It’s been a rousing start to the 4 Nations Face-Off, an international hockey tournament featuring the NHL’s very best players from Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States.
Canada opened with a thrilling 3-2 overtime win over the Swedes on Wednesday at the Bell Centre in Montreal, with the Americans following the next night with a 6-1 rout of the Fins the same famed arena. They were fast-paced, highly entertaining games, but the intensity could be ratcheted even higher on what’s shaping up to be Rivalry Saturday.
Finland and Sweden will clash at 1 p.m., followed by the most anticipated contest of this round-robin portion of the tourney when the United States meets host Canada at 8 p.m. Both games will be broadcast on ABC.
“I’ve thought about this game for nine years,” U.S. forward Matthew Tkachuk told Sportsnet on Thursday. “We’ll be ready for it.”
NHL 4 Nations Face-Off:Schedule, rosters, TV channel and how to stream
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I’m giving the Swedes, who feature Rangers center Mika Zibanejad on their top line, the edge in the afternoon tilt. They looked outmatched while falling behind by two goals in the first period against Canada, but got stronger as the game and proved they can go toe-to-toe with the best in the world.
Sweden’s skill up front is vast and goalie Filip Gustavsson looks locked in, but its primary edge over Finland comes in a D corps led by Victor Hedman, Gustav Forsling and Erik Karlsson. That big, mobile defense with adept puck-handlers on every pair will make the difference, which is why I’m picking Sweden by a 5-3 margin.
The nightcap is slightly harder to predict. You could argue that Canada has the three-best centers on the planet − Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid and the ageless Sidney Crosby − as well as the best defenseman in Cale Makar. (It might be a different story if Team USA had Quinn Hughes, who’s missing the tournament due to an undisclosed injury.) Their high-end talent makes them a nightmare to defend, particularly a top power-play unit that looks as dangerous as any we’ve seen since Canada boasted Hall of Famers Ray Bourque, Paul Coffey, Mario Lemieux, Mark Messier and The Great One, Wayne Gretzky, during the 1987 Canada Cup.
But this U.S. roster is deeper, more versatile and better built to win these playoff-style games. They imposed their will on the Fins on Thursday, with a pair of Rangers centers, J.T. Miller and Vincent Trocheck, helping set the tone with some ferocious forechecking on their first few shifts. Team USA’s skill is nearly on par with Canada’s, while their physicality and tenacity are a notch or two above.
That’s exemplified by the bash brothers, Brady and Matthew Tkachuk, who combined for four goals in Team USA’s opener while ruffling plenty of feathers along the way. Add in elite goal-scorers such as captain Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel and Devils star Jack Hughes, plus the best group of defensemen in the tourney − led by the Rangers’ own Adam Fox − and you’ve got what I believe to be the most-balanced roster of the four countries. On top of all that, the Americans also have a decided edge in goal with reigning Vezina Trophy winner (and currently front-runner to win it again) Connor Hellebuyck vs. whomever the Canadians chose between Jordan Binnington and Adin Hill.
That’s why I’m taking the U.S. to win a tight one, 4-3, and clinch its spot in Thursday’s championship final. (Where they could very well meet Canada for a second time in six days.)
Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano.
