick is the best goaltender in the tournament, but he's not much more than fighting Canada.
He's good at his moves, never losing control of the net, and he doesn't let Team USA fully flap in the third period when he was barely owning the puck I could see it.
As for Jordan Binnington, some of the criticism directed at Blues Netminder has come to the top. He's pretty much superior in this tournament, not the reason Canada lost to Team USA in round robin.
However, it is also true that little good is not enough at this stage, and that Binnington should have stopped Jake Gunterzel's 1-1 goal in the first period of that game.
If Canada is nervous about the situation of its goals, it is difficult to argue that they are unfounded.
Can Team USA slow the Canadian superstar again?
Conor McDavid, Nathan McKinnon and Sydney Crosby were minus one, minus one and minus two in the first game between these teams.
McDavid was the first to score an incredible 5:31 goal. That was pretty much that for any of the trio.
In a direct-related memo, Team Canada's power play was also 0-2 on Saturday.
In particular, McAvoy was the tone setter for McDavid's bodycheck, but in folding it is an open question whether Team USA can replicate it.
These are the three most ripe players in the world, and at some level it is impossible to stop them completely. McDavid scored on Saturday night, which was a relatively quiet game for him.
How does Cale Makar make a difference to Canada?
After missing the first game between these two teams with reported illness, we know how healthy McCal is, but Canada gets zero practice time for their first game with Team USA Thomas Hurley had to intervene to do so.
Harley played well in that game, but there's certainly nothing that could bring to you the best in this tournament, unless McCal (probably the best defensive man in the world and Quinn Hughes is available.
Canada's power play looks a lot different with quarterback No. 8. It's all Canadians do 5-5.
The addition of Canadian Makal is an equation that works pretty well for Team Canada, combined with McAvoy's subtraction for Team USA.
Can Team USA establish a physical edge for the second straight game?
In educated speculation, there are no three fights in 9 seconds to start this. (Of course, almost everyone probably made the same prediction last time).
But it wasn't just the fight that set the tone of victory for the Americans on Saturday.
It was the relentless physicality they played all 60 minutes, especially early on, with crushing hits with McDavid and Drew Doutty.
Droping gloves in a championship game is probably not a good idea, but replicating that tone is absolutely necessary.
That's why Team USA silenced the Montreal crowd, taking their lives from Canada and pulling out their previous victory.
That's their way to do so again, this time in front of the crowds of the house.
