Team USA star Auston Matthews, a Bruins rival, paid tribute to Boston fans ahead of the 4 Nations Face-Off final at TD Garden.

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

Nations Face Off Championship tournament will conclude with a championship showdown between Auston Matthews and Matthew Tkachuk’s USA squad and Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby’s Canada club at Boston’s TD Garden.

BOSTON — Team USA will be without an important player in an unimportant game. Auston Matthews will miss Monday’s game against Sweden in the NHL 4 Nations Face-off at TD Garden with upper body soreness.

McAvoy and Tkachuk did not participate in morning skate for Team USA, which already secured a spot in Thursday's TD Garden final vs. Canada, but Matthews was scratched close to puck drop. Brady Tkachuk was then lost for the night after a first-period collision.

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews issued a curious admission about Boston Bruins fans and the atmosphere at TD Garden, ahead of Team USA vs Team Canada's clash.

Auston Matthews shared his thoughts on the idea of winning the 4 Nations Cup at TD Garden. The tournament featured Canada, the United States, Sweden, and Finland.

The No. 1 picks from the 2015 and 2016 NHL drafts, respectively, McDavid and Matthews were teased with a version of it as teammates on the made-up Team North America youth squad at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. But until the 4 Nations Face-Off, they had never played for the respective countries at true best-on-best.

The crowd in Montreal didn't hand Auston Matthews a warm reception, and now Keith Tkachuk has praised Team USA's captain for the reaction he garnered.

Matthews, who is also captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs, finished the game with two assists, four shots on goal and three blocks in 20:47 of ice time.

Auston Matthews, Team USA's No. 1 center and captain who had some upper body soreness after the win over Canada game on Saturday, joined star forward Matthew Tkachuk and did not play in Monday's 4 Nations Face-Off game against Sweden at TD Garden.

McAvoy and Tkachuk did not participate in morning skate for Team USA, which already secured a spot in Thursday's TD Garden final vs. Canada, but Matthews was scratched close to puck drop. Brady Tkachuk was then lost for the night after a first-period collision.