Teams USA and Canada will have two days off before they play each other in the climactic championship game of the 4 Nations Faceoff at the Garden on Thursday.

The Americans may need all of that time to get healthy for the highly anticipated rematch with the hockey power to the north.

In their 2-1 loss to Sweden on Monday night, the Yanks started the game without all three of their captains and then lost another key cog early in the first period.

The game was rendered meaningless with USA already through to the title game by virtue of their win over Canada on Saturday and Canada punching their ticket with a 5-3 win over Finland in the early game Monday.

How much that had to do with the teams’ depleted lineups is not immediately known but the Americans were playing without Auston Matthews, Charlie McAvoy and Matthew Tkachuk. Tkachuk, who suffered a lower body injury in Saturday’s win over Canada and did not finish that game, was the only one that was really expected. Matthews reportedly was feeling upper body soreness and is expected to be ready for Thursday’s title tilt. McAvoy is dealing with an upper body injury, the nature of which is unclear. He did miss nearly three weeks in January with what was believed to be a wrist injury.

The US started the game with just 11 forwards and six defensemen, down a man. Early in the game, the US lost another forward – and an important one – when Brady Tkachuk crashed into a post and went to the room. He came back to the bench but played just one 14-second shift after that. He did not return after the first period.

Jack Eichel expressed optimism the team would be healthy come Thursday.

“We’ll be good to go, yeah,” said Eichel. “We get two days here and we’ll take advantage of our time and get guys healthy and be ready to go on Thursday.”

Eichel is expecting the same kind of high intensity game we saw on Saturday.

“It’s a Game 7, right?” said Eichel. “It’s for everything and I think you’re going to see desperate hockey, you’re going to see everything you aw in the first game and more I’d imagine.”

Meanwhile, the Swedes were reportedly hit by the flu bug. Linus Ullmark, Mike Zibanejad and Rickard Rackell were all scratched.

None of that could dampen the atmosphere of the opening minutes, spurred by Todd Angilly’s rousing rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner helped along by nearly 18,000 Garden faithful.

Then just 35 seconds in, Boxford’s Chris Kreider – getting to play because of Tkachuk’s injury – scored to put the US up 1-0. Chelmsford’s Jack Eichel sent Zach Werenski off on a rush. Swedish goalie Sam Ersson made the initial save on Werenski but served up a room service rebound for Kreider.

But after both teams killed a penalty, the US got sloppy in their own zone and the Swedes tied it up 13:39 after a couple of American turnovers. Gustav Nyquist tipped an Erik Karlsson shot and it dribbled between goalie Jake Oettinger’s blocker arm and body.

Then the Yanks found themselves down a goal when Jesper Bratt took a William Nylander feed and sniped roof job past Oettinger with 56 seconds left in the period.

The depleted US squad continued to have some puck management issues in the second period though it didn’t cost them anything.

Throughout the game, the US hit five posts and Brock Nelson was thwarted on a clean breakaway. Despite the chances, the US never got the equalizer.

Now the Yanks have bigger things about which to be concerned.