Team USA falls 2-1 to Sweden in tune-up for 4 Nations championship game

Team USA had nothing to play for Monday night but pride, and the chase for an undefeated performance in the 4 Nations Face-Off. They came up short on the “perfect season” in a 2-1 loss to Team Sweden at TD Garden, but the game was ultimately a final tune-up for Thursday’s championship game against Canada more than anything else.

Boxford, Massachusetts native Chris Kreider, who drew into the lineup to replace the injured Matthew Tkachuk, opened the scoring for the Americans just 35 seconds into the game. Kreider finished a golden rebound opportunity on a rush, after the puck bounced to him off the post.

Sweden battled back to take a 2-1 lead by the end of the first period. Gustav Nyquist tied the game 1-1 at the 13:39 mark, then Jesper Bratt whipped a wrist shot past U.S. goaltender Jake Oettinger to put the Swedes up 2-1 with just 54 seconds left in the opening frame.

The teams battled to a stalemate over the final two periods. Sweden finished the tournament with a 1-2 record, with both losses coming in overtime, tied with Canada at five points.

Up Next: Team USA and Team Canada will square off one last time on Thursday night in the hotly anticipated 4 Nations Face-Off championship game.

Matt Dolloff is a writer and digital content producer for 98.5 The Sports Hub. Read all of his articles here.