Crosby, Lemieux, Sullivan and thoughts about 4 Nations who are finally facing off

Thoughts after one round of games in the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-off

All four teams have played a game in the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-off, here are some random thoughts and impressions after the first bit of action is in the books.

Really, you have to credit the NHL for essentially having not just one All-Star game this season, but seven different All-Star games. That’s not meant with any condescension, this 4 Nations Face-off isn’t the perfect idea but it’s got to be close to a perfect money maker. And it does just enough to scratch the itch of best-on-best international action where it’s been far too long since NHL players have competed in this venue.

USA

• That out of the way, Saturday night is going to be some tremendous theater when Canada/USA lock up in Montreal. Canada is the typical juggernaut, and this generation of Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar finally get into the international spotlight. The Americans might be an even deeper team these days.
• Mike Sullivan said he wanted the US to play with attitude and swag (he’s gotta be too old to say that) but the Americans were only so-so to start the game. So Sullivan took matters into his own hands by making an adjustment to put the Tkachuk brothers on a line and then the attitude and swag took care of itself with the US pulling away for a 6-1 victory. Nice move there, if not exactly a difficult one to stumble across.
• I think the first game shows from Sullivan what you’re going to get out of Team USA in this event. Namely, plenty of Auston Matthews, Jake Guentzel, Jack Eichel and the Tkachuk boys. Everyone else is just kinda there, the core of the team is what it is at this point.
• That said, Brady Tkachuk (13:39) only had six more seconds of ice-time than Vincent Trocheck (13:33). It felt like B. Tkachuk (8 hits, 9 shot attempts, 2 goals) played about 20 minutes. My goodness he was a force of nature out there. For a guy who has never played an NHL playoff game, this was meeting his first big moment by making a crashing impact. It was a glorious sight to see.
• Pretty cool for Sullivan that he gets to be reunited with Guentzel and also coach his son-in-law Charlie MacAvoy at this event. Add in David Quinn as an assistant as basically a brother-like figure and it’s a family affair for Sullivan and the Yanks.
• This can’t really be considered a coming out party for Zach Werenski, who is 27 and been a full-time NHLer since the 2016-17 season and been known as a top player for a while. But when the dust settles the hockey world might recognize how good he is. Three assists last night for Werenski, in the NHL season he has 59 points in 55 games and logs a league-high 26:53 per game. He should win the Norris this year, and though this event technically won’t have anything to do with NHL season awards, it will still help put a much-deserved spotlight on Werenski just the same.
• Werenski also might have had the quote of the tournament too, regarding the Tkachuk’s: “It’s annoying to face one of them in the NHL at once. I can’t imagine both of them.” No one can look forward to that, but it makes for some fun hockey.

Canada

• When Mario Lemieux got a hearty and loud pre-game ovation from the Montreal faithful prior to CAN/SWE, it kinda felt like the whole event peaked before the first puck was even dropped. Tough to top that.
• Given the breadth of talent Team Canada has there would be no bad choices, but Mark Stone is such a good selection to put with Crosby. Stone is something of this generation’s Marian Hossa — a winger good enough away from the puck to garner legit Selke buzz, while offensively being good enough to score about a point per game. That type of heady player who thinks a 200-foot game is a perfect fit for Crosby. It paid off instantly in the first game, note the first few seconds of this clip. Stone is ahead of the play in tight support but is so smart to read it and turn back from his breakout immediately to steal the puck back and then trigger the zone exit. It’s a high-level and wonderful play that starts the sequence where he would eventually score a goal.

• Many wondered if this tournament would matter or what meaning a contrived and invented event would hold. Fair enough, but watching Crosby elevate his game and seeing the telltale classic Sid greatness performance says all it needs to say. This event is important if only because the players are treating it with importance and making it special on their own accord.
• McDavid and MacKinnon are so fun to watch. It’s like they attack the ice with their fierce skating style that generates so much movement and power, always a treat to see and so visually pleasing to sit back and enjoy.
• One thing I notice from both of them is that they think so fast and move so fast, sometimes it seems like they pass the puck harder or sooner to teammates in a way a little quicker than they can keep up. Neither of those two had any even strength points on the night, it’ll be interesting to see if they burst out and just need some familiarization and acclimation with new teammates or how steep the learning curve could be.
• Which is one way to say, pending the results of this event, Canada may want to consider making Zach Hyman the “Chris Kunitz 2014” member of the OIympics next season to play with McDavid the way Kunitz did with Crosby a decade ago. Sometimes chemistry pays off more than pure skill in a quick tournament.
• Sucked to see Shea Theodore get hurt. Canada’s blueline is going to have to weather a storm from the big, heavy, aggressive American forecheck tomorrow night. The intensity of the first games were very good but Saturday should be off the charts. Hopefully no one else gets hurt but the matchup of Canada’s defense versus the American forecheck could be a deciding factor in the outcome of the game.

Sweden

• Erik Karlsson got to be in a sheltered role on Wednesday, playing the fourth most minutes of any Swedish defender. It worked, he looked as comfortable on the ice as he has all season. Karlsson’s setup of a goal was classic, he even used his stick defensively to break up some plays.

• Rickard Rakell didn’t record a point but helped screen the goalie on Sweden’s first goal. Thought he played a very strong, very noticeable game. It’s been quite an impressive season for him, and luckily he belatedly found his way onto this team, he deserves to be there and continues to shine.

Finland

• Felt sorry for their defense last night, just too over-manned and eventually the superior talent of the other team ended up pulling away. Sadly, Finland last night was reminiscent of the Penguins this season on a lot of nights where they try hard and might even be right there in the game for 40-45 minutes but then you look up and it’s out of reach.
• It’ll be interesting to see if the Finns can play spoiler and trip someone up along the way, though. Gotta appreciate and admire the intensity and spirit in which they play, hopefully next year at the Olympics they will be a little healthier and ready to challenge for a medal, as they usually do.