Before the puck dropped at the 4 Nations Face-Off, there were many opinions on the tournament and whether or not it would be successful. Some people said there were enough teams, others said it was a made-up tournament with zero importance, and still others questioned whether the players would even care. Well, we’re hours away from the 4 Nations Final, and it turns out that this tournament has been a smash hit.
Related: 4 Nations Face-Off and Revived Rivalry Between Canada & USA Has Put Hockey in the Spotlight
As soon as the Canada vs. Sweden game started last week, the full appetite for best-on-best was realized. The energy and intensity have been top-notch, and if you’ve watched one minute of this tournament you know that the players absolutely care. Maybe we all should’ve expected this all along. Not only have the fans been dying for international best-on-best, but clearly the players have too.
If you’re in North America, any game featuring Canada or the USA is must-watch hockey. But, since all four rosters are full of NHLers, there were reasons to watch it all. As a Dallas Stars writer, I was particularly interested in Finland, which featured three members of the Stars. Jake Oettinger and Thomas Harley were the other two in this tournament, both of which played one game for their respective teams. There’s a lot of praise to go around when it comes to the performances of these players, so let’s dive into the Stars’ representatives at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
Strong Showing From the Finns
Coming into the tournament, we knew that Oettinger would most likely back up Connor Hellebuyck in the American net, and Harley wasn’t even on the Canadian roster until injuries and illness plagued Canada’s blue line. The trio from Finland was always going to be the highlight of the 4 Nations players from the Stars, and despite their team not making it to the final game, they did not disappoint.
If you look at Mikael Granlund’s stat line, no doubt it was a good tournament, scoring three goals and four points in three games. However, it’s when he scored that was so impressive. He scored the overtime winner against Sweden, and then two goals in 23 seconds to narrow Canada’s 4-1 lead down to 4-3, before Sidney Crosby sealed the game with an empty netter. In 69 international games, he now has 21 goals and 65 points. He was recently traded to Dallas from the San Jose Sharks, and if Stars fans weren’t excited yet, they should be now.
Next up, is defenseman Esa Lindell. With Miro Heiskanen’s absence due to injury, he was destined to log heavy minutes throughout this tournament. The Stars’ D-man averaged 26:44 of ice time in the tournament and had one goal on two shots. The one goal put Finland on the board against Canada in their last game of the tournament.
Roope Hintz is the last player to highlight from Team Finland. Overall, he had a quieter tournament than was expected. Yes, he was the third-line center, but he still played 17:28 per game, plenty of time to get on the score sheet. He had zero points and only two shots, but played well in his own end, and finished the tournament with a 54.6% faceoff percentage.
As a whole, Finland should be proud of their tournament. Even though they lost 6-1, they went step for step with the Americans through 40 minutes, down 2-1 going into the third period, before penalty trouble kickstarted an American onslaught. They beat Sweden in overtime, giving themselves a chance to go to the final with a win over Canada. They ended up losing to Canada 5-3, but battled back from a 4-0 deficit, scoring three goals in the final six minutes to give Canada a scare.
Short But Sweet For Harley and Oettinger
Oettinger started Team USA’s final round-robin game against Sweden, losing 2-1. The Americans were ravaged with injuries and their spot in the final was already wrapped up after beating Canada on Saturday. Oettinger finished the game with a 2.06 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage. Even with the loss, he made some massive saves throughout the game and down the stretch to give his team a chance against a Swedish team that didn’t lose in regulation throughout the tournament.
Word on the street is that Harley was on his way to Cabo with Stars teammate Wyatt Johnston when he got the call to join Team Canada before their matchup against the States. He was originally called to be an emergency backup because of Shea Theodore’s earlier injury, but after Cale Makar missed practice with an illness, Harley flew to Montreal and eventually played on Saturday night. He logged 18:17 of ice time and two shots in his only game.
4 Nations Face-Off a Win For Dallas
Players on teams like the Stars can sometimes be an afterthought when it comes to general fans of the NHL. Sure, they have been perennial Cup contenders for years now. They are consistently one of the best offensive and defensive teams, and they are almost always in the conversation to win the Central Division. But, they are in the Central Time Zone, and if they are on national television, it is rarely before 8:00 pm EST.
Dallas is a great sports city, but it doesn’t get the press like a New York, Los Angeles, or Toronto would. This tournament, even if it was mostly for Team Finland, has been a great showcase of some of the Stars’ finest. It’s a shame that Heiskanen wasn’t a part of it, or that Jason Robertson wasn’t a part of Team USA. All being said, not only did best-on-best international play quench the thirst for the fans, but it was also a great display of the under-covered teams in the rest of the NHL.
