As a hockey fan, you couldn’t have asked for a better finish to the 4 Nations Face-Off. A thrilling overtime victory brought Canada the inaugural tournament trophy, but Team USA didn’t cede ground easily either. With 33 shots on goal, the hosts did their best to take the fight to the Canadians. But Edmonton and Team Canada captain Connor McDavid believes it was the team’s Stanley Cup-winning netminder who tipped the scales for the visitors.

Ahead of the 4 Nations championship game, there were widespread calls to bench St Louis Blues goalie Jordan Binnington. With many pointing out that it was the 31-year-old responsible for Canada’s loss to the USA last Saturday in Montreal, the pressure was high on head coach Jon Cooper. But the HC stuck with his decision to play Binnington, and it paid off impressively. Naturally, McDavid thinks the naysayers should stop yapping.

Connor McDavid backs up his goalie without batting an eye

The official Edmonton Oilers account took to YouTube on February 21 to share the team captain’s words about Jordan after the 4 Nations triumph. When asked how he felt about Binnington’s performance, McDavid cleared the air with a tone of conviction. “Well, I’ve heard it time and time again. Binner’s a winner, and that’s ultimately what it is,” Connor said, referring to how the goaltender played a key role in the Blues’ Stanley Cup victory at TD Garden in 2019.

“…he’s played in big moments. The moment doesn’t get to him,” the Canadian forward said further, noting that Binnington knew what was at stake ahead of the championship game, and managed to maintain his focus nonetheless. Jordan made several incredible saves in the overtime on Thursday, including a sure shot on goal by Team USA’s Auston Matthews in tight. Justifiably, Connor McDavid still wasn’t over how the veteran goalie executed his responsibilities with gusto.

“You know, he made probably three or four, you know, all-world saves early in overtime to allow us to score the goal. So all credit to him, honestly,” he said, claiming it’s time to cut Binnington some slack. “Hopefully some of those haters will back off him, you know, because honestly he played great,” reiterated McDavid. Jordan finished the 4 Nations with a 2.37 G/A average and a .907 save percentage, and it’s easy to see why Connor couldn’t stop lauding the former for his contributions to the team’s massive success. But while McDavid’s admiration for Binnington couldn’t go unheard, let’s not forget how the captain rose up to the occasion too.

A finale for the books

The USA vs. Canada showdown was rightfully projected as the biggest clash of the 4 Nations Face-Off. The first bout between the hockey heavyweights came about last Saturday at the Bell Centre, and it did not disappoint. The crowd booed the Americans and their national anthem loudly and Team USA athletes didn’t waste much time making their feelings public. Ten seconds into the game three fistfights had already broken out, resulting in Matthew Tkachuk, Brady Tkachuk, and J.T. Miller being sent off.

Canada, however, still couldn’t make use of the power play, which Connor made up for soon with the opening goal of the night. However, by the end of the night that was proved to be in vain with the USA scoring three. Then when Canada defeated Finland and secured its place in the championship game, fans quickly readied up for the second round of the USA-Canada battle.

On Thursday, Nathan MacKinnon opened the scoring by putting one past Connor Hellebuyck at 4:48 of the first half. Brady Tkachuk quickly evened the odds, before Auston Matthews gave the USA the lead in the second period. Sam Bennett brought Canada level after a skirmish with Mitch Marner, pushing things into OT. In the overtime, Binnington held the fort with incredible determination, just long enough for the captain to score the winning goal. Undoubtedly, a match for the ages, wouldn’t you agree? Who did you enjoy the most at the first 4 Nations Face-Off thriller? Tell us in a comment below!