USA dominates Finland in 4 Nations Face-Off with stars, stripes and a statement

For Team USA, it was a rough start but a grand Finnish. And yes, you can still play Free Bird!

Five New York Rangers were on the ice during Thursday night's 4-Nations Face-Off play — J.T. Miller, Vincent Trocheck, Adam Fox, Chris Kreider for Team USA and then Urho Vaakanainen for Finland. The Americans found themselves in early trouble, conceding the opening goal and struggling to match Finland's tempo through the first two periods of Thursday night's 4 Nations Face-Off opener at the Bell Centre. Yet in the third, Team USA put their skates down and rode their "Free Birds" to a 6-1 victory, powered by a dominant third period from the Tkachuk brothers, Brady and Matthew.

The final score might suggest an easy win, but this was far from a convincing performance for the pre-tournament favorites through 40 minutes. It was up for grabs until early in the third when Finnish goaltender and Juuse Saros allowed a pair of soft goals, turning a close game into a rout, eliciting "SAAR-ROOOS" and "It’s all your fault!" taunts and from the U.S. faithful.

The Americans will hope their third-period performance is a sign of things to come rather than the disjointed play that plagued them. Team USA Head Coach Mike Sullivan went to the line blender midway through the contest, pairing up the Tkachuks on either side of Jack Eichel, while Kyle Connor was demoted to the third line alongside Matt Boldy and previously mentioned Ranger Miller. Zach Werenski also took over PP1, recording three assists, while fellow Blueshirt Fox shifted to PP2.

Sullivan also shuffled his defensive pairings. Fox, who started the game alongside Jaccob Slavin, ended up with Noah Hanifin, while Werenski was paired with Brock Faber after beginning with Charlie Macavoy. The changes paid off in the third period, but the first 40 minutes were different.

A Rocky Start

The game opened with a hostile crowd, as the Canadian fans in attendance made it clear who they were rooting for. The American national anthem was met with boos, and outside of goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, every player in the starting lineup received a frosty reception. Finland came out strong, setting a physical tone early. Nikolas Matinpalo wasted no time roughing up Miller, determined to make an impression. Finland struck first at the 10:20 mark when Henri Jokiharju capitalized on a 3-on-2 rush, beating Hellebuyck with a shot the reigning Vezina Trophy winner probably should have stopped. However, he rebounded strong and finished with 20 saves on the evening.

The Americans responded quickly, tying the game just 42 seconds later. Brady Tkachuk's shot trickled past Saros and barely crossed the line before Niko Mikkola could clear it. The goal sparked the U.S. bench, and the first "Free Bird" chants echoed through the arena.

A Bold Shot

The middle frame was a grind. Finland's defense, which had been labeled as a weakness coming into the tournament, held up well, limiting the Americans' chances. Blueliner Vaakanainen was noticeable, taking away time and space from the USA stars. He also was fearless, mixing it up with Brady Tkachuk.

Artturi Lehkonen led Finland with four of their eight shots. Meanwhile, Erik Haula came close to restoring Finland's advantage but missed key opportunities, including a breakaway from a pass from Vaakanainen.

With physicality ramping up, tensions flared between Brady Tkachuk and Mikkola, who exchanged cross-checks before being separated. Both teams had power play opportunities, but neither converted. Then, late in the period, the Minnesota Wild duo connected. Faber snapped a shot from the blue line, and Boldy got a piece of it to beat Saros through the pads, giving the Americans the lead for good.

The Tkachuk Takeover

The game flipped on its head in a flash. Just 15 seconds into the third period, Matthew Tkachuk floated a harmless-looking shot from above the left circle that deflected off Mikkola's stick and over Saros's glove for a power-play goal.

11 seconds later, Jake Guentzel snuck one through Saros' five-hole off a feed from Auston Matthews, who received it from Jack Hughes, giving the Americans breathing room with a 4-1 lead.

Brady Tkachuk added another, backhanding in a slick feed from Eichel, and Matthew capped off the onslaught with his second power-play goal of the night, finishing a Werenski rebound.

The Tkachuk brothers combined for four of Team USA's six goals, with Matthew recording three points and receiving the Rolex Player of the Game watch.

While their sluggish start raised concerns, the Americans third-period explosion reminded everyone why they are considered tournament favorites. The revamped line combinations helped, but consistency and precision are required as Canada looms on Saturday night in what's expected to be one of the greatest hockey games you'll ever see.

For now, though, the Americans can celebrate a statement win in their opener. And given the Rangers had the most players on the USA roster with four, Blueshirt fans should celebrate the Americans' opening win as well.