Mitch Marner Finally Breaks Silence on Facing Auston Matthews in Four Nations Final Showdown
After the craziness of the 4 Nations Face-Off ended with a Canada victory in OT, Mitch Marner finally commented on his reservations toward Auston Matthews.
It was a thrilling showdown between Team Canada and Team USA that ended with Connor McDavid cementing his legacy as a hero by scoring the OT winner and sent Canada into a frenzy.
It was also a battle between teammates as Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner were representing the US and Canada respectively. They've kept away from each other since the beginning, as they both focused solely on the tournament.
Mitch Marner Will Always Be In Auston Matthews' Corner
But Marner has recently broken his silence on the matter, and explained the thought process of playing in the Finals against his teammate:
So, yeah, you know, it's always, like I spoke about before the tournament, it's always fun competing against him. He's such a competitor, such a great player. I'm very fortunate to be on his line and play with him a lot.
So, yeah, I mean, I thought he was going to score on me when I was on the ice there, to be honest. But he made a hell of a save, and then, luckily enough, you know, like I said, I found Connor and put it home.
That's my guy. Auston's my guy. We've been through a lot of sh*t together, and, yeah, unfortunately, you know, we're against each other.
But that's the fun of these tournaments. You get to play against the guys that you really love.
Marner was the hero in the first game for Canada scoring the OT winner, and was the catalyst for McDavid's goal to seal the championship. That's great news for the Maple Leafs, who are hoping Marner's clutch performances can translate into the playoffs.
It's also a great sign that Marner and Matthews' friendship won't be strained, as it's crucial those two get together and make a huge impact come playoff time and the Leafs can't afford any tension in the locker room.
This season, Marner has been the team's best player by far with 71 points in 54 games (16G, 55A) and helped guide the team through two separate Matthews IR stints.
Even with those two IR vacations, Matthews has put in 45 points in 40 games for the Leafs (20G, 25A) and also dealt with an injury scare again during the tournament.
Now that the 4 Nations Face-Off is behind us, the sole focus is for both Matthews and Marner to come together now as a unit to help them both reach victory this time around.
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![Feb 20, 2025; Boston, MA, USA; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team USA forward Brady Tkachuk (7) celebrates scoring against Team Canada during the first period during the 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey championship game at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images](https://i.marqueur.com/habsetlnh/medium/530920.webp "Feb 20, 2025; Boston, MA, USA; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team USA forward Brady Tkachuk (7) celebrates scoring against Team Canada during the first period during the 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey championship game at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images")
