Canada wins 4 Nations Face-Off title in EA Sports NHL simulation

Canada and the United States will play Thursday to decide the winner of the 4 Nations Face-Off, but EA Sports decided to run a simulation of the game one day early to determine the champion.

In a thrilling game, Canada defeated the United States 4-3 in overtime to win the inaugural tournament.
Connor McDavid was the hero, slipping a shot through the five-hole of U.S. goalie Connor Hellebuyck two minutes into overtime to set off the celebration for Canada.

Nathan MacKinnon and Sidney Crosby scored in the first period for Canada, and Auston Matthews for the United States.

Trailing 2-1, Matthew Tkachuk tied the game for the Americans in the second.

Brad Marchand gave Canada a 3-2 lead, but with 18 seconds left, the U.S. tied it with a 6-on-5 goal by Brady Tkachuk.

The joy was short-lived for the U.S. as McDavid soon spoiled the party in overtime.

McDavid was voted the No. 1 star of the game with a goal and two assists. Crosby (one goal) was the second star, and Brady Tkachuk the third star.

The teams will play for real at TD Garden on Thursday (8 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+ Disney+, SN, TVA) for the championship in a rematch of a round-robin game won by the United States, 3-1 on Saturday.