Some losses sting, and then some losses cut deep. Team USA’s heart-wrenching 3-2 overtime defeat to Team Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off final is the kind of loss that didn’t just hurt—it will linger for a long time. When Connor McDavid fired home the game-winner at 8:18 of OT, they played “O Canada” for the second time. And there were no American fans left in the arena to boo. Because the red and white jerseys stood triumphant, arms draped over each other’s shoulders.

The maple leaf flag was lowered behind the 4 Nations Face-Off trophy and the national anthem reverberated around TD Garden. But for the New York Rangers players who suited up for the trip to Boston cut the deepest.

The Rangers had a sizable contingent in this tournament, with J.T. Miller, Vincent Trocheck, Adam Fox, and Chris Kreider donning the stars and stripes in the final. In the meantime, Mika Zibanejad and Urho Vaakanainen also participated for their respective nations. Expectations were high, particularly for Fox, the smooth-skating blueliner who was supposed to be a key piece of Team USA’s defense.

Instead, the conversation quickly turned to how underwhelming they were. The harshest words came from podcast host Pete Blackburn, who started the fire on X, saying, “Am I allowed to say that Adam Fox has absolutely sucked in this tournament? Will people get mad at me?”

Mad at him? Maybe. But was he wrong? Fox was supposed to be a game-changer, a dynamic force in transition, and a reliable presence in his own zone. But against Canada’s relentless pressure, he looked anything but. There were blown coverages, lost puck battles, and a rather slow skating. And it wasn’t just Fox.

Miller, Trocheck, and Kreider struggled to make a dent, their play fading into the background while Canada’s stars shined under the bright lights.

It didn’t help the game itself carried weight beyond just hockey. With political undertones bubbling throughout the tournament, the Canada-U.S. clash raised the temperatures; or, to put it this way: It was the 51st U.S. state 3, Canada’s 11th province 2. World leaders were getting in on the action. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, never one to miss a moment, took a playful jab at the pre-game discourse, posting, “You can’t take our country — and you can’t take our game.”

It was a direct callback to former President Donald Trump’s earlier comments about Canada’s place in North America. It’s a storyline that added an extra layer of fire to an already heated rivalry. POTUS thought he was “Governor Trudeau.”

But back on the ice, Nathan MacKinnon and McDavid stole the show. MacKinnon, named MVP of the tournament with four goals in four games, acknowledged the intensity of the matchup, saying, “It was much more popular than even we would have imagined. It was getting so much attention from our whole continent.”

And when the dust settled, McDavid’s heroics cemented Canada’s victory, capitalizing on a crucial faceoff win and a slick feed from Mitch Marner to bury the dagger into Team USA’s hopes.

For the Americans, it’s a bitter pill to swallow, made worse by the fact that some of their biggest names—particularly those wearing Rangers jerseys—never found their footing.

Team USA’s Rangers getting it

The reaction was swift, brutal, and entirely unfiltered on the X post. “Was just texting about this with my brothers. Seems like the least effective American defenseman this tournament,” one fan wrote, pinpointing Fox’s struggles. Another took it a step further: “Oh, people will get mad at you. But facts are facts. He’s small, slow, and overwhelmed by physicality.” The narrative surrounding Fox had shifted from him being a high-IQ defenseman to one who simply couldn’t handle the tournament’s intensity.

The criticism didn’t stop there. “Fox was awful, Hughes nearly as bad. Worst 2 USA players,” another user commented, roping in Jack Hughes, who also failed to meet the sky-high expectations placed on him. And while Hughes had his moments, there was no denying that Canada’s suffocating forecheck neutralized him.

Even Rangers fans weren’t holding back. One wrote, “I’m a Rangers fan, and tbh, all of the Rangers have looked terrible. Lol.” Another took it a notch further, lumping the entire squad into the criticism: “Every Ranger has been awful. No matter what country they represented.” That was perhaps the most damning indictment of all—this wasn’t just a bad tournament for Fox. It was a collective failure from every Rangers player involved, regardless of which jersey they wore.

So what does this mean for the Blueshirts moving forward? In the grand scheme of an 82-game NHL season, a short international tournament shouldn’t be a death sentence. But perception matters, and with the Rangers in the thick of the playoff race, questions about whether their stars can rise to the occasion in high-pressure situations are fair game.