Team USA versus Canada in 4 Nations final, with an injury story on the sidelines

The 4 Nations Face-Off final is at the TD Garden in Boston on Thursday, and things are sure to heat up on the ice once again as Canada and Team USA duke it out for the championship title.

It's a rematch drawing eyes from around the globe to Boston. The game will feature two neighboring countries and two stacked lineups. But locally another storyline is taking over -- Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy out again for Team USA.

McAvoy continues to deal with an infection in his right shoulder, along with a "significant" AC joint injury after he was cross-checked during the international hockey tournament.

This injury was made public after his dominant performance in the first game against Canada last Saturday. His condition deteriorated, prompting an admission to the hospital.

He underwent multiple X-rays, MRIs and bloodwork before having his procedure done. He remains in the hospital, his condition improving.

There's some speculation that the Bruins, who are fighting for a playoff spot, are "extremely unhappy" with how Team USA handled the situation.

"They felt that...in this particular case McAvoy didn't get the proper care. And we'll see how this plays out over time, and we'll see if anybody disputes this, but it seems to me right now that Boston's very upset at the care that McAvoy got under Team USA," Canadian sports reporter Elliotte Friedman said on the Sportsnet 590 The Fan radio station.

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The Bruins have not made any of those complaints public. There's no timetable on when McAvoy will return.