4 Nations Face-Off Preview

With the NHL either unwilling or unable to send its players to the Winter Olympics in recent years, we've been craving a best-on-best tournament for a long time. Fortunately, we got one this year, in lieu of the traditional All-Star festivities. While it does feel a little empty without Russian representation, players from the U.S., Canada, Sweden, and Finland are coming together for the 4 Nations Face-Off, a round-robin tournament to determine the best in the world...among those four. Showcasing the very best from all four nations, here is my look at the tournament, with previews for all four teams and predictions for each of the seven contests.

Finland

The Finnish hockey community likely let out a sigh of relief when they learned that Mikko Rantanen would be in Montreal after missing Carolina's final game before the break with an injury. With all the negative injury news surrounding their team, they couldn't afford to lose one of their biggest offensive weapons. To call the Finnish defense depleted would be an understatement. Miro Heiskanen, Jani Hakanpaa, and Rasmus Ristolainen are all missing the tournament with injuries, leaving them in shambles on the back end. Frankly, their goalies won't mind. It's not like Juuse Saros (Nashville) or Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (Buffalo) aren't used to it. This team's strength is its offensive firepower. Along with Rantanen (Carolina), Finland features Sebastian Aho (Carolina), Roope Hintz (Dallas), Patrik Laine (Montreal), and Teuvo Teravainen (Chicago), and is led by captain Aleksander Barkov (Florida). They might be able to outscore their massive defensive black hole. 

Best Case- Saros steals the show. He'll likely get the lion's share of the time in the net, meaning anything can happen. Assuming Finland's offense doesn't go to sleep on him, Saros propels them to the finals where they manage to catch their opponent off guard to win the tournament. 

Worst Case- Their defense falls apart, making life miserable for the goalies. It's too much for their offense to make up for, sending them home with three losses. 

Sweden

In a tournament with only four teams, I struggle to say one is a dark horse, but Sweden would be my dark horse to win the whole thing. I really like this team on paper, especially their forward group. With William Nylander (Toronto), Elias Pettersson (Vancouver), Mika Zibanejad (New York R), Jesper Bratt, (New Jersey), and Filip Forsberg (Nashville) leading the charge, this team has certified scoring pedigree. Their defense isn't shabby either, led by captain Victor Hedman (Tampa Bay), Erik Karlsson (Pittsburgh), and Rasmus Dahlin (Buffalo). Where I grow slightly concerned is in the net. Linus Ullmark (Ottawa) is a Vezina winner and Filip Gustavsson (Minnesota) has developed into a solid starter. However, the former hasn't performed well in big spots in the playoffs and the latter is inexperienced in these situations. They have the tools to win the tournament.

Best Case- They beat Finland and manage to knock off one of the other two teams involved to make it to the finals. In the finals, their starting goalie puts up a masterclass, while the offense fills the net to take home the win.

Worst Case- Their goalies can't provide the stops when it matters the most. Their offense dries up, failing to mesh, and they lose to both the U.S. and Canada.

Canada

For my money, Team Canada is the most skilled team in the tournament throughout its 20 skaters. Led by the two best players in the world, Connor McDavid (Edmonton) and Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado), one of the greatest to ever play the game, Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh), and one of the Top 2 defensemen in the league, Cale Makar (Colorado), this Canadian team is loaded. Their forward depth is insane. I didn't even mention Brayden Point (Tampa Bay), Mark Stone (Vegas), Mitch Marner (Toronto), Brad Marchand (Boston), or Sam Reinhart (Florida). Their defense isn't bad after Makar, though it lacks the depth of a certain neighbor to the south. Where this group could run into issues is in the net. There has been a lot of talk about Canada leaving Logan Thompson (Washington) off the roster, instead opting for two Stanley Cup-winning starters in Jordan Binnington (St. Louis) and Adin Hill (Vegas), and Sam Montembeault (Montreal). Hopefully, this decision won't cost them.

Best Case- Canada's offense scores a million goals per game, outscoring any potential issues they run into between the pipes. They win the tournament on the backs of McDavid, MacKinnon, and the most insane group of forwards imaginable.

Worst Case- Either their goalies look like Swiss cheese, proving that Thompson might've been the better choice, or their offense fails to live up to the hype. They lose to the U.S. and are upset by either Finland or Sweden and fail to make the championship game.

USA

If Canada is the most skilled team, the United States is the most complete team. Their star power might not shine as brightly as Canada's, but this collection of players is mighty impressive for the stars and stripes. They have a little bit of everything. They can score, led by Auston Matthews (Toronto), Kyle Connor (Winnipeg), Jack Hughes (New Jersey), Jack Eichel (Vegas), and Jake Guentzel (Tampa Bay). They can defend, led by Adam Fox (New York R), Jaccob Slavin (Carolina), and Brock Faber (Minnesota). They have easily the best goalie trio in the tournament, with Connor Hellebuyck (Winnipeg), Jake Oettinger (Dallas), and Jeremy Swayman (Boston) manning the crease. They can be agitators, headlined by the brother act of Matthew (Florida) and Brady (Ottawa) Tkachuk. Not having Quinn Hughes (Vancouver) available for the tournament is a huge loss, but it barely puts a dent in the depth of the American defense. The U.S. is my front runner to win the tournament, which is easy for me to say as an American.

Best Case- They live up to the hype and sweep their way through the tournament. Hellebuyck, Oettinger, and Swayman, if he's used, shut down the competition and the skaters all do their jobs to ensure at least one, maybe two, wins over Canada.

Worst Case- The hype surrounding them proves to be too much for an untested team on an international stage. They get obliterated by Canada over the weekend and fail to make the championship game after losing to Sweden and/or Finland.

Game-By-Game Predictions

Wednesday

Canada 5, Sweden 2- The Canadians overwhelm the Swedes behind the two-headed monster of McDavid and MacKinnon.

Thursday

United States 4, Finland 3- Suomi scares the United States, who takes them lightly before finally turning it on during the second half of the game.

Saturday

Sweden 3, Finland 2 (OT)- Finland gets on the board with a point, but Sweden prevails with their superior defense shining through.

United States 5, Canada 4 (OT)- I'm not picking the United States to lose to Canada, regardless of my reasoning.

Monday

Canada 6, Finland 2- Canada comes back with an emphatic win to punch their ticket to the championship game at Finland's expense. 

United States 5, Sweden 2- Seeing what Canada did earlier in the day, the Americans respond to secure the second spot in the winner-take-all finale. 

Championship Game (Thursday)

United States 3, Canada 2- I'm not picking the United States to lose to Canada, regardless of my reasoning and especially not in a championship game.