Auston Matthews drops blunt two-word response to being haunted by Connor McDavid's game-winning goal in 4 Nations final

By Ankit Kumar

Modified Feb 22, 2025 21:58 GMT

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Auston Matthews played well in the 4 Nations Face-Off final, but Team USA lost to Canada 3-2 in overtime. Matthews had three points in the tournament, including two assists in the final. He played over 20 minutes per game.

On Saturday, after the Leafs' practice, a reporter asked if missing a deflection on McDavid’s goal haunted him. Matthews simply replied,

"Sure, Kevin." with a smile.

Connor McDavid’s goal secured Canada’s fourth straight international tournament win. Matthews was on the ice for the final goal but couldn’t break up the play.

"It's a great game. It's a great sport. And I hope we put on a good show these last couple days and gained some fans. Ultimately, you can't ask for a better show than that," McDavid said after Canada's win

Nathan MacKinnon scored first at 4:48 with a wrist shot. Brady Tkachuk tied it 1-1 at 16:52, finishing a pass from Auston Matthews. Jake Sanderson gave the U.S. a 2-1 lead at 7:32 of the second period. Sam Bennett tied it 2-2 at 14:00 with a shot from a sharp angle.

In overtime, McDavid scored the game-winner at 8:18 after a pass from Mitch Marner. Jordan Binnington made 31 saves, helping Canada secure the win.

USA defenseman Zach Werenski said the team is close to Canada and believes they will win soon.

"It just makes us hungrier," Werenski said, via NHL.com. "We know now that we're neck and neck with Canada. We expect to be in those games with them and expect to win. I think that's exciting for this group. It gives us a lot of confidence that our time is coming, our time is now. It's exciting."

Auston Matthews talked about the loss to Canada

Previously, Auston Matthews spoke after Team USA's loss to Team Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off final. Expressing pride in his team despite the defeat.

"Yeah, I mean, I’m super proud of this group,” Matthews said to media. "I thought we battled our hearts out the whole tournament. Tonight, we had opportunities, and it didn’t happen, but I couldn’t be prouder of this group. I thought the whole tournament, everybody gave 100%."

Matthews assisted on Brady Tkachuk’s goal in the first period and Jake Sanderson’s goal in the second period.

Now, Auston Matthews will focus on the season ahead as Maple Leafs captain. The team will play against the Carolina Hurricanes today.