The United States opened their campaign at the 4 Nations Face-Off with a convincing 6-1 victory over Finland. Matthew and Brady Tkachuk each scored twice, while Connor Hellebuyck made 20 saves in net. The Americans now face Canada in a highly anticipated matchup on Saturday.
Matthew and Brady Tkachuk each scored twice as the United States dominated Finland 6-1 in the opening game of the 4 Nations Face-Off on Thursday. Matt Boldy and Jake Guentzel also contributed a goal and an assist each for the Americans, who received 20 saves from Connor Hellebuyck . Zach Werenski tallied three assists, while Jack Eichel had two. Matthew Tkachuk also added an assist, concluding a three-point performance. The lone Finnish goal was scored by Henri Jokiharju.
Juuse Saros made 26 saves for Finland. The victory places the U.S. atop the standings with three points. This follows Canada's 4-3 overtime win against Sweden in Wednesday's opening game of the round-robin tournament, which serves as a prelude to the NHL's return to the Olympics in 2026. Canada currently holds second place with two points, followed by Sweden with one and Finland with zero. The highly anticipated clash between the Canadians and Americans is set for Saturday night after Sweden and Finland face off in an afternoon game. The showcase will then move to Boston for two games on Monday before concluding in Montreal on February 20th. Despite being urged to show respect to both nations by the arena's public address announcer, some fans at the Bell Centre booed the American national anthem prior to the puck drop. This follows a pattern of jeers directed at 'The Star-Spangled Banner' at various professional sporting events across Canada in recent weeks, stemming from tariff threats made by U.S. President Donald Trump. This tournament represents the closest men's hockey has come to a best-on-best event since the 2016 World Cup. The NHL participated in five consecutive Olympics from 1998 to 2014 but skipped the 2018 Games for financial reasons and canceled plans for 2022 due to COVID-19 concerns. Russia is excluded from this tournament due to its ongoing war in Ukraine, and reigning world champion Czechia is also absent due to a compressed competition window amidst the NHL schedule. Although his younger brother scored in the first period, Matthew Tkachuk extended the U.S. lead to 3-1 during a power play 15 seconds into the third period with a shot that Saros should have saved. Guentzel promptly followed with the Americans' next goal just 11 seconds later, and Brady Tkachuk sealed the victory with his second goal of the night at precisely three minutes into the period. Finland opened the scoring at 7:31 of the first period when Jokiharju's knuckling shot deceived Hellebuyck. Before that goal, Brock Nelson hit the post, and Auston Matthews rattled the crossbar after the Americans fell behind, but Brady Tkachuk deflected a shot past Saros at 10:21. Saros had to be sharp later in the period, stopping Noah Hanifin on a breakaway following a penalty kill. Hellebuyck then made a crucial save on an Erik Haula break midway through the second period. Boldy put the U.S. ahead 2-1 with 2:56 left in the period, tipping home a point shot from teammate Brock Faber. The floodgates opened in the third period. The crowd at the Bell Centre once again booed Matthews during warm-ups when he appeared on the big screen. The captain of both the U.S. squad and the Toronto Maple Leafs also received a lukewarm reception during Wednesday's opening ceremony before Canada's 4-3 overtime victory over Sweden. 'It's all good,' Matthews said Thursday morning. 'I was kind of expecting it.' The Finns have often exceeded expectations at international tournaments against more dominant hockey powers. Aleksander Barkov, captain of both his country and the Florida Panthers, attributes their success to commitment. 'Play together as a five-man unit,' he said. 'Offensively, defensively, we give everything we have and that needs to be our mindset every single shift.' Eichel, a center for the Vegas Golden Knights, was asked if Hellebuyck possesses all the attributes of a modern goaltender. 'He moves well, he's big, he tracks pucks well, athletic, he's confident,' Eichel said. 'He seems pretty even-keeled.'
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