U.S. Player Ratings: Tkachuk brothers steal the show
Here’s a look at the star-studded U.S. squad, and how each player performed Thursday night.
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When you enter a tournament with very little time to practice alongside your new teammates, chemistry can be hard to come by.
It helps if you’re brothers.
Matthew and Brady Tkachuk stole the show Thursday night — separately, at first, with older brother Matthew packing a punch on the top line while the younger Brady opened scoring on the third and brought his signature physical edge. But when USA head coach Mike Sullivan made a mid-game adjustment to bring the two together up top? Well, that changed this story completely.
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Through the first 40 minutes of Thursday’s matchup against Finland, the Finns won the puck battle, giving their foes in stars and stripes very little room to play. They were the first to light the lamp, too, surprising USA with an early marker in the first frame. But once the Americans finally started scoring, there was no questioning the outcome of this game.
Sparked by a pair of goals just 11 seconds apart early in the third period, USA defeated Finland 6-1 in what was a physical affair.
The Americans entered this tournament as favourites, the assembly of players the deepest U.S. roster the nation has ever put together. Considering how the evening unfolded against Finland, it’s easy to see why. Here’s a look at the star-studded U.S. squad, and how each player performed Thursday night.
Jack Eichel: 9/10
Eichel started the game alongside one Tkachuk and finished it sandwiched between the two as the perfect setup man for the top-line brothers. His speedy zone entries and sharp set-up abilities were on full display all night — he set up both brothers in the third period — and that chemistry should continue against Canada on Saturday.
Kyle Connor: 6.5/10
Connor’s quiet night came as a bit of a surprise, considering he entered the tournament as the top-scoring American in the NHL and started Thursday’s game suiting up on the team’s top line alongside Eichel and Matthew Tkachuk. His demotion to the third line late in the second period reflects that slow start, but once there, Connor was quick to contribute with his new linemates — his helper on Matt Boldy’s game-winning goal soon after being bumped reflects his versatility in this star-studded lineup.
Matthew Tkachuk: 10/10
The heart and soul of the Stanley Cup champs down in Florida brought that same grit and goal-scoring to the top line of the American squad, leading the club with two goals and an assist — including one to help set up brother Brady’s third-period marker — and was named the game’s top player for his efforts. Watching him play alongside his younger brother was a joy.
Brady Tkachuk: 10/10
From a gritty first goal to get the Americans on the board to a pretty backhander to help close things out in a statement game, Brady Tkachuk’s night read like a storybook. After earning a promotion mid-game from the third line to the first, Brady brought the checking-line energy to the top trio, finishing the matchup with a team-leading eight hits to go with his pair of goals.
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Jake Guentzel: 8/10
Thursday marked Guentzel’s first game representing his nation at any level, and he made the most of the opportunity, hitting his stride — along with the rest of his squad — in the third period. Just 11 seconds after assisting on Matthew Tkachuk’s power-play marker to open the third frame, Guentzel got a goal of his own with a five-hole shot to give the Americans a solid 4-1 lead.
Auston Matthews: 8/10
The chemistry and style of the Brothers Tkachuk made for the biggest story of the game, but Matthews’ instant chemistry with linemate Jack Hughes looked pretty natural, too — not to mention, really fun. The boos that rained down early on from the Montreal crowd cooled down, but his game heated up — and while he wasn’t prolific on the stat sheet, tallying just one assist, Matthews’ team-leading ice time among USA forwards tells us just how happy head coach Mike Sullivan is with his captain’s tournament-opening efforts.
Jack Hughes: 8/10
With three shots on net but none that lit the lamp, Hughes’ strong play alongside his captain and Guentzel wasn’t really reflected on the scoresheet, but considering his quick chemistry with his captain, Matthughes — can we call them that? — seems due for a breakthrough soon.
J.T. Miller: 7/10
The early theme for Team USA in this tournament? Physicality. Miller, known for being a vocal teammate and a physical presence, wasted no time sending that message and setting the tone with a net-front scuffle in Finland’s zone in the first minute of the game. He may have also made the save of the matchup, blocking a shot from Teuvo Teravainen that would’ve seen the Finns regain their first-period lead.
Matthew Boldy: 8/10
After setting up Brady Tkachuk’s goal to tie things up 1-1 in the first period, Boldy scored one of his own in the second when he smartly tipped a shot from Wild teammate Brock Faber that ultimately served as the game-winner. During a post-game interview, Matthew Tkachuk credited Boldy’s marker with giving the team a much-needed jolt of energy in what had been a tight game through much of the first 40 minutes.
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Vincent Trocheck: 7/10
Known for his solid faceoff percentage in league play, Trocheck once again provided a reliable presence on the dot. He delivered a few well-timed hits early and came up clutch with some blocked shots, too.
Brock Nelson: 6/10
Nelson pounced on a puck early in the first frame and caught Saros by surprise with a sharp shot that beat him — but not the crossbar — in what was an otherwise uneventful night for the depth forward, whose 9:42 of ice time ranked lowest on the team.
Dylan Larkin: 7/10
It’s hard to stand out when you’re playing on the fourth line of a star-studded club, but Larkin’s role on this squad is well-defined, and he played it accordingly. Larkin, who played just 11:14 Thursday night, was held off the scoresheet but still made an impact with some solid PK play and a trio of hits in what was a physical game.
Zach Werenski: 9/10
With Quinn Hughes unable to play due to injury, all eyes were fixed on whether Werenski — who co-owns the league lead in scoring among defencemen alongside Hughes — could pick up the slack. The answer was a resounding yes — No. 8 was great Thursday night, contributing a team-high three assists while logging major minutes with a team-leading 21:45.
Charlie McAvoy: 7/10
Like Matthews, McAvoy didn’t exactly get the warmest reception in Montreal. His game took a little while to heat up, too. Suiting up alongside Werenski, McAvoy didn’t stand out and, in fact, led USA defenders in giveaways, with three.
Jaccob Slavin: 7/10
Sullivan turned to Slavin early and often in this matchup, the Hurricanes defenceman logging the second-most minutes on the squad. He came up with two blocked shots in what was otherwise a quietly solid effort for the veteran rearguard.
Adam Fox: 7/10
He wasn’t the best defender on the ice Thursday night, but let’s consider this one a chemistry-builder. Having Fox stride alongside another smooth skater in Slavin is an enticing duo, and it showed.
Noah Hanifin: 6/10
The only USA defenceman with a minus rating and ice time below 15 minutes, Hanifin’s night was fairly forgettable, save for a breakaway scoring chance that saw him sprung from the penalty box but stumped by Saros.
Brock Faber: 8/10
Faber’s heads-up play from the blue line late in the second period, which saw him fire a puck on net for Wild teammate Matt Boldy to tip, was a beautiful sight for those watching in The State of Hockey. The youngest player on USA’s squad fit right in on the club’s loaded blue line, getting plenty of opportunity in the wake of Quinn Hughes’ absence.
Connor Hellebuyck: 8/10
The NHL’s top goaltender in just about every stat that matters, Hellebuyck didn’t exactly steal the show on Thursday night — but he didn’t have to. Aside from a knuckle-puck that fooled him stick-side early in the first frame, giving the Finns the game-opening score, Hellebuyck held strong with a 20-save performance.
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