Sweden looks for Nylander to take another step at 4 Nations
Published
Team USA defeated Finland 6-1 at the Bell Centre in Montreal on Thursday. Team Sweden and Team Canada held media availabilities.
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The 4 Nations Face-Off didn't start well for William Nylander.
The Swedish winger took a penalty on the opening shift of Wednesday's game, which led to Canada's opening goal. The Toronto Maple Leafs star also committed a turnover, which led to the third Canadian goal. Nylander finished with two shots and a zero in the points column.
"He has one more step in him, definitely," said Team Sweden head coach Sam Hallam. "I think for a lot of our guys, we grew as a team, as a group, but we still think that we have one more step to take here."
Nylander logged 20 minutes and 30 seconds on Wednesday, which led all Swedish forwards. He'll be in line for another heavy workload on Saturday afternoon when Sweden plays rival Finland at the Bell Centre.
"As the game went he looked more and more secure and confident," Hallam noted. "Hopefully we can make sure to give him the puck in the right situations even more on Saturday."
If Sweden is going to win this tournament, Nylander will likely need to lead the way offensively. He's scored more goals, 33, than any other player at the event.
Nylander is a breakaway machine in the NHL, but couldn't quite get free during Wednesday's 4-3 overtime loss to Canada. The 28-year-old started the game on a line with New York Rangers centre Mika Zibanejad and Pittsburgh Penguins winger Rickard Rakell. As the game progressed, he started to see more shifts with Vancouver Canucks centre Elias Pettersson and Nashville Predators winger Filip Forsberg.
"He's a phenomenal player," Forsberg said. "It was a few shifts together with me and him and Petey and if somebody would have told me I was playing with those guys a couple years ago I'd be very happy. I just got to try and be strong on the puck, get them the opportunity with time, and then try to get open."
The Leafs have won just one playoff series since Nylander broke into the league during the 2015-16 season, but the Stockholm resident has established some clutch credentials. He scored all three of Toronto's goals in Games 6 and 7 of the playoff series against the Boston Bruins last year. Nylander has scored 15 goals in his last 29 Stanley Cup playoff games dating back four years.
"Just the poise he's got," said Forsberg when asked what stands out about Nylander. "He's so fast and has that poise to almost slow the game down. When he's got the puck on his stick good things always happen."
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Nylander was booed by the fans in Montreal during the starting lineup introduction on Wednesday.
Leafs captain Auston Matthews, who is also wearing the 'C' for Team USA, was jeered upon being introduced during the opening ceremony before the Canada-Sweden game.
"I was kind of expecting it so it's all good," the Arizona native said prior to Thursday's game against Finland.
Matthews also hears it from fans when the Leafs visit the Bell Centre.
"We play here quite a bit and I'm pretty accustomed to the boos – especially in this building," he said. "I take it as a good thing or maybe as a sign of respect. This is a great building to play in on the road and it's always a great atmosphere in here."
Matthews smiled through the boos as he joined former USA star goalie Mike Richter on the ice as part of the opening ceremony while Teemu Selanne joined Finnish captain Aleksander Barkov and Daniel Alfredsson stood by fellow Swede Victor Hedman.
The biggest roar of the night came when Montreal native Mario Lemieux walked out to join Canadian captain Sidney Crosby.
"Pretty incredible," Matthews said. "I don't think anybody saw or knew it was coming so just to see that reaction and the chants and then them screaming his name throughout the end of the ceremony was pretty cool."
The boos continued to rain down on Matthews on Thursday night when the United States opened their tournament against Finland.
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Matthews and Team USA moved into the Canadiens dressing room on Thursday morning.
"It's nice to use the facilities and stuff, but definitely a little strange," said Matthews, who also had access to the space during the 2016 World Cup when he suited up for Team North America and played an exhibition game at the Bell Centre.
Defenceman Charlie McAvoy marvelled at all the history on the walls as he sat in his stall wearing a Boston Bruins shirt.
"I know it's usually a hostile environment here when you're playing against these guys," he said. "Played [here] in the World Juniors, play Montreal twice a year here, and we're the enemy."
So, is it weird to be behind enemy lines?
McAvoy shakes his head.
"This isn't the NHL," he said. "This is different."
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Matthews watched Mitch Marner score the overtime winner for Canada on Wednesday night, but did not send a message to his Leafs teammate.
"I'm happy for him," Matthews said. "I love Mitchy. He's one of my closest friends, [but] in this situation of playing on different teams, I think the main focus is just on your team right now and focusing on that. I'm happy for him. Obviously it wasn't against our team, so it was cool to see him in that moment. Being from Canada and playing in Montreal that moment, it's a big one, so it's pretty cool to be able to see him be able to do that."
Matthews, Marner and Nylander have made a conscious decision to avoid contact during the tournament and focus only on their national teams.
One of the tweaks at the 4 Nations Face-Off is the length of 3-on-3 overtime. It is 10 minutes instead of five like in NHL regular season games. Marner's goal came six minutes and six seconds into the extra frame.
Should the NHL look at extending overtime in the regular season?
"Something to look at for sure," Matthews said. "I think the shootout, especially in a tournament like this, you don't want to see a game go to a shootout. Like, that 3-on-3 was so exciting, there was so much back and forth, so definitely something to look at."
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Matthews came close to ending his goal drought on Thursday, but saw a first-period shot clang off the crossbar. Matthews has now gone seven straight games without a goal. Still, he continues to influence the game in many different ways.
Matthews drew a hooking penalty on Finnish defenceman Olli Määttä right at the end of the second period, which led to a Matthew Tkachuk power-play goal early in the third period.
Later, Matthews picked up the primary assist on a goal by Tampa Bay Lightning winger Jake Guentzel, which extended the American lead to 4-1.
"He's just an unbelievable player," said Guentzel. "Seeing it up close, you realize how good he is, the plays he makes, and he's always in the right spot, so it was a lot of fun for me."
Matthews is playing on a line with Guentzel and New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes.
Matthews now has a five-game assist streak going with eight helpers during this stretch.
What did Guentzel notice while playing his first game on a line with Matthews?
"Just his play through the neutral zone," Guentzel said. "And it's really tough to get the puck off his stick. He's such a gifted player."
Matthews was not available to the media following Thursday's game.
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Matthews played 19 minutes and 52 seconds to lead all American forwards in ice time.
Marner, meanwhile, played 21 minutes and six seconds, which trailed only Connor McDavid among Canada's forwards. It's clear Marner has the trust of Jon Cooper.
"He is not the fastest kid on the ice," Canada's head coach noted. "He doesn't have the hardest shot on the ice. He doesn't do a whole bunch of things that a lot of guys on both teams do better than him. But it is really hard to sit here and say, 'Was there a better player?' He puts himself at that elite level with the way he thinks the game and processes the game at such a high level and at such a high rate of speed. That is why he is the player he is."
Cooper first coached Marner at the 2017 World Championship and has consistently praised him ever since.
"I have watched him close up," Cooper continued. "I have coached against him in playoff series. I have watched what he can do. There are not too many guys who can excel as a power play player, a penalty killer, a 5-on-5 guy, and at 3-on-3. Mitch can do it all. I have watched this kid grow from when he was a kid in pro hockey to what he is now. He just keeps getting better."
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Team USA lines at the end of Thursday's game:
B. Tkachuk - Eichel - M. Tkachuk
Guentzel - Matthews - Hughes
Connor - Miller- Boldy
Nelson - Trocheck - Larkin
Slavin - Fox
Werenski - McAvoy
Hanifin - Faber
Hellebuyck starts
Oettinger