Fans have been waiting for this night for more than eight years. And what makes things even sweeter is that both teams are coming off wins in their opening matches of the 4 Nations Face-Off. That being said, Team USA has an advantage over Team Canada going into the battle. Because, as things stand, Auston Matthews and Co. are sitting at the top of the table and are in pole position to win the race to the championship game.

NHL insider Frank Seravalli on X shared, “With the standings a jumbled mess, there is one scenario on the line tonight: Team USA can clinch a spot in the #4Nations championship game with a regulation win over Team Canada.” How? Don’t worry. We’ve got you covered.

 As it stands, while their neighbors are placed second with two points, Team USA has three points after their dominant 6-1 regulation-time victory over the Finns. And if they beat Canada in regulation time tonight, it will take their tally to six points, leaving the other three teams competing for the second-best position on the 4 Nations Face-Off table.

That’s not all. Apart from bringing bragging rights and a spot in the final, a win over Team Canada will put the USA in a position to go for a little something extra.

That’s because the U.S.’s final round-robin game will be against Sweden. And considering Sweden will be coming off back-to-back overtime losses in the competition, they might end up giving USA the opportunity to end the round-robin stage with a perfect score of nine!

But what will the road for Canada look like if they lose against their southern neighbors?

4 Nations road could be tricky for Canada if they lose tonight

“Even if Canada loses tonight to the United States, they will advance to the Championship game if they beat Finland in regulation on Monday,” wrote Hockey Night host David Amber on X. However, an overtime win will make things tricky for the Canadians as, with just four points to their name, Connor McDavid and co. will have to depend on their neighbors to beat the Swedes. Now that would make things awkward, wouldn’t it?

And let’s face it. After their 4-3 win over Sweden, the Finns will have momentum on their side and could prove to be tricky customers for the Canadians, especially if Sidney Crosby‘s men are coming off a loss.

But Canadian fans will be hoping it doesn’t come to that. And honestly, it’s not just hope they’re relying on. With a deep, experienced roster featuring the likes of Brad Marchand, Connor McDavid, and Drew Doughty, Team Canada has more than enough firepower to take down any team that stands in their way. And let’s not forget that they have won 14 of their last 19 games against the U.S. So who knows how tonight’s game will end?