Pierre LeBrun

It gave them momentum with finished blue liners looking over their shoulder.

And they're going to need that against Team USA because that blue line is unreal for Team USA.

They're going to have to try and top up that U.S.

defense.

Well, in a year or four nations, it was one of the deciding factors.

Jordan Binnington outplayed Connor Hellebuck, plain and simple.

I mean, that's a game that the U.S.

had better looks and great A's in overtime especially.

But Jordan Binnington shut the door and Conor Halifax led in the goal by McDavid.

So we'll see if that matters at all for today.

But I will tell you this much.

One guy that wasn't at Four Nations was Tom Wilson.

And when I asked him today after the game if the U.S.

were going to beat Slovakia, how excited he was to be in this matchup after having to watch it on TV a year ago,

If I could describe the smile from one ear to the other that was on his face, he is so jacked up to be in that game Sunday and to throw his body around.

And I will share this, too.

Wilson said that he was mad at himself for laying off some hits that were there in Wednesday's quarterfinal against Czechia because he was so scared to take a penalty that he didn't play his normal game.

And he said today, he said, heck with it.

He went back to his game and

and he was a real physical force, so they'll need that from him on Sunday.