How important is Thursday night’s 4 Nations Face-Off matchup between the United States and Canada? According to Team USA’s Matthew Tkachuk, it’s bigger than Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. In a pregame interview on Sportsnet,

Matthew Tkachuk and Matthews, both of whom missed Team USA’s loss to Sweden on Monday, were back at practice Wednesday at TD Garden.

The Florida Panthers, with the exception of eight players, are patiently waiting for the conclusion of the 4 Nations Face-Off. The defending Stanley Cup champions are first in the Atlantic Division, with a record of 34-20-3 and 71 points.