Canada-USA tale of the tape: How do powerhouses stack up?

The marquee round-robin match of the 4 Nations Face-Off is set to take place Saturday at 8 p.m. ET between Canada and the United States. The North American juggernauts are the two most talented teams in the tournament. But who has the edge? We break that down by each position group below.

Forwards

Both squads are loaded up front. USA might have a slight edge in depth, as having Larkin on the fourth line represents an embarrassment of riches. But there's no denying that Canada has more star power. McDavid and MacKinnon are the top two players in the world, and Crosby is one of the best ever, still playing at a high level at 37 years old. Crosby's three-assist outing in the opener showed he still has the ability to raise his game when the stakes are highest, too.

Pure talent aside, Canada's forward group has an edge in the leadership department. Eight of the 13 have won Stanley Cups, and four are captains of their NHL teams. The Americans only have three Cup winners and three current captains.

Advantage: 🇨🇦

Defense

*Harley's only allowed to dress if there's another injury to Canada's defense

With Quinn Hughes aboard, the Americans had a clear advantage on the blue line. But with the Vancouver Canucks captain out of the equation with an injury, it becomes much more debatable.

Makar is the undisputed best defenseman between the two sides. Werenski is probably No. 2 based on play this season, but Morrissey isn't far behind. The Americans may have a little more depth, especially after Canada lost Shea Theodore for the tournament. There's a case to be made that USA's second and third pairings are better than Canada's. However, Canada is more experienced with wily veterans like Doughty and Parayko.

It's a razor-thin margin, but having someone like Makar who can take over the entire game ultimately gives Canada a slight edge. The built-in chemistry he has on the top pair with Toews is a plus for Canada, too.

Advantage: 🇨🇦

Goaltending

This one's not even close. It's clearly the biggest discrepancy between the two nations - an advantage that could prove to be the difference in Saturday's game, and the tournament.

Hellebuyck is the consensus best goaltender in the world right now, and he settled in brilliantly after allowing an early softie in the USA's win over Finland on Thursday. Canada's best netminders statistically this season - Logan Thompson, Mackenzie Blackwood, and Darcy Kuemper - were all left at home. Heck, Swayman may not even see the ice for the Americans in this tournament and he'd be Canada's obvious starter.

Binnington, Hill, and Montembeault have all had up-and-down seasons. Canada only needs one of them to make the routine saves, but in such a short tournament, it's difficult to know which - if any - can be trusted. Binnington had some shaky moments in Canada's win over Sweden on Wednesday, but he made a couple of huge saves in overtime.

Advantage: 🇺🇸

Coaching

Canada's Jon Cooper and USA's Mike Sullivan are both highly decorated coaches. Cooper guided the Tampa Bay Lightning to two Stanley Cups, two more finals appearances, and a .638 points percentage across 13 seasons. Sullivan owns a .594 points percentage in his 12 campaigns as an NHL head coach and led the Pittsburgh Penguins to two Stanley Cups.

Neither boasts an overly impressive international resume, though Sullivan's is longer. He's been an assistant coach for the USA on four occasions: the 2006 Olympics, the 2007 and 2008 World Championships, and the 2016 World Cup. None of those teams found success, though. Cooper was an assistant for Team North America at the 2016 World Cup and also led Canada to silver at the 2017 Worlds.

Both nations have an impressive stable of assistant coaches. Canada brought along Bruce Cassidy, Peter DeBoer, and Rick Tocchet. The United States tapped John Tortorella, John Hynes, and David Quinn.

Cooper and Sullivan have already shown their ability to adjust on the fly. Canada navigated a difficult spot with only five defensemen in its opener. Meanwhile, Sullivan's decision to put the Tkachuk brothers together sparked the USA's third-period onslaught.

It's neck-and-neck, but we're giving Canada the edge because of Cooper's more recent NHL success.

Advantage: 🇨🇦