The United States and Canada will face off in the 4 Nations Face-Off final on Thursday night, but as far as EA Sports is concerned, the battle has already been decided. The developer has run a simulation of the upcoming game in NHL 25, which resulted in Canada taking a 4-3 victory over the U.S. during an intense clash.
Canada managed to draw virtual first blood five minutes into the first period at the hands of Nathan MacKinnon. A power play gave the U.S. the opportunity to strike back with Auston Matthews equalizing the score. The teams did not head into the second period on a tie, however. Canada retook the lead two minutes before the period ended, as Sidney Crosby managed to slip the puck into the net following a rebound from an attempt by Brad Marchand.
The second period featured an intense back-and-forth with both teams focusing on defense. Crucially for the U.S. team, Matthew Tkachuk masterfully crafted an opening for Jake Guentzel, allowing him to overcome the Canadian defense and tie the score.
With all to play for, the third period became a furious battle all over the ice. Canada took the lead seven minutes into the third with Marchand scoring. The Canadians looked like the victors at this point, but Brady Tkachuk managed to slip the puck past Canada’s goalie off an Adam Fox assist with 18 seconds to go, tying the score at 3-3.
Overtime started in action-packed fashion, with both sides earning themselves chances to score, but it was the Canadians who made the deciding move — MacKinnon pierced the U.S. defense and set things up for Connor McDavid to make it 4-3.
EA Sports crowned McDavid as man of the match thanks to his deciding goal and the two assists he was able to deliver earlier. Additional shout outs went to Crosby for his goal in the first period and his leadership during the final stages of the game, which helped the Canadians withstand a desperately pushing U.S. team, and Brady Tkachuk for the clutch goal that forced overtime.
