MONTREAL – Brothers Matthew Tkachuk (St. Louis, Mo./Florida Panthers) and Brady Tkachuk (St. Louis, Mo./Ottawa Senators) each scored twice to help the U.S. Men's National Team to a 6-1 victory over Finland here tonight in the opening game for both teams at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
“We came out with a lot of energy and emotion and beat a very good Finland team,” said Mike Sullivan, head coach of the U.S. Men’s National Team. “They’re very difficult to play against and I thought our guys did a good job of sticking with it and ultimately got rewarded.”
It was Finland who opened the scoring 7:31 into the first, as Henri Jokiharju found the back of the net on a wrister from the right circle.
Auston Matthews (Scottsdale, Ariz./Toronto Maple Leafs) looked to have Team USA’s response, firing a shot past Finnish netminder Juuse Saros just under two minutes later, but his chance rang off the post.
HIGHLIGHTS
Brady Tkachuk banked a rebound chance off Saros after a stellar U.S. forecheck, tying the contest at 10:21 of the first. Matt Boldy (Millis, Mass./Minnesota Wild) and Zach Werenski (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich./Columbus Blue Jackets) earned assists on the play.
Noah Hanifin (Norwood, Mass./Vegas Golden Knights) had a breakaway chance with an outlet pass from J.T. Miller (East Palestine, Ohio/New York Rangers) following a U.S. penalty kill late in the opening frame, but his opportunity was denied.
The first period ended with the teams knotted at 1-1 with the U.S. outshooting Finland, 12-7.
Jake Guentzel (Woodbury, Minn./Tampa Bay Lightning) nearly broke the tie on a point-blank chance with 10:55 left in the second period on the power play following a feed from Matthews which was stopped.
Boldy gave Team USA its first lead of the night, and one it would not relinquish, as a deflected shot from Brock Faber (Maple Grove, Minn./Minnesota Wild) got past Saros at 17:04 of the middle period.
Matthews drew a penalty in the dying seconds of the second and just 15 seconds into the third, Matthew Tkachuk cashed in with a power-play goal to give Team USA a 3-1 lead.
Guentzel scored his first-ever goal in a Team USA jersey to extend the advantage just 11 seconds later, as he rifled a shot through Saros. Matthews and Jack Hughes (Canton, Mich./New Jersey Devils) added helpers on the goal.
Brady Tkachuk added his second goal of the night at the 3:00 mark of the third period. He received a pass from Jack Eichel (North Chelmsford, Mass./Vegas Golden Knights), made a move past Saros and buried the puck to give the U.S. a 5-1 lead.
Matthew Tkachuk tallied his second power-play goal of the night, as he tipped a shot from Werenski and cashed in the rebound chance at 11:13 of the third.
U.S. netminder Connor Hellebuyck (Commerce, Mich./Winnipeg Jets) stopped 20 shots enroute to victory.
The U.S. Men’s National Team is back in action Saturday (Feb. 15) to take on Canada at the Bell Centre. Puck drop is slated for 8 p.m. ET and will be televised on ABC.
NOTES: Matthew Tkachuk was named the U.S. Player of the Game … The U.S. outshot Finland, 32-21 … Team USA went 2-for-4 on the power play, while Finland went 0-for-2.
GAME PHOTOS
GAME STATS GAME PREVIEW
Source: usahockey.com