Grades, top players from Canada’s victory in 4 nations face-off

The opening match in Face-off 2025 4 Nations was quite a bit closer than the Canadian fans in Montreal could have wished, but their side won a win over Sweden, 4-3 overtime.

A Victorious Canada earned two points for his OT victory while Sweden got one. Sweden’s next matchup is against Finland Saturday (13:00 ET, ABC/ESPN+) and Canada will play next Saturday against the US (20.00, ABC/ESPN+/Disney+).

But before we close the books on this game, let’s classify both teams, identify our biggest takeaways and look ahead to the most important players to watch and the biggest questions for each team’s next game.

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Classification of the teams

Canada: B.

It’s hard to give Canada something less than a ‘B’ class here, though they may have earned something lower. To blow up a 2-0 lead in the first period and a 3-1 third period lead to win over time meant that Canada could not earn a three-point regulatory gain over Sweden. But they earned two points for an overtime gain thanks to Mitch Marner’s efforts at. 06:06 of a hectic extra session – deposit on Sidney Crosby’s third primary assistant to the game.

So it’s a ‘b’ on a curve. They won the game. They then played five defenders for over two periods thanks to an injury to Shea Theodore. At times, they looked like an unstoppable hockey machine that could score as desired and limit an opponent’s chances of zero. At other times, they looked like a group of star players who had limited practice time together and occasionally tried to do too much on their own.

But Victory was theirs who were on their way into Saturday evening’s showdown with the US the sweet part: that Crosby, whose status of the tournament was unsure after sitting Pittsburgh Penguins’ last two matches, was the best player on the ice. (With Mario Lemieux in the house no less.) – – Greg Wyshynski

Sweden: B-

Was takeaway from Sweden’s first match, the fact that it fell afterwards with two goals before the first period ended? Or is it more about the fact that it overcomes a two-goal deficit to send the game to overtime and almost won it on a few chances?

The deficit in the first period was somewhat corrected by a much more coherent second period that saw Sweden cut the lead to 2-1. But that was when Sweden trusted its collective. There was Rasmus Dahlin who clears the puck out of the crisis. Victor Hedman was among those who actively used their sticks in the passing track, while others like Viktor Arvidsson provided checks. Joel Eriksson Ek was almost the hero and scored the binding goal while drawing Sweden’s first punishment.

It was the kind of overall performance that reinforces why Sweden could be a problem in this tournament. But falling behind early also talked about how Sweden’s opening game could have been different if these problems could have been avoided. — Ryan S. Clark

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What we learned

Canada’s PP1 is the most scary thing in hockey

While 4 Nations Face-off replaced the NHL All-Star Game this season, Canada’s top power-play device is a suitable stand-in for superstars creating magic together.

Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Nathan Mackinnon, Cale Makar, Sam Reinhart … It’s like a human cheat code. They were as unstoppable as announced in the first minute of the tournament after William Nylander took a high -stinging penalty of 44 seconds. Makar held the puck by the blue line, which led to McDavid and Crosby played brief catch near the boards. Crosby sent a blistering backhand pass through the curl to an open Mackinnon who buried his chance for the 1-0 lead.

When asked how he would stop that quintet, Brad Marchand joked: “I would probably set three goals in the net and just let them try to do the job.” Even that may not have prevented the target. — Wyshynski

What if Sweden didn’t have a slow start?

Instead of losing overtime, perhaps Sweden is the one who goes away and wins his opening game. Either way, this is one of the questions that three Kronor will be left behind in his Saturday showdown against Finland.

But think back on how this game started: It’s one thing to take a penalty within the first minute. But surrendering a goal within the first 20 seconds of Power Play – then give up another goal before you even record your first shot? And not go off your First shot until 4:45 remained in the first period? This was far from the start Sweden. In fact, Canada had a 60% shot part in the first period, which amplifies how much the controlled possession.

Falling into the two-target deficit also emphasized why Sweden had to trust its collective, which it did. Sweden had three goal scorers, while Filip Gustavsson continued to expand the game until Marner’s overtime winner. But there were still challenges-such as how Sweden had difficulty consisting of generating high-colors scoring or how it did not draw a penalty before the third period.

Sweden showed that it can come back after falling afterwards. But how does it work if it falls into another early hole on Saturday against Finland? Can it find a breakthrough against Juuse Saros? And what would it look like against the United States on Monday knowing that Sweden would try to find an opening against reigning Vezina Trophy -winner Connor Hellebuyck? — Clark

Is there a Canadian measuring controvers?

Canada coach Jon Cooper anointed St. Louis Blues goalkeeper Jordan Binnington as his opening game starter over Adin Hill (Vegas) and Sam Montembeault (Montreal) and saw him give up three goals of 23 shots with different degrees of errors.

Sweden’s first goal was not quite on Binnington when Jonas Brodin scored on a moving screen of Rickard Rakell. Adrian Kempe’s goal was a manageable shot from the gap. Eriksson ex goals was the product of a great Jesper Bratt Pass, but Binnington made him an advantage of swimming in his curl. Binnington’s best period was overtime with a few game -saving stops before Marner’s goal.

“This boy has played in some huge moments, some big games, he’s a competitor,” Cooper said as he named Binnington the starter. “These other guys will be ready to go if something happens.”

Then it probably happened against Sweden for Cooper to give the crisis to the Hill – a Stanley Cup winner of the Golden Knights – or Montembeault on Saturday night against Team USA? It’s a mystery. What is clear is that concerns that the goal is the formidable Team Canada’s Achilles’ heel has not been awarded. — Wyshynski

Sweden’s third goal could unlock something

Getting a tie was clearly crucial. But the way Lucas Raymond and Bratt combined to establish Eriksson ex goals in the third period was unlike any other goal that Sweden scored to that point.

Canada’s defensive structure was based on forcing Sweden to take longer distance shoots as a way to make it easier for Binnington to track the puck. And while Sweden scored two goals from the distance thanks to Brodin and Kempe, it struggled to find high-Danger scoring chances on the web front that Canada created at different points throughout the game.

Eriksson Ek won the Faceoff in Canada’s zone and then had the opportunity to get to the net front that gave him a chance to either screen Binnington or have what would be one of the lighter scoring chances for the game. He found the latter, and it gave Sweden a way towards finding more of these options. This tactic could prove to be useful over the next several days. — Clark

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Players to look at

The most talented player in the world had a secondary assist on Mackinnon’s Power-Play goal, but nothing else to talk about against Sweden. He had a shot at the target and didn’t generate anything in overtime where Mackinnon (four shots) seemed to do what McDavid usually does.

Since entering the NHL, McDavid is tied with Crosby for the third most 3-to-3 overtime goals during this period. Of course, Canada doesn’t mind if McDavid needed a game to get his tenant before detaching Fury on Team USA. Maybe he was like the rest of us and was too fascinated by a 37-year-old Crosby who dominated the game to focus on himself. — Wyshynski

There is an argument to have for Eriksson EK, considering that he scored the bond and Drew Sweden’s lonely punishment. But what Gustavsson did in regulation enabled Sweden to survive to give up with high-dinger scoring opportunities at a rate of 2 to 1, according to Natural State Trick.

But where it became even more clear was how the Minnesota Wild Goaltender repeatedly stopped shots from some of the game’s most dangerous players – such as Mackinnon on several occasions in overtime – before Marner’s winning goal. — Clark

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Big questions for the next game

What will Canada do without Shea Theodore?

Being well versed in 4 nations for replacement policy for injuries was the last thing Canadian fans would do during the tournament opener. But now they know that there are no reinforcements other than who is already on the schedule of Theodore out the rest of the event, according to Cooper.

Vegas Golden Knights Defender injured his hand while he relied on a hit by Kempe. He left in the second period and did not return to the third. Philadelphia Flyers Defender Travis Sanheim is the only blue line reserve for Team Canada.

Tournament rules say a team should fall under 18 healthy skaters to bring a not currently on the guard schedule as a replacement. So it will be Sanheim on Saturday night against Team USA. And if they lose another defender … yes, you snubbed Canadians might hold the phone near you on the beach. — Wyshynski

Which version of Sweden appears against Finland?

Will we see the version of Sweden that fell into an early deficit and slowly had to divide back into tying the scoring? Or the version that found ways to control possession and score goals despite having played against a defensive structure designed to force shots from distance?

Remove Mark Stone’s goal and the way Sweden appeared in the middle period provides insight into why this is an exciting team. To rely on his two-way ability to support Gustavsson-with that prerequisite it can lead to the goal game into the strategy of how Sweden could win games.

Overcoming a two-goal deficit and forcing overtime against what is considered to be the tournament favorite further proves that Sweden is dangerous. But it is only if Sweden can find a way to repeat what it did from the second period against two teams in Finland and the United States that have two of the leading goalies in the world. — Clark