Auston Matthews Speaks Out on Facing Mitch Marner in High-Stakes Matchup

The tension between Team Canada and Team USA on Saturday night was immediately heightened when a trio of fights broke out within the first nine seconds of the game.

After all the chaos settled, and the American side had come away with a rare victory, players got to reveal their feelings on the matchup.

Maple Leafs teammates Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner were opponents last night, and while they are friends during the season - the Leafs captain was solely focused on the tournament:

With a potential clash in the finals of the 4 Nations Face-Off, let's take a look at both players' seasons thus far with the Maple Leafs as well as their national team.

Obviously Canada and the United States want the best from both players in the 4 Nations Tournament but it's also a really big test for their ability to perform under pressure -- almost like a playoff situation.

This season, there's no question that while Matthews has been good, but Marner has been the team's MVP.

Matthews has already dealt with two separate IR stints due to an upper-body injury. He lost 15 games this year because of it though Toronto held their own without him.

That was in large part due to Marner. In the 15 games that Matthews was absent, Marner had 15 points and along with John Tavares was a key reason in Toronto's success.

In 54 games this season, Marner has 16 goals and 55 assists in a career year for the forward. He's made headlines for his play on the ice, but has definitely been making the news off the ice due to his ever-evolving contract situation.

Matthews on the other hand, while he's missed those aforementioned 15 games, has put together a solid 45 points in 40 games (20 goals, 25 assists) and has shown no signs of any new injuries -- a huge relief for those of us tired of all the fallen Leafs.

The two of them are going to be counted on this postseason to actually produce when it matters, and success in the tournament -- especially for Marner (who showed he can perform under pressure) is a massive confidence boost heading back into the regular season.

If both Canada and the USA meet in the finals of the 4 Nations Face-Off -- expect Matthews and Marner to hold nothing back before it's back to business as usual.