Canada beats Team USA 3-2 in overtime of 4 Nations Face-Off final

O Canada, you are the 4 Nations Face-Off champions.

Canada beat Team USA 3-2 in overtime Thursday thanks to Connor McDavid's goal despite the U.S. leading 2-1 in the second period.

Canada opened the scoring within five minutes of the first period. Colorado Avalanche alternate captain Nathan MacKinnon fired a deep shot that somehow snuck past Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck.

Team USA found the equalizer before the end of the period. Thanks to Auston Matthews' threatening maneuver around the net, Brady Tkachuk got himself involved in the chaos and poked it home with just about three minutes left.

The U.S. then seized the lead eight minutes into the second period. Once again causing havoc in front of Canada's net, the puck popped out to an unlikely source: Jake Sanderson. The 22-year-old Ottawa Senators defenseman was on point to put it away.

Canada, which only scored one goal in the first matchup between the two, got a second with six minutes left in the second period. On a transition, Mitch Marner drew defenders and flipped the puck to his left to Sam Bennett, who slotted it to make it 2-2.

Neither nation could find the winner in the third period, however, sending the game to overtime.

McDavid then netted the winner after 8:18 played in the extra period, essentially converting a 1v1 chance.

The 4 Nations Cup first started in 1996, and the annual four-team format between the U.S., Canada, Finland and Sweden became a mainstay from 2002-2018.

However, it wasn't held in 2019 due to contract disputes involving Sweden, while the 2020 edition was cancelled due to the COVID pandemic.

The 2025 tournament -- announced during the 2024 All-Star Game and held in lieu of the 2025 edition -- marked its return in a slightly different format, and it drew immense attraction, especially with the rising political tensions between the U.S. and Canada since President Trump returned to office.

Canadian and American fans have exchanged boos during each national anthem performed before the games, both in 4 Nations matches and sports like the NBA. Trump did not attend Thursday's final, but did call Team USA in advance as some players and front office personnel believed it could boost the squad.

The U.S. hadn't gotten the best of Canada in the final or championship series of an international tournament since the 1996 World Cup of Hockey. That drought will persist.