3 Keys: Canada vs. United States, 4 Nations Face-Off championship

CANADA (1-1-0-1) vs. UNITED STATES (2-0-0-1)

4 Nations Face-Off championship, TD Garden, Boston

8 p.m. ET; Disney+, ESPN+, ESPN, SN, TVAS

BOSTON -- For country.

That's what the 4 Nations Face-Off championship game Thursday is about; a game between the United States and Canada, a rematch south of the border, yes, for the title, but really for national pride and the international hockey supremacy that goes with it.

"For me, we're here to celebrate a game," Canada coach Jon Cooper said. "If after this game all the little girls out there and boys out there that are inspired by the players that play this game and how they compete, if they, after watching tonight, go and become hockey players, that's the real win, not who wins on the ice."

The United States won the first game against Canada 3-1 at Bell Centre in Montreal on Saturday. That victory clinched its berth into the championship game. Canada earned its way into the final by defeating Finland 5-3 at TD Garden on Monday.

"Whether you like hockey or not, I think our team has helped grow the game here in this country already," U.S. forward Matthew Tkachuk said. "I think a win could just knock that door right down and open up a whole new wave of hockey players across the country."

Canada has won five of the previous six best-on-best international tournaments (2002 Salt Lake Olympics, 2004 World Cup of Hockey, 2010 Vancouver Olympics, 2014 Sochi Olympics, 2016 World Cup of Hockey). It has won nine of 13 overall involving NHL players going back to the 1976 Canada Cup.

The U.S. hasn't won a best-on-best tournament since it defeated Canada in the 1996 World Cup of Hockey -- the only best-on-best tournament the U.S. has won.

"I think for us, USA and Canada have always hated each other on the ice, right?" U.S. defenseman Brock Faber said. "That's how I look at it. I think that's how all the guys look at it. It's nothing more than just the hatred we have for each other on the ice. When you're born in Canada, as a hockey player, it's all you know is to just not like the United States. It's the same with a hockey player wearing red, white and blue when it comes to Team Canada. It's always been a rivalry. That hatred just comes from ever since I started playing hockey and I think a lot of those guys would say the same thing."

Here are 3 keys to the game:

1. Puck management

The U.S. had better control of the first game through two periods thanks to smart plays with the puck, including dump-ins that led to an aggressive forecheck and retrievals. U.S. coach Mike Sullivan felt his team tried to protect a 2-1 lead too much during the third period, but it worked in the 3-1 victory.

Cooper said that night that he felt Canada was good for 180 feet, but it just couldn't go the extra 20 to complete plays and generate more offense.

The point of all of that is puck management matters most when a game is as physical and tight-checking as it was Saturday. The expectation is it will be exactly the same type of game Thursday, which only emphasizes the need to be smart with the puck.

"Any time you put that type of talent on the ice, managing the puck is just an essential part of winning," Sullivan said. "If you mismanage the puck, if you're careless with the puck, if you chase offense, the unintended consequence of that is you can potentially give easy offense to your opponent. … I think these guys understand what winning looks like and managing the puck is an essential part of winning."

2. Goaltending

With a strong game and a win, it's reasonable to think U.S. goalie Connor Hellebuyck could be named the most valuable player in the tournament. He started the first two games and allowed two goals on 47 shots for a 1.00 goals-against average and .957 save percentage.

Hellebuyck stopped 25 of 26 shots in the win against Canada.

Goaltending, in fact, is probably last on the list of Sullivan's worries or concerns heading into the game because of Hellebuyck, who also is in line to win the Vezina Trophy, voted as the NHL's best goalie, for a second straight season and third time in his career.

It's not quite the same for Canada with Jordan Binnington, who has allowed eight goals in three games and has a 2.60 GAA and .892 save percentage.

However, unlike Hellebuyck, Binnington has won a winner-take-all game, doing it in this building, when he made 32 saves in Game 7 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final to help the St. Louis Blues to a 4-1 win against the Boston Bruins.

The U.S. believes in Hellebuyck because he has been the best goalie in the League for almost two years, if not longer. Canada believes in Binnington because he already has won a biggest game of his career. This is Hellebuyck's first.

3. Makar in, McAvoy out

The major difference in the rematch from the original is who is on the back end for each team.

Cale Makar, arguably the best defenseman in the NHL, will play for Canada after missing the first U.S. game because of an illness. Charlie McAvoy, who had a dominant effort in the win against Canada, will not play for the U.S.

McAvoy has a right shoulder injury and was diagnosed with an infection that required an irrigation and debridement procedure at Massachusetts General Hospital on Tuesday, according to the Bruins, his NHL team. He was released from the hospital Thursday.

The swing on the back end is in Canada's favor with Makar in the lineup; it would have been anyway, even if McAvoy was healthy.

How the U.S. handles that and who steps up in McAvoy's absence will be telling for how the United States plays Thursday. There's zero doubt that Makar will at some point have an impact on the game.

"Let's be honest, there's a handful of defensemen you would call the best in the world and he's in that handful," Cooper said of Makar. "He's a unique talent, and just like you look at some of the other players up front whether it's the [Auston] Matthews or [Connor] McDavids, Cale, he's a generational talent and any time you can plug that into your lineup, you're pretty happy."

Canada projected lineup

Brayden Point -- Connor McDavid -- Mark Stone

Sidney Crosby -- Nathan MacKinnon -- Sam Reinhart

Brandon Hagel -- Anthony Cirelli -- Mitch Marner

Brad Marchand -- Sam Bennett -- Seth Jarvis

Devon Toews -- Cale Makar

Travis Sanheim -- Colton Parayko

Thomas Harley -- Drew Doughty

Jordan Binnington

Adin Hill

Scratched: Sam Montembeault, Travis Konecny

Injured: Shea Theodore (upper body), Josh Morrrissey (illness)

United States projected lineup

Brady Tkachuk -- Jack Eichel -- Matthew Tkachuk

Jake Guentzel -- Auston Matthews -- Jack Hughes

J.T. Miller -- Dylan Larkin -- Matt Boldy

Brock Nelson -- Vincent Trocheck -- Chris Kreider

Noah Hanifin -- Adam Fox

Jaccob Slavin -- Brock Faber

Zach Werenski -- Jake Sanderson

Connor Hellebuyck

Jake Oettinger

Scratched: Jeremy Swayman, Kyle Connor

Injured: Charlie McAvoy (upper body)

Status report

Jarvis will get back into Canada's lineup, replacing Konecny; Jarvis played in the first two games, had one assist and averaged 11:07 of ice time per game. Konecny replaced him Monday, when Canada defeated Finland. … Sullivan said the U.S. is healthy with McAvoy being the exception, but the lineup will be a game-time decision. ... The only decision is up front; Kreider was one of four forwards who did not participate in the morning skate along with Matthews, Eichel and Matthew Tkachuk. Morrissey will not play because of an illness. Harley takes his place.