The 4 Nations Face-Off continues Thursday with the first matchup for the United States and Finland (8 p.m. ET, ESPN and ESPN+).

These countries have played six times in the eight previous best-on-best tournaments involving NHL players, according to ESPN Research. The U.S. has won four games, Finland won the most recent matchup (2004 World Cup of Hockey), and there has been one tie.

There are six sets of NHL teammates who will be playing against one another in this matchup:

• Carolina Hurricanes: Jaccob Slavin (USA) vs. Sebastian Aho and Mikko Rantanen (FIN)

• Dallas Stars: Jake Oettinger (USA) vs. Esa Lindell, Mikael Granlund and Roope Hintz (FIN)

• Florida Panthers: Matthew Tkachuk (USA) vs. Aleksander Barkov, Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen and Niko Mikkola (FIN)

• New Jersey Devils: Jack Hughes (USA) vs. Erik Haula (FIN)

• New York Rangers: Adam Fox, Chris Kreider, J.T. Miller and Vincent Trocheck (USA) vs. Urho Vaakanainen (FIN)

• Ottawa Senators: Jake Sanderson and Brady Tkachuk (USA) vs. Nikolas Matinpalo (FIN)

Who are the key players and matchups to watch? What are the most important statistics heading into this contest? Read on for all of that, plus betting intel courtesy of ESPN BET, and picks on the game from Victoria Matiash.

United States vs.

Finland

Thursday, 8 p.m. ET | ESPN/ESPN+
Bell Centre (Montreal)

Betting intel

Moneyline: USA -360 | Finland +280
Game spread: USA -1.5 (-125) | Finland +1.5 (+105)
Total goals: Over 5.5 (-120) | Under 5.5 (even)

United States

• This will be the 11th game the U.S. is playing in Montreal during an NHL international tournament. The country won Games 2 and 3 of the 1996 World Cup of Hockey Final in Montreal en route to winning the tournament. Of the 10 previous matchups played in Montreal, seven have come against Canada. The U.S. is 4-4 with two ties in 10 previous NHL international tournament games played in the city. The last time the U.S. played Finland in Montreal during an NHL international tournament was a 4-4 round-robin tie in 1981.

• Team USA has the youngest average age roster in this tournament at 28.0 years old, and the heaviest roster, at an average of 203 pounds.

• The Americans have four players who are leading their NHL teams in points: Kyle Connor (WPG, 69), Jack Eichel (VGK, 69), Jack Hughes (NJ, 65), Zach Werenski (CBJ, 59).

• Matthew and Brady Tkachuk will be the fifth set of American brothers to play together at an NHL international tournament. The others are Derian and Kevin Hatcher in 1996, Aaron/Neal Broten in 1984, Brian/Joe Mullen in 1984 and Curt/Harvey Bennett in 1976.

• Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (34 wins) has eight more wins than any other netminder in the NHL this season -- his U.S. teammate Jake Oettinger is second. The last goalie to have eight more wins than any other goalie was in 2015-16 when Braden Holtby (48) had eight more than Jonathan Quick (40). Hellebuyck has already tied a career high with six shutouts this season (2017-18 and 2019-20); he has almost as many shutouts (6) as regulation losses (7).

Finland

• Finland has 29 combined gold medals and championships at international tournaments from players on the roster for this event (Olympics, World Championships, World Cup of Hockey, World Juniors and under-18 World Champ), which is second behind Canada's 31; 14 of those golds came from players winning the World Juniors. Finland has three players on this roster who won bronze at the 2014 Winter Olympics, the last Olympics that involved NHL players: Olli Maatta, Aleksander Barkov and Mikael Granlund.

• In total, Finland medaled in four of the five Olympics that included NHL players, taking bronze in 1998, 2010 and 2014, and silver in 2006.

• Finland has three 20-goal scorers this season: Mikko Rantanen (26), Artturi Lehkonen (22) and Roope Hintz (22). Lehkonen's 22 goals are already a single-season career high, passing the 21 he had in 64 games in 2022-23.

• Sebastian Aho has scored 20 goals in each of his first nine seasons. The only Finnish players with longer streaks to begin an NHL career are Jari Kurri (13) and Teemu Selanne (11).

• Rantanen's 1.09 career points per game is second-highest all time among Finnish players, behind only Kurri (1.12). The trio of Kurri (1.12), Rantanen (1.09) and Selanne (1.00) are the only Finns to average at least a point per game in their NHL careers (minimum 10 NHL games).

• Juuse Saros has 117 wins since 2021-22, which is sixth in the NHL. Two of the five ahead of him are in this tournament: Connor Hellebuyck (USA) is first with 137, and Jake Oettinger (USA) is tied for second with Andrei Vasilevskiy at 128. Igor Shesterkin is fourth, with 127.

Picks for the game

Total goals under 5.5 (+115): Considering how superbly he's performed all season, Connor Hellebuyck -- the heavy Vezina Trophy favorite -- doesn't appear in position to concede many to a Finnish squad that's likely to rely on cohesive chemistry and stingy team defense to keep Game 1 tight. So that leaves us with the burning question of how badly, or not, does Finland starter Juuse Saros get lit up in Montreal against the high-powered Americans?

Perhaps not badly at all. Again, even without blue-line star Miro Heiskanen, Finland's defense -- including Esa Lindell, Niko Mikkola, Olli Maatta, and Jusso Valimaki -- will concentrate on stifling as many high quality chances as possible, helping out their array of two-way forwards.

Historically solid under pressure, the 29-year-old Saros will relish the opportunity to make something positive out of what's been the worst season of his career in Nashville. Guaranteed he's all over the idea of playing spoiler against an American squad that's expected to ruthlessly run over the tournament underdog.

Anytime goal scorer Kyle Connor (+220): Skating on a scoring line with center Jack Eichel and winger Matthew Tkachuk, as well as the secondary power play, the Jets sniper is going to find the back of the net this tournament. Prone to scoring in bunches, Connor is coming off a three-game drought heading into The 4 Nations Face-Off, which sets the table for an explosive start in Montreal. Again, skating on a line with Eichel is a convincing element here. -- Victoria Matiash