Canada-USA clash at 4 Nations Face-Off a day for hockey community to embrace
This is one of those days.
You know the ones. We jump out of bed, saying, “This is what I signed up for.” Feeding off a city’s energy and electricity. Trying to attack every minute with the best you’ve got.
Rivalry Saturday. Finland-Sweden, followed by Canada-USA. You don’t need to be a hockey fan…just a lover of sports. Or a Canadian, an American, a Finn, or a Swede.
What did Matthew Tkachuk tell Kyle Bukauskas? “I’ve thought about this game for nine years. We’ll be ready for it.”
Matthew, so will we.
Canada and the U.S. will go head-to-head in best-on-best Saturday night at the 4 Nations Face-Off in Montreal. Watch the game on Sportsnet starting at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT.
I entered the business in 1993. There are days I remember—steps on the journey, breakthroughs, assignments, events. You get very lucky in this business. Olympics, Stanley Cups, World Series, playoff games, incredible human accomplishments out of nowhere. Great people you work with or cover who make you better because you see what makes them better. Different backgrounds, different heritages, different lives. It doesn’t matter.
Athletes, coaches, executives, trainers, equipment managers, support staff. Everyone with something to teach you.
Fans — the lifeblood of sports. Without them, there’s nothing.
This is one of those days.
Sports is one of the few unscripted things in the world. We predict, we presume, we pontificate. But we don’t know. On a day like today, I think of the late Bob Cole. We’d walk into an arena, and I’d say, “Going to be a great game tonight.” Bob would get annoyed. He’d whip his head around and say, “How do you know it will be a great game? You don’t know that!” I’d say it, knowing the reaction. And he’d give it, knowing I was baiting him.
It’s the undercard in North America, but Finland/Sweden is massive for those countries: an afternoon start here meaning Scandinavian prime time at home. Finland — devastated by injury before the tournament began — ran out of steam and were overwhelmed by the United States. Kevin Lankinen replaces Juuse Saros in goal, and a regulation loss makes Monday’s game against Canada meaningless.
The Swedes feel pretty good about themselves despite a 4-3 overtime defeat to Canada.
“We lost that game in the first minutes, when we couldn’t complete a pass,” one said with a shake of their head.
“We talked about it during the intermission,” Jonas Brodin said. “Play like we can play, and we’ll get back in it.”
Team USA captain Auston Matthews said watching this game taught him “you have to survive the first 10 minutes” against the host nation. Sweden settled down and gave Canada everything it could handle.
“We want to play those guys again,” said Rickard Rakell.
“No Mario Lemieux next time,” another laughed, referring to the roof-raising surprise introduction prior to puck drop.
That wish can only be granted by taking care of their own business first.
For North Americans, Finland-Sweden is the Tomato & Bocconcini of an elite meal. (Not an insult, nothing is better than my wife’s tomato & bocconcini with oil and vinegar.) The 12-ounce filet with a spicy peppercorn sauce is Canada/USA.
Sidney Crosby. Nathan MacKinnon. Connor McDavid. Matthew Tkachuk. Brady Tkachuk. Auston Matthews. Jack Eichel. Cale Makar. Zach Werenski. Brad Marchand. Jack Hughes. We could go on and on. An embarrassment of riches.
Crosby, not 100 per cent, was magical in the opener.
“Like a good wine,” Hall-of-Famer Teemu Selanne said. “Better when he gets older.”
One Swede said McDavid unselfishly sacrificed individual freelancing that makes him even more dangerous in Edmonton to fit within Canada’s system. Does that continue, or do the coaches adjust to unleash him a bit more?
Mike Sullivan was like the X-Man Gambit, hiding the most explosive cards until ready. He placed Werenski on PP1, although it didn’t start that way. The Blue Jacket blueliner had three assists, two with the man advantage.
Sullivan also waited to unite the Tkachuks with Eichel, breaking open the game. The brothers combined for five points and 11 hits, eight of them by Brady. Seeing these two big bowling balls barreling through Finland only added to the anticipation. Love them or hate them, you can’t take your eyes off them.
“I’m looking forward to being the villain,” Brady Tkachuk said. “I think it will be fun.”
If we needed any more excitement, there’s the overall atmosphere. I understood why not everyone was caught up in it months and weeks ago. You focus on your own team, not on this. But I believed that when it arrived, things would change.
The players have been phenomenal salesmen. They delivered with excellent media-day interviews, lots of good stuff. The best of the best are consistently available, led by Brad Marchand, who says no to nothing.
And it’s Montreal. Great restaurants, a top cigar bar, a cornerstone of hockey, a home rink absolutely buzzing for big games. The opening ceremony prior to Canada/Sweden riled up everyone inside. The NHL/NHLPA are doing everything possible to keep a lid on Saturday’s pre-game guests, although I love 32 Thoughts podcast producer Dom Sramaty’s guess: Celine Dion. Several Sportsnet teammates attended a spectacular NHL Alumni event Friday honouring the 1972 Summit Series Canadian Team.
In the building or outside, if you aren’t having fun, you’re the problem.
Today is February 15th, Canada’s Flag Day. It’s the 60th anniversary of our red-and-white Maple Leaf. The plan was to hand out 20,000 miniatures at tonight’s game. Whether or not that happens, tensions will be supercharged by Thursday’s booing of The Star-Spangled Banner by some in attendance. Despite pleas not to do so that will precede tonight’s anthem, we have to expect it. I don’t like it — Allied soldiers liberated my grandparents from Bergen-Belsen in 1945, paving the way for me to exist — and I always think of them whenever anthems are played. But we live in mind-numbing times, and clownish threats to annex Canada — no matter how ridiculous the idea — created this unfortunate craziness.
But this night won’t be about that for me.
This is about community. So many will be snowed-in, smothered by a downfall this week, prepping for more. Maybe you’re on the couch with your loved ones today and tonight. Maybe you’re with your good friends. Maybe you’re with some of the best people you’ve ever worked with, my situation this weekend. Even if you’re by yourself, you’re not alone. Because this is one of those days a game is so big, everyone’s connected.
Saturday began with a workout. I’ll walk 15 minutes to the rink, probably with David Amber and Kevin Bieksa. An Americano will be consumed. Stylist supreme Deb Berman picked out a beautiful corduroy suit. Makeup artist Hilary Whitebread will attempt to cover the accidental surgery a new razor blade performed on my face, along with the usual pound of makeup I require. On-set at 12:30 p.m. ET/9:30 a.m. PT, on-air at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT.
It’s going to be an awesome day. A day you embrace.
No matter where you live, who you are or where you come from: once you tune in, we’re all on the edge of our seats, together.
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MONTREAL — Brady and Matthew Tkachuk had never played a meaningful hockey game together on the same team before Thursday.
They turned their first into one for the ages.
The brothers each scored two goals, Matthew added an assist, and the United States pulled away in the third period for a 6-1 win against Finland in the first game for both teams in the 4 Nations Face-Off at Bell Centre.
“I don’t really think it’s hit yet, to be honest with you,” Brady Tkachuk said. “I can only imagine how proud my parents, family and friends that have helped us along the way [are]. I know from my experience I was really excited for this tournament and after a couple of days this has been the best experience in my hockey life.”
USA@FIN: Tkachuk brothers score two goals each in win
Jake Guentzel and Matt Boldy each had a goal and an assist, Zach Werenski had three assists, Jack Eichel had two, and Connor Hellebuyck made 20 saves for the U.S. (1-0-0-0).
The regulation win gives the U.S. a tournament-leading three points after all four teams played a game. Canada (0-1-0-0) earned two points from its 4-3 overtime win against Sweden on Wednesday.
The United States’ next game will be against Canada at Bell Centre on Saturday (8 p.m. ET; ABC, ESPN+, SN, TVAS).
“It’s going to be the biggest game that I’ve ever played in my career,” Brady Tkachuk said. “There’s a big buildup to it. U.S. vs. Canada, it’s bigger than just the guys on the ice. It’s so many people past, present and future down the road that are so excited about it.”
Canada, Finland, Sweden, United States go head-to-head Feb. 12-20 in Montreal, Boston
Henri Jokiharju scored the first goal of the game, but Juuse Saros (26 saves) allowed six straight after that for Finland (0-0-0-1). He gave up four goals on 12 shots in the third: two in the first 26 seconds, and another three minutes in.
“The first period was really even and actually, second period was [the] best part from us,” Finland coach Antti Pennanen said. “We had a couple of good chances, we didn’t score. Actually, I don’t know what happened after that. Start of the third was, I don’t know how to say that, but we weren’t ready for that.”
Finland, the only team in the tournament with zero points after one game, next plays Saturday against Sweden here (1 p.m. ET; ABC, ESPN+, SN, TVAS). The Swedes earned one point with their overtime loss Wednesday.
Pennanen was noncommittal on Saros being the starting goalie against Sweden.
“Of course we need to think about that,” he said. “It was a tough day for [Saros]. He was really good through the first 40 minutes, but I think we need to analyze this game and let’s make those decisions [Friday] or Saturday.”
USA@FIN: Jokiharju stakes Finland to a 1-0 lead in the 1st
Jokiharju gave Finland a 1-0 lead at 7:31 of the first period.
The U.S. tied it 1-1 on Brady Tkachuk’s first goal at 10:22. He fumbled Boldy’s pass to him into the slot but got the puck to the left of the net and banked a shot in off Saros.
“I think we were close to the game we wanted to play,” Finland captain Aleksander Barkov said. “It was a good battle by us. We did a lot of right things, created some chances. Obviously, they got away in the third.”
Before that, though, coach Mike Sullivan adjusted the U.S. forward lines midway through the second period, putting the Tkachuks together on Eichel’s wings and shifting Kyle Connor to play with Boldy and J.T. Miller.
It worked.
Boldy made it 2-1 at 17:04. He set up in the high slot and deflected Minnesota Wild teammate Brock Faber’s shot from the right point down and through Saros’ legs.
“It was huge,” Faber said. “It was an incredible play by him. I didn’t have to do much. The lane opened up, I saw his stick and tried to shoot it right at his stick. He made a great play. He played a great game. That was a big momentum swing.”
USA@FIN: Boldy scores redirection goal to make it 2-1 in 2nd
Olli Maatta was called for hooking Auston Matthews at 19:57, setting up the U.S. with a power play to start the third.
Matthew Tkachuk cashed in, making it 3-1 at 15 seconds. He scored with a glove-side shot from above the right face-off circle that appeared to change directions off the stick of Finland defenseman Niko Mikkola, fooling Saros.
Eleven seconds later, Guentzel made it 4-1. He scored on the rush from the left circle off a pass from Matthews.
The two goals in 11 seconds tied an NHL international tournament record for the fastest consecutive goals scored by one team, set by the U.S. against Finland in the 1991 Canada Cup (both by Joel Otto).
“We couldn’t push back anymore after that,” Barkov said.
USA@FIN: Tkachuk, Guentzel score 11 seconds apart
Brady Tkachuk extended the lead to 5-1 at 3:00 when he took a pass from Eichel and scored after making a move to his backhand. Matthew had the second assist.
Matthew then made it 6-1 with a power-play goal at 11:13.
“I think it was better than all those dreams that you have,” Brady said. “It’s amazing. Honestly, I don’t really have words to describe it right now, but I think by saying that there’s no complacency. We just want to keep making more memories.”
NOTES: The Tkachuk brothers became the first siblings to each score multiple goals in the same NHL international tournament game. … Werenski set the record for most assists by a U.S. defenseman in an NHL international tournament game. He tied the record for most assists and points by any defenseman in an NHL international game.
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4 Nations Face-Off: Highlights as Tkachuk brothers lead USA rout of Finland
Keith Tkachuk helped Team USA win the World Cup of Hockey in 1996. Now, his sons are doing their part for their country’s national team.
Brady Tkachuk and brother Matthew each scored twice Thursday as the Americans broke open a tight game to rout Finland 6-1 in their opener at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
The win gives the USA three points for the lead in the tournament standings. The Americans play Canada (two points) on Saturday (8 p.m. ET, ABC) in Montreal.
The brothers started the game on separate lines and Brady tied the game in the first period after Finland had gone ahead on a Henri Jokiharju goal.
But coach Mike Sullivan put them together with Jack Eichel in the second period and they led a third-period surge. Matthew scored 15 seconds into the period on a long shot to make it 3-1. After a Jake Guentzel goal, Brady scored again at 3:00 of the third, set up by Matthew. Then it was Matthew’s turn on the power play at 11:13.
The final tally: two goals and an assist for Matthew, two goals for Brady, a combined 13 shots, eight hits by Brady and three for Matthew.
Finland will try to rebound against Sweden (one point) in the early game on Saturday (1 p.m. ET).
Brady Tkachuk told ESPN it was a “dream come true” to play on a line with brother Matthew.
“My first thought was my parents, my sister and all of our family, how happy they must be, how excited they must be, but I thought if we’re getting together, we ought to play good and stick together,” Tkachuk said.
They did and the Tkachuk-Tkachuk-Jack Eichel line could be a good counter on Saturday against Canada’s high-powered top lines.
Finland kept it as tight as it could, considering it was far down on the list on its defense because of pre-tournament injuries. The USA pounced on mistakes on its first two goals, then got a lucky bounce and its superior firepower won out.
The USA will face a deeper opponent in Canada and Finland will need to address its penalty kill. Does Juuse Saros get the net again when Finland plays Sweden on Saturday?
Matthew Tkachuk scores again on the power play, popping in a rebound. Zach Werenski gets an assist for his third point of the game. USA 6, Finland 1.
Brady Tkachuk gets his second goal of the game, finishing off a play down low after Jack Eichel threads him a pass at 3:00. Brother Matthew gets the secondary assist. USA 5, Finland 1
Two goals in 11 seconds. Jake Guentzel has a goal and an assist in the first 26 seconds of this period. Juuse Saros probably wants that back. USA 4, Finland 1
Matthew Tkachuk joins his brother Brady on the scoresheet. His long shot deflects off a Finland player past Juuse Saros. USA 3, Finland 1
USA on a power play.
For a while, it looked like this second period would be like the second period of Canada-Sweden. Like Sweden, Finland controlled play early after being outplayed in the first period, but the USA broke through on a Matt Boldy goal for the lead. Brady Tkachuk has been the USA’s best player through two periods with a goal, three shots and seven hits.
Olli Maatta hauls down Auston Matthews with 2.2 seconds left in the second. It will carry over into the third period.
It’s a Minnesota Wild connection. Defenseman Brock Faber’s long wrist shot from the point is deflected in by Matt Boldy at 17:04. USA 2, Finland 1
USA coach Mike Sullivan puts Brady and Matthew Tkachuk on a line with Jack Eichel. Eichel has to go to the bench because of a cut on his nose.
Finland’s Nikolas Matinpalo is called for boarding Jake Guentzel at 7:19. The USA has no shots so far this period. They had no shots on the power play in the first period. They finally get a shot but Juuse Saros stops Guentzel as Finland kills the penalty.
Scored tied 1-1.
Finland might be the least-heralded team in the tournament, but it holds its own and emerges with a tie after one period. Defenseman Henri Jokiharju (who had one goal this season) gives Finland the lead but Brady Tkachuk responds quickly. The USA outshoots Finland 13-7 and outhits them 13-6. Finland blocks four shots and the USA hits iron twice.
Noah Hanifin is called for tripping. Finland goes with five forwards and gets some chances but it’s killed off. Hanifin gets a chance coming out of the penalty box.
Finland can’t clear and the puck eventually gets to Brady Tkachuk. On a second effort, he banks it in off Juuse Saros at 10:21 to tie the game. Matt Boldy and Zach Werenski get the assists. USA 1, Finland 1.
Defenseman Henri Jokiharju joins the rush and his shot from the right faceoff circle goes off a U.S. stick and past Connor Hellebuyck at 7:31. Jokiharju wasn’t originally named to the team but joined as an injury replacement. Finland 1, USA 0
Game still scoreless.
Finland’s Joel Armia is called for cross-checking. Finland kills it off. No shots on goal for the USA.
It will be interesting to see how the undermanned Finnish defense handles the U.S. attack.
Montreal fans boo U.S. players with division rivals Auston Matthews and Charlie McAvoy hearing it more. Finland players are cheered. Ex-Canadien Artturi Lehkonen gets the loudest one. Goalie Juuse Saros is mistakenly introduced as forward Teuvo Teravainen.
For the second night in a row, fans are asked to respect the singing of the national anthems.
USA: Fs Auston Matthews, Jake Guentzel, Jack Hughes; Ds Zach Werenski, Charlie McAvoy; G Connor Hellebuyck
Finland: Fs Aleksander Barkov, Mikko Rantanen, Artturi Lehkonen; Ds Esa Lindell, Niko Mikkola; G Juuse Saros
The United States and Finland will play at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday at Montreal’s Bell Centre.
The USA-Finland game will be broadcast on ESPN.
Sling, Fubo and ESPN+ carry ESPN and ABC games.
The USA will go with two-time Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck in net while Finland will use Juuse Saros.
Expected scratches are forward Kaapo Kakko, defenseman Juuso Valimaki and goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.
USA Hockey announced the lines for Thursday’s game. This means forward Chris Kreider, defenseman Jake Sanderson and goalie Jeremy Swayman are the scratches.
Though he’s a two-time Vezina Trophy winner, Connor Hellebuyck struggled in the playoffs the past two seasons. He had a 3.44 goals-against average and .886 save percentage in 2023. He was 5.23 and .864 last season.
TNT announced that the Canada-Sweden opener averaged 1 million viewers Wednesday night on its platforms. The network said the game was the most-watched TNT hockey telecast this season and the most-watched non-playoff hockey game of all time on its MAX streaming service. The NHL said that including Canadian viewership, the North American average was 4.1 million.
TNT’s next broadcasts are Monday, with Canada facing Finland at 1 p.m. ET and the USA playing Sweden at 8 in the final round-robin games.
Under the 4 Nations Face-Off format, teams will get three points for a regulation win, two points for an overtime/shootout win, one point for an overtime/shootout loss and zero points for a loss in regulation. So if the USA or Finland wins in regulation Thursday, it would move ahead of Canada (two points) and Sweden (one point) in the standings.
Finland and the United States have met in the last four Olympics that involved NHL players. The USA routed Finland 6-0 in the round robin in 2002 on the way to a silver medal. Finland beat the USA 4-3 in the quarterfinals in 2006 on the way to silver. The USA downed Finland 6-1 in the 2010 semifinals on the way to a silver medal. In the 2014 Olympics, Finland beat the USA 5-0 in the bronze medal game. Finland also beat the USA 2-1 in the semifinals of the 2004 World Cup of Hockey.
The Vegas Golden Knights announced that defenseman Sean Theodore is week-to-week with the injury he suffered during Canada’s win against Sweden. Theodore was hurt when he was checked into the boards by Sweden’s Adrian Kempe. He has been ruled out of the tournament and Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim will take his place.
The World Cup of Hockey will return in February 2028, and the NHL and players association envision a continuing cycle of alternating Olympics and World Cups every two years.
Details are still to be worked out, but NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said Wednesday it would involve “at least” eight countries. Cities, including those in Europe, can start bidding in the coming months. Bettman said he didn’t foresee any melded teams, as happened in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey with smaller European countries forming one team and the North American under-23 “Young Guns” forming another.
It’s up in the air whether Russian players can take part because of Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. The International Ice Hockey Federation recently voted to ban Russian players from its championships for another year, through the 2025-26 season.
(Times p.m. ET)
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