Breaking down the Bruins’ performances in the 4 Nations Face-Off
The 4 Nations Face-Off concluded on Thursday night, with Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid ripping the tournament-winning overtime goal past the glove of Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck to secure the 3-2 victory for Canada over the United States in the championship game at TD Garden.
The Boston Bruins had five players across three teams who competed for their nations in the tournament. So, let’s break down the impact each player had for their country in the 4 Nations Face-Off.
Canada
Bruins captain Brad Marchand was the only Bruin to compete for the tournament winning Canadian team. Marchand played in four games for Canada. He scored the second Canadian goal in the opening game — a 4-3 overtime victory against Sweden.
Marchand also nearly sealed the tournament for Canada with a breakaway in overtime against the USA, but he was unable to get the puck on net. Overall, the 36-year-old was one of the more notable Bruins in the tournament and was a strong impact player for his team.
Team USA
Defenseman Charlie McAvoy was one of two Bruins playing for the America. The 27-year-old stood out in the first matchup against Canada on Saturday night and made headlines with a thunderous check on McDavid that went viral on the internet.
McAvoy played in the first two games for the US, but suffered a controversial shoulder injury and infection that caused him to miss the remainder of the tournament. The injury stirred up a lot of public attention because it was reportedly suffered in the opening matchup against Finland, yet he still played during Saturday’s game versus Canada. Upon returning to Boston, McAvoy was admitted to Massachusetts General Hospital and received overnight treatment.
McAvoy’s injury status going forward is unknown. He is ruled out for Saturday’s game against the Ducks. Bruins head coach Joe Sacco said on Wednesday the team does not expect the defenseman to be back in the “short term,” via NHL.
Goaltender Jeremy Swayman was also rostered for the US, but he did not get playing time in the tournament — Hellebuyck and Dallas Star Jake Oettinger received the nods.
Sweden
Forward Elias Lindholm was the only Bruin playing for team Sweden. He played in three games and had no significant stats of note in the tournament, but overall he was a minus-two and served two penalty minutes.
Conclusion
Overall, the 4 Nations Face-Off was a massive success for the NHL and the game of hockey as a whole. Although the Bruins players in the tournament only combined for one point, the members that represented their countries performed well on the international stage.
The Bruins will restart their season on Saturday against the Anaheim Ducks, as they look to make a final regular season push for a bid to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They are currently one point outside of the Eastern Conference Wild Card, but the four teams ahead of them have games in hand. So, the Bruins will have an uphill battle in their remaining 25 games.
Luke Graham is a digital sports content co-op for 98.5 the Sports Hub. He is currently a sophomore communications student at Northeastern University. Follow him on X @LukeGraham05.
