The Tkachuk brothers put on an offensive clinic as the United States men’s national ice hockey team overwhelmed Finland by a score of 6-1 on Thursday night in Montreal. In the opening game of the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament for both squads, Brady and Matthew Tkachuk each tallied two goals to pace a relentless American attack.
Physical Play Sets the Tone
From the opening faceoff, the US brought a noticeable physical edge that seemed to catch the Finns off guard. Hard hits were dished out liberally, punctuated by moments like Jack Eichel sending Finnish captain Aleksander Barkov flying into the American bench. The hard-nosed style disrupted Finland’s rhythm and opened up scoring chances.
Brady Tkachuk Throws His Weight Around
Brady Tkachuk in particular was a wrecking ball, leading both teams with eight thunderous hits. The Ottawa Senators power forward bowled over towering Finnish defenseman Niko Mikkola at one point, setting an early tone. His agitating presence clearly got under Finland’s skin.
Scoreless First Period Gives Way to Offensive Explosion
After a tightly contested but scoreless opening frame, the Americans found another gear starting in the second period. Matt Boldy broke the ice with a perfectly executed tip-in goal off a Brock Faber point shot late in the second to give the US a 1-0 lead heading into the third.
The floodgates then opened in the final period, starting with Matthew Tkachuk beating Juuse Saros from distance just 15 seconds in. A softie from Jake Guentzel and another Brady Tkachuk tally quickly followed, giving the US three goals in under three minutes to break the game wide open.
“There’s too many Tkachuks on the ice! There’s too many of them!”
– Overheard from the Finnish bench, probably
The Tkachuk Show Rolls On
Even with the outcome no longer in doubt, Matthew Tkachuk added one final exclamation point, scoring on the power play to complete the American onslaught. As “U-S-A!” chants rained down at the Bell Centre late in the third period, the Tkachuk brothers had unquestionably left their mark.
Matthew finished with three points on the night thanks to an earlier assist on one of Brady’s tallies, as the two combined for seven total points in a thoroughly dominant effort.
Looking Ahead for Team USA
With the convincing victory, the United States moved to the top of the 4 Nations standings after the first round-robin games. They’ll look to build on the momentum generated by the Tkachuk brothers and carry it into their much-anticipated clash with Canada on Saturday.
Head coach Mike Sullivan was able to give goaltender Connor Hellebuyck a relatively easy night after the early Finnish tally, as the Winnipeg Jets netminder stopped 19 of the final 20 shots he faced. Meanwhile his counterpart Saros, coming off a tough season in Nashville, surrendered six goals on 32 shots and could be on a short leash going forward.
- What’s Next: USA faces rival Canada on Friday
- Tkachuk Brothers Goal Totals: Brady – 2, Matthew – 2
- USA Leads 4 Nations Standings: 1-0-0 record, 2 points
Riding the energy and passion supplied by the Tkachuk brothers, the United States sent an early message at the 4 Nations tournament with their emphatic 6-1 dismantling of Finland. They’ll aim to solidify their status as gold medal favorites in a heavyweight bout with the host Canadians next time out.
