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Fighting Matthew Tkachuk: Drew Doughty would do “anything” for his country

Drew Doughty and Matthew Tkachuk have been rivals for years.

When Matthew Tkachuk was in Calgary (it feels like an eternity, doesn’t it?), the Flames and Kings had confrontations that led to outbursts.

And the two men have a history together.

The question we have to ask ourselves on the sidelines of the Canadian-American final of the Four Nations Tournament is: could the rivalry between the two men resume?

It’s not impossible.

And on this subject, Doughty was asked if he would accept a fight against Tkachuk, who obviously fought on Saturday night at the Bell Center, during Thursday night’s game in Boston.

And Doughty said he would do anything for his country.

Of course, Doughty couldn’t really say otherwise – but he didn’t necessarily have the face of a guy who looked totally excited about the idea of Paul Bissonnette.

The Kings defenseman spoke about timing for a potential fight.

On the one hand, if there was a fight, the Americans would lose a top attacker for a few minutes. But Canada, on the other hand, would play with a depth defenseman less. Like when Arber Xhekaj fights, kind of.

But since Tkachuk is injured, it could end his game… and his tournament, by force of circumstance. And that’s probably why there are many people who will hope that a Canadian player – not necessarily Doughty – will engage in a fight with Matthew Tkachuk.

In a burst

– Is Charlie McAvoy infected?

– To read.

– Ouch.

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Cole Caufield among potential replacements for the four-nation finals

The Canadian will be back in training at 2 p.m. this afternoon in Brossard.

We have to wonder who will be present at training. Because for now, the only certainty we have is that Samuel Montembeault will not be returning to the team environment.

He is the only CH player still alive in the Four Nations Confrontation.

Will Joel Armia and Patrik Laine, who were eliminated yesterday, be present at training? Will Josh Anderson and the club’s other injured players be there? Will the snow delay the arrival of some guys in town? Will Emil Heineman be skating?

In short, several questions arise.

But I, the one I’ll be watching, is Cole Caufield. Because if he’s not there, it’s possible that it’s due to the snow… but it’s also possible that it’s because the American team might need him.

Because yes, it’s possible that the Americans might need Cole Caufield to fill in for the many injuries at the Four Nations.

This morning, on BPM Sports, Renaud Lavoie talked about the fact that Clayton Keller, Jason Robertson, and Cole Caufield are three names to watch if the Americans need reinforcements.

Does the fact that Clayton Keller and Jason Robertson play in the West make a potential recall more difficult? Not necessarily… especially since the guys may not be physically in Salt Lake City or Dallas at the moment.

But anyway. All this to say that recalls, if they happen, are to be watched for the American formation.

But let’s be honest: against Jordan Binnington, Cole Caufield would be able to make his mark and score in a final, if the Americans need him.

overtime

Given the injuries during the tournament, Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton must hope that Bill Guerin doesn’t call Montreal to see if Caufield could be available for Thursday.

The Montreal Canadian has managed to fare well in terms of injuries since the start of the tournament: it must not change.

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Charlie McAvoy hospitalized and several Americans injured: chaos in the United States

The Americans are not exactly in top form right now, in the Four Nations Confrontation.

You’ll tell me that the Canadians also have guys who aren’t exactly at 100% – and that’s true. But the case of the Americans is particularly flagrant, right now.

Charlie McAvoy being hospitalized in the middle of a game (he wasn’t playing, but still) for an upper-body injury, that’s not exactly reassuring, you understand. I don’t expect him to play on Thursday, let’s say… nor even in the Bruins’ next game.

The Bruins’ owner must not be exactly happy because his player will return injured from the tournament. This wouldn’t have happened in a regular All-Star Game, anyway.

Of course, he must not be the only owner/GM/coach who isn’t happy to see the wave of injuries. Because the Americans, right now, are quite injured.

Matthew Tkachuk didn’t play yesterday’s game. Auston Matthews (upper body) didn’t play yesterday’s game. Brady Tkachuk, who got injured during the game, didn’t finish yesterday’s game. #Precaution

It’s not going well… and the managers, even if they know that some of these guys might play on Thursday, must be thinking of alternative solutions for the rest of the tournament.

If I had to bet, I’d say the Tkachuks will play on Thursday, that McAvoy will be absent… and that captain Auston Matthews will be a game-time decision by his managers.

What’s a shame is that, ideally, we’d have a real final. We don’t want it to be uneven.

Because Canada had the right to recall Thomas Harley for Saturday’s game when Cale Makar was absent, I expect the Americans to get reinforcements.

After all, the NHL doesn’t want the Americans to play without any reinforcements when Canada had the right to do so. If Canada had to win, it would be too much of a scream south of the border.

Which players could be recalled? Renaud Lavoie, this morning on BPM Sports, mentioned the names of Cole Caufield, Clayton Keller, and Jason Robertson.

Hmm…

In a rush

– Expect to see Jordan Binnington in front of the net on Thursday.

– The Blue Jays are in trouble.

– Sidney Crosby, an inspiration.

– Good question.

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Sweden saves its honor against battered Americans

The United States and Sweden faced off on Monday evening in a meaningless game. Regardless of the outcome, the Americans and Canadians were set to meet in the final of the 4 Nations tournament.

However, the Swedes could still salvage their honor and earn a third-place finish ahead of their Finnish rivals with a single point.

Here is the lineup for Sweden:

And here is the lineup for the United States, who had to do without Auston Matthews, Matthew Tkachuk, Charlie McAvoy, and Connor Hellebuyck.

The Swedes also had to do without a few players who were affected by a virus. Linus Ullmark was one of them, and he had to give up his place to Samuel Ersson.

The latter had a great start to the game. Chris Kreider only needed 35 seconds to open the scoring.

The Americans then held their breath when Brady Tkachuk came into contact with the opponent’s goal. He had to retire to the dressing room, in pain, but he returned to the game a bit later in the match.

The Swedes were determined to leave the tournament with at least one win. Gustav Nyquist created the equalizer in the middle of the first period.

Then, less than six minutes later, Jesper Bratt finally gave Sweden the lead.

His wrist shot from the left circle was his first goal of the tournament.

After one period, the score was 2-1 in favor of Sweden.

We had a second period that was a bit calmer in terms of goals.

Brady Tkachuk, who was injured earlier in the game, had returned to play for a few shifts in the first period. However, the Americans decided not to bring him back into the game after the first intermission as a precaution.

It’s been a chaotic game, and not just for the players! Official Wes McCauley was injured during the game and had to be replaced.

It’s almost an insult to see that Ersson didn’t receive the first star of the game. It’s the author of the winning goal, Jesper Bratt, who got it.

The second period was really calm in terms of hockey. Neither team reached the plateau of 10 shots during the period, and no goals were scored.

The Swedes were still ahead 2-1 after 40 minutes of play.

Another period means another injury! Gustav Nyquist was the other victim of this game, having to leave for the dressing room in the third period.

Samuel Ersson was perhaps the third goalkeeper for Sweden, but he was excellent against the Americans. After conceding a goal in the first minute of the game, he was not beaten for the rest of the match.

The Americans tried everything to come back, removing Jake Oettinger at the end of the game, but Samuel Ersson remained solid in front of his net.

It’s almost an insult to see that Ersson didn’t receive the first star of the game. It’s the author of the winning goal, Jesper Bratt, who got it.

Sweden won the game 2-1.

The United States will have two days of rest before the final of the 4 Nations tournament, which will take place on Thursday against Canada.

Overtime

Despite the loss, the Americans remain at the top of the standings at the conclusion of the preliminary round with six points.

The Canadians follow closely with five points and will face them in the final on Thursday.

With this win, the Swedes take third place with a total of five points. Their loss to Canada puts them behind the Canadians in the standings.

And the Finns complete the standings with a meager two points.

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For once, Mitch Marner or Auston Matthews will win something

The Maple Leafs have had no success in the playoffs in recent years. They have not had the chance to win the Stanley Cup in several decades, mainly because they have only won one series in the last 19 seasons.

It’s quite crazy to see this considering they have several talented players in their ranks like Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner.

The good news for them is that one of these players will finally win a trophy at the professional level!

Matthews, who plays with the United States, and Marner, who plays with Canada, will face each other in the final of the 4 Nations Face-Off, on Thursday. Regardless of the result, Maple Leafs fans will be happy to see one of their players lift a trophy.

This is not the first time these players have played with their national team. Marner represented Canada at the World Junior Championship in 2016, but did not win anything. The same goes for Matthews, who did not win at the World Junior Championships in 2015 and 2016.

Marner also represented Canada at the World Championship in 2017, but he still has not won with the Canadian team, just like Matthews with the Americans at the World Championship in 2016.

Matthews also played for the North American team (under 23) in the World Cup of Hockey in 2016, but that team did not even make it to the final.

Both players have not had the expected impact so far in their participation in the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Auston Matthews, who is recognized as a great goal scorer, has not scored any goals in two games. He has only one assist.

For Marner, it’s the same thing. He has only one point in three games. It’s his overtime goal in the first game of Canada against Sweden.

Auston Matthews is bothered by an upper body injury and had to miss the last game of the United States in the qualifying round, but it would not be surprising to see him back in uniform for the final.

I’m not a fan of the Maple Leafs, but I would be happy to see Mitch Marner score another winning goal like he did in the first game of Canada against Sweden.

In a hurry

– P.K. Subban was inspired by Michel Therrien.

– Crosby is incredible.

– This dog has a good owner!

– Michel Therrien did not like the booing before the Canada-USA game.

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“Also dim-witted as their president” : Guy A. Lepage does not like the Tkachuk brothers

If you follow Guy A. Lepage on social media, you already know that he doesn’t mince his words. When he disagrees with something, he says it clearly.

It seems that Guy A. Lepage has been following Canada’s matches in the 4 Nations tournament, and it appears that he wasn’t impressed with the performance of the Tkachuk brothers during the Canada vs. USA match.

In an Instagram post published on Monday evening, Lepage simply wrote “As stupid as their president” with a photo of the two brothers.

View this post on Instagram

 

View this post on Instagram

The Tkachuk brothers, who are Americans, have Donald Trump as their president. Let’s just say that with the recent problems caused by Trump in Canada, he hasn’t made many friends in the land of maple syrup.

Guy A. Lepage has therefore compared the stupidity of the actions of Brady and Matthew Tkachuk to the stupidity of Donald Trump’s actions. This is quite an intense comparison.

On the one hand, the Tkachuk brothers got into a fight during a hockey game because they were angry about their national anthem being booed. This is part of the game and they’re not the only ones to have done it. It takes an opponent to fight!

They received a five-minute penalty, and honestly, these fights really set the tone for an exciting game to watch. It’s a spectacle and the Tkachuk brothers know how to please the crowd!

And it’s not like the Tkachuk brothers only know how to fight. Matthew Tkachuk has collected three points in two games since the start of the tournament, and his brother Brady has two points in as many games. They’re complete players who use their skills to disrupt the opponent.

On the other hand, we’re talking about a president who imposes huge tariffs on Canada as a threat to get what he wants. Let’s just say that affects the world a lot more than a few punches thrown during a hockey fight.

The comments under Guy A. Lepage’s post are very divided. Many people think like him, while others think they provided a good show by playing by the rules.

Anyway, Canada will have the chance to get revenge in the final of the 4 Nations tournament. The Tkachuk brothers might stay calmer in a ultimate match.

Rapid Fire

– Speaking of Donald Trump.

– The French are going to start loving hockey.

– Can’t wait for the return of Emil Heineman.

– Hilarious!

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Patrik Laine stayed on the ice for almost six minutes straight in the third period

Patrik Laine greatly needed a change of scenery as the Four Nations Confrontation break approached. He was alternating between the third and fourth trio in Montreal and his production was lacking.

With Finland, Laine found success. He managed to collect three assists, which puts him in third place in this chapter in the tournament, tied with players like Sam Reinhart, Lucas Raymond, and Jack Eichel.

The only two players who have collected more assists than him so far are Sidney Crosby and Zach Werenski. Given this strong offensive production, his head coach, Antti Pennanen, showed confidence in him by leaving him on the ice for a long time in the third period against Canada on Monday.

In fact, Laine stayed on the ice for 5:34 consecutive minutes at the end of the game against Canada.

Number 92 finished the game with a total playing time of 16:39.

Laine was on the ice for Finland’s last two goals, which gave Canada a serious scare.

The Canadiens’ forward even earned an assist on Mikael Granlund’s first goal, and even though he didn’t score on the sequence, this assist can be described as vintage Laine.

He tried his shot on reception from the left circle, then recovered the rebound, without moving, to pass it to Granlund.

Finland’s head coach had kind words for Patrik Laine at the press conference after the game.

Pennanen liked Laine’s performance during the tournament and even explained that he believes Laine came out of it better than he was before the start of the competition.

This is good news for Canadiens fans. A good tournament could give Laine great confidence, which could help him find his bearings again when he returns to the Tricolore uniform.

In a hurry

– It’s funny!

– Canadiens fans love Subban.

– Good question.

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Choice of goalkeeper for the final: Binnington didn’t give any super arguments today

Canada has obtained its ticket to the final of the 4 Nations Tournament this afternoon thanks to a victory against Finland.

Were you stuck in the entrance and couldn’t watch the game?

I published a summary of the meeting that you can find right here:

What do we take away from the meeting?

Canada’s big guns were good.

Crosby, McDavid, MacKinnon (twice) and Point scored, and that allowed Canada to beat the Finns with a score of 5-3.

I often say: it helps when the best are the best!

Despite the victory, we have to talk about Jordan Binnington’s performance.

Because, uh… Let’s just say Canada’s goalkeeper scared the rest of his teammates at the end of the game.

Binnington was solid for 18 minutes, but he didn’t deliver in the last two minutes of the game.

Finland scored twice, and at one point, it was 4-3 for Finland… After Canada’s 3-0 lead during the game.

So my question is: what do we do for the next game?

Do we still give Binnington the advantage, even if he’s been ordinary in his last two starts? Again, he did the job today… But he collapsed in the last moments of the game.

And you can’t have a goalkeeper who gives up those goals on Thursday against the United States.

In three games, Binnington has a goals-against average of 2.60 and a save percentage of .892.

It’s not ideal, and you have to wonder if Canada’s management is questioning things right now.

On the one hand, Binnington is the one who “brought” the team to the final. But on the other hand, Binnington hasn’t been extremely solid in front of his net… And it’s normal to question what the plan is for Thursday’s game.

Rapid Fire

– Oh no.

– Wow!

– Good reporting.

– Good read.

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Canada beats Finland and secures its spot in the final

Canada had the chance to reach the final of the Four Nations Tournament this afternoon.

All it took… Was a victory in regulation time against Patrik Laine, Joel Armia, and Finland.

Cale Makar returned to the lineup and Travis Konecny took Seth Jarvis’s place on offense for the occasion:

It was Jordan Binnington who got the start, and one has to wonder if in the locker room, the Canadian players told themselves they needed to score quickly to give him a lead.

Because that’s exactly what happened.

Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon scored in turn within the first five minutes of the game to allow the Maple Leaf to take the upper hand against Finland.

The big players of Canada showed up to play:

You could really feel that the Canadians wanted to send a message to their opponents at the start of the game.

Right after MacKinnon’s goal, Sam Reinhart delivered a big shoulder check to Mikko Rantanen:

Canada really took control of the game, and it showed in the last ten minutes of the first period.

But when I said that the big players of Canada showed up to play… It wasn’t a joke.

Brayden Point found the back of the net with just over seven minutes left on the clock, and Connor McDavid picked up his second point of the match.

3-0 Canada (already!):

If everything worked for Canada in the first period… We can say they managed to start things off right at the beginning of the second period.

Nathan MacKinnon scored his second goal of the match while positioned in the slot.

He took advantage of a pass from his buddy, Sidney Crosby, to fool the Finnish goaltender.

MacKinnon also ended Kevin Lankinen’s night:

In the first 40 minutes of the match, Connor McDavid was everywhere on the ice.

He almost allowed Canada to take a 5-0 lead:

In the third period, we saw Finland wake up a bit… But it was already too late.

Esa Lindell cut the deficit to 4-1 with just under seven minutes to play:

Finland was never really in the game in the end… Except at the end of the match.

Mikael Granlund scored two late goals to bring hope back to Finland.

With just over a minute to play, it was 4-3 for Canada…

But Sidney Crosby scored into an empty net, and Canada won the match by a score of 5-3.

Connor McDavid finished the match with two points (one goal and one assist), just like Nathan MacKinnon (two goals).

Overtime

Canada thus secures its spot in the final.

They will face the United States on Thursday night in a match that will be held in Boston.

The crowd is likely to be loud… And it promises to be a really thrilling match!

Until then, note that the Americans will be in action tonight.

They will face Sweden in their last preliminary match of the tournament.

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Two assists for Demidov: He is now in the top-10 of the best scorers in the KHL

Have you been told that Ivan Demidov is a good hockey player?

No joke, the Canadiens’ prospect stood out (again) today in his game.

And this, even though he was (again) one of the least utilized forwards by his coach.

Demidov spent just over 13 minutes on the ice (13:14), but that was enough for him to collect his 47th and 48th points of the season.

He registered two assists in his team’s victory (5-3) against Severstal Tcherepovets:

Things are going really well for Demidov recently.

He is on a nice streak: the forward has scored no less than 28 points in his last 22 games… And his recent performances have allowed him to break into the top 10 scorers in the KHL today.

Of course, this deserves recognition.

Not only because he is 19 years old… But also because he is really less used than the other most productive players in the league:

(Credit: KHL)

One must say that Ivan Demidov is providing good arguments to the fans and to the Canadiens organization.

We all knew he had great talent at the last draft… But seeing him dominate the KHL under the circumstances we know adds even more importance to his selection.

And that’s why we all can’t wait to see him arrive in Montreal. He says he can’t wait to play for the Canadiens too!

The good news in all this? It’s coming…

In Brief

– That’s good.

– What do you think?

– This could help with his confidence.

– What to expect from the Jays in 2025?