McDavid vs. Hellebuyck 4 Nations Face-Off Final Could Be Western Conference Final Preview – The Hockey Writers 4 Nations Face-off Latest News, Analysis & More

The 4 Nations Face-Off Final is set between Canada and the USA for TD Garden in Boston on Feb. 20 and the winner take all game could come down to the “two Connors” — two of the best players in the NHL’s Western Conference: Connor Hellebuyck and Connor McDavid. In fact, this game could provide a preview into a showdown hockey fans could possibly expect later this spring, as both the Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets are leading their respective Western Conference Divisions this late into the season.

Hellebucyk Will Have to Shake the “Choke” Tag

The 4 Nations Face-Off Final will be the biggest game Hellebuyck has played in, and if his recent performances in the playoffs have proven, he may fold like a cheap tent under the intense pressure. The farthest Hellebuyck has guided the Jets in the postseason was in the 2017-18 season when he took the Jets all the way to the NHL’s Western Conference Final only to lose in five games to the Vegas Golden Knights. He’s never won the big one, or even guided his team to the Stanley Cup Final, but the 4 Nations Face-Final against McDavid and Canada could be a big boost for him and allow him to shake his reputation as being a great regular-season goalie who comes up short when it counts most.

I don’t think the USA did Hellebuyck any favours when they rested him in their 2-1 loss to Sweden in their final round-robin game on Monday, Feb. 17. It’ll be five days between starts for the current front-runner for the NHL’s Hart and Vezina Trophies, and that might be too long between games for him. Time will tell if USA’s coaches and managers made a serious miscalculation by not keeping their number-one goalie sharp heading into the Final.

This Could Be McDavid’s Career Defining Moment

Forget all the frivolous noise surrounding the Tkachuk brothers Matthew and Brady, or USA’s general manager Bill Guerin going on Fox News to invite Donald Trump to the game on Thursday. The Final could come down to how great McDavid will play. The Oilers Captain has opened the scoring for Canada in their previous two games, and has now found the right linemates in Brayden Point and Mark Stone thanks to Canada’s head coach Jon Cooper’s line juggling.

Even Canada’s captain Sidney Crosby has been the team’s backbone and Nathan McKinnon has been all-world good, this could be McDavid’s big opportunity to rise up and carry the torch for Canada. If this happens, this will only be good news for the Oilers, as you can bet that once McDavid gets a taste of winning at this level, he’ll surely be inspired down the stretch for the final 27 games of the season and into the playoffs.

Hellebuyck or McDavid Could Carry Their Respective Teams to Stanley Cup Championships

I think there’s a lot more than national pride on the line in Boston on Feb. 20. I believe that either Hellebuyck or McDavid could elevate their games and lead their teams to the Stanley Cup this spring. The Oilers and Jets have two games remaining in the regular season, on March 20 in Edmonton and April 13 in Winnipeg. Both of these games could be important in determining first place in the Western Conference and should be heated affairs as both teams have reignited their old rivalry after the Jets swept the Oilers in the first round of the 2020-21 playoffs. Ever since that victory four years ago, Hellebuyck and the Jets have not won a playoff series, while the Oilers made it all the way to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final last season.

Related: McDavid Will Benefit From 4 Nations Cup Experience With Crosby

Regardless of the politics surrounding the game and the bravado by fans on both sides of the border, the 4 Nations Face-Off Final between Canada and the USA should be a game for the ages. It will also, most likely, be a career-defining game for both Hellebuyck and McDavid.