Maple Leafs HC Craig Berube remains divided over 4 Nations Canada vs USA final result

By Ankit Kumar

Modified Feb 21, 2025 23:21 GMT

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Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube shared mixed feelings about the 4 Nations Face-Off final between Canada and the USA.

Team Canada defeated Team USA 3-2 overtime on Thursday at TD Garden in Boston to win the 4 Nations trophy. Star players Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner played against each other, with the former leading USA as captain while Marner represented Team Canada.

After Friday's practice, Berube spoke to the media about the performances of both players in the 4 Nations final.

"I mean, I thought both our guys were excellent in the game. You know, Maddie had it on his stick in overtime too and could have ended it, but I thought they both had a good tournament, which was great to see," Berube said. (14:55 onwards)

"And, you know, happy for Mitch; he won. And, you know, I'm unhappy for Matthew, he couldn't win. They didn't win." [14:50]

Berube believes playing in high-pressure situations helps players improve.

"So, but think, you know, going to a, you know, playing with the best players in the world, and being in that environment and being in that stressed situation is good for our players to experience that and to thrive in it, and to thrive in it," Berube said. "Made a great play at the end. You know, it's a bang, bang play, and it's, you know, not many guys can make that play. That's bang, play."

Despite his mixed emotions, Craig Berube praised both players. He hopes the experience will help them as they return to the Maple Leafs.

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Craig Berube's top players will now focus on winning with the Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews had three points in three games during the tournament. He recorded two assists in the final and played over 20 minutes per game. He took six shots but did not score. His best game was the final, with two assists and four shots on goal. Matthews was defensively sound in the tournament.

On the other hand, Mitch Marner had three points in four games. In the final, he had two assists and a +2 rating. He also scored a game-winning goal against Sweden in the round-robin stage. However, he struggled against Finland and the USA earlier in the tournament, finishing without points and a negative rating. His average ice time was 17:20 per game, with his highest being 21:06 against Sweden.

However, both players will rejoin the team to focus on lifting the Stanley Cup in a blue Maple Leafs jersey.