The United States has already stamped its ticket to the championship game of the 4 Nations Face-Off, standing as the only team with two regulation wins. But don’t think for a second that their round-robin finale against Sweden on Monday night will be just for show.
“We know what our goal has been right from the start, and I don't think we're going to stop until we get it,” said U.S. forward Brady Tkachuk. “I guess it can be easy to get complacent, but I don’t even think it's going to get in our mind that we're happy with where we're at.”
That relentless mindset has been on full display in Montreal, where Team USA dominated Finland 6-1 and then took down Canada 3-1. Their Saturday win against the Canadians was a statement game—they came out with a physical edge from the opening puck drop and sealed the deal with three unanswered goals.
Key Players Stepping Up
One of the breakout stars of the tournament has been Jake Guentzel, who’s making his first international appearance count. The first-year Tampa Bay Lightning forward has been electric, leading all players with three goals while matching teammate Zach Werenski’s four points. Guentzel was a force against Canada, lighting the lamp twice.
“Jake is a high-stakes player,” U.S. coach Mike Sullivan said. “He plays his very best when it means the most, and I don’t think there’s a stage big enough for him. … I’m not surprised at all.”
Werenski, in the midst of a standout season for the Columbus Blue Jackets, has been a stabilizing presence on the blue line. At just 26 years old, the American defense is relatively young, but Sullivan emphasized the importance of their play from the moment the roster was put together last summer.
“As talented as this team is, it’s hard to win a championship if you're not willing and committed to play defense,” Sullivan said. “We know this group is capable of scoring goals. Our challenge is to become a team and make sure we're committed to playing the game the right way. … For me, that gives us the opportunity to act on our talent.”
Injury Concern for the U.S.
One potential bump in the road for the Americans came in the third period of Saturday’s game when forward Matthew Tkachuk exited with a lower-body injury. There hasn’t been an update on his status yet, leaving some uncertainty heading into Monday’s game against Sweden.
Sweden’s Last Chance
Sweden enters its final round-robin game with a sliver of hope for making the championship game. Having lost 4-3 in back-to-back overtime heartbreakers against Canada and Finland, the Swedes need everything to go their way to stay in contention.
The best-case scenario? They defeat the U.S. outright and hope that the Canada-Finland matchup goes to overtime, which would give them a shot at sneaking in.
“It’s not great,” said forward William Nylander about Sweden’s tournament hopes heading into the Boston games. “We have two overtime losses in two games, so, I mean, we just better regroup here and play the game against (the U.S.), go win and hopefully the scores go our way.”
Sweden’s Defense Looking to Step Up
While results haven’t favored the Swedes, defenseman Erik Karlsson believes the team has more to offer.
“I don’t think (Saturday) we played as good as we were hoping to,” Karlsson admitted. “I don’t think that we reached the standards that we have set on ourselves in that room.”
Sweden’s defense has been aggressive offensively throughout the tournament. Lucas Raymond leads the team with three points, all assists, while Karlsson, Rasmus Dahlin, and Jonas Brodin have all found the back of the net from the blue line. Now, the only thing missing is a victory.
“It should be tight, it is tight, we are very disappointed not being the winning team,” Sweden coach Sam Hallam said after Saturday’s game.
Goaltending Questions
Between the pipes, Team USA has relied on Connor Hellebuyck, who has been rock-solid in the first two games. Meanwhile, Sweden’s goaltending situation is a bit uncertain. Filip Gustavsson was pulled in the first period against Finland due to illness, with Linus Ullmark, a former Boston Bruin, stepping in for relief.
Gustavsson was reportedly “feeling a bit under the weather,” according to Hallam, and it remains unclear who will get the start in net on Monday.
Looking Ahead
With the U.S. already securing their championship game berth, Sweden will be fighting for their tournament life. But don’t expect Team USA to take their foot off the gas.
Momentum matters, and the Americans have built plenty of it. They’ve proven they can win with speed, physicality, and elite playmaking. Whether Sweden manages to pull off the upset or not, one thing is certain—this U.S. squad has its eyes on the prize, and they won’t be slowing down anytime soon.
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USA dominates 4 Nations Face-Off with two regulation wins. Sweden fights for survival in a must-win showdown. Can the Swedes pull off an upset?
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