Obviously the perfect way to watch the game is via this very live blog. But we understand you may want to see actual moving images. The game will take place at TD Garden in Boston at 8pm ET on Thursday night (aka tonight). In the US, you can watch it on ESPN, ESPN+ or stream on Fubo or Disney+. In Canada, tune into Sportsnet or TVA Sports.
Welcome to tonight’s boxing …. Oops, no … welcome to tonight’s political roundtable …. Oops, no … apparently, this is a hockey game. And it is indeed the second-most-important sports event in Canada this evening after, of course, the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, the Canadian women’s curling championship that could see a six-way tie for three places in the playoffs.
If you happen to be watching the Scotties (unlike us poor folks in the USA who are stuck without live coverage), feel free to drop me an email or two over the course of the evening. I’ll keep you up to date on the punching – I mean, politics – I mean, puck action.
Beau will be here shortly, in the meantime here’s a little something on the background to tonight’s game:. As usual, Canadians approached the latest international hockey tournament, the 4 Nations Face-Off, with worry. Despite top-tier talent and historic winning pedigree, the feeling that Canada could be off its game is a perennial concern. But in 2025, it is particularly profound – mostly because of the Americans.
Since the last time Canada played the US at an elite tournament in 2016, Canadians have watched the American program grow stronger and deeper, while Canada’s own has lost focus. Among the most pressing going concerns has been goaltending. Canada – or Québec more accurately – produced dominant goalies in excess for decades. No longer. They’re all Americans now.
The world juniors two months ago didn’t help things. Canada crashed out of that tournament on home ice with a squad few thought accurately represented the country’s top talent (which Hockey Canada, in typical national fashion, all but apologized for this week). Then the Americans won the whole thing (again), with a team that was about as stacked as they could make it.
So, if reputation redemption, or a simple recalibration of hockey dominance, was all that was at stake during Saturday night’s spicy contests between Canada and the US – the Americans came from behind to win 3-1 – it still would have been a doozy. And make no mistake, bragging rights were on the line. But there was more to it.
