In a thrilling round-robin finale at the 4 Nations Face-Off hockey tournament in Boston, Sweden rallied to defeat the United States 2-1, handing the Americans their first loss of the competition. The Swedes overcame an early deficit and rode a stellar 31-save performance from goaltender Samuel Ersson to secure the victory at TD Garden.
The U.S. jumped out to a quick lead just 35 seconds into the contest when Chris Kreider found the back of the net. However, Sweden responded midway through the opening period as Gustav Nyquist evened the score. With under a minute remaining in the first, Jesper Bratt struck to put the Swedes ahead 2-1, a lead they would not relinquish.
Ersson Shines in Net for Sweden
Despite being outshot 32-23 overall, Sweden clung to their one-goal advantage thanks to the brilliant play of Ersson between the pipes. The 23-year-old netminder turned aside chance after chance, frustrating a potent American attack that had scored 11 goals through its first two games.
Team USA pressed hard for the equalizer in the third period, pulling goalie Jake Oettinger for an extra attacker in the final minutes. But Ersson and the Swedes held firm, much to the chagrin of the partisan Boston crowd that had earlier bellowed the “Star-Spangled Banner” in response to Canadian fans booing the U.S. anthem in previous games.
Injury Concerns for the Americans
The U.S. entered the game shorthanded, with star center Auston Matthews sidelined by an undisclosed injury. Their personnel issues worsened in the second period when forward Brady Tkachuk exited following a collision with Ersson in the crease. Adding to the disappointment for the hometown fans, Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy was a late scratch from the American lineup.
“Obviously it’s tough playing without some of our top guys, but that’s hockey sometimes. We still have a lot of belief in this room and know we have what it takes to get the job done.”
– U.S. forward Patrick Kane
USA-Canada Rematch Set for Championship Game
Though the loss to Sweden stings, the Americans had already booked their spot in Thursday’s gold medal game thanks to earlier victories over Canada and Finland. They will get a chance to avenge their round-robin defeat to the Canadians in a rematch that is expected to be another physical, emotional affair.
In their first meeting, the North American rivals engaged in a fight-filled contest that featured three separate brawls in the opening five minutes. The bad blood will undoubtedly carry over to the championship clash, which is sure to draw massive viewership across both sides of the border.
- Keys for Team USA in the Gold Medal Game:
- Get healthy: Hope for positive injury updates on Matthews, Tkachuk
- Strong start: Avoid falling behind early as they did vs Sweden
- Discipline: Stay out of the penalty box, don’t get drawn into extracurriculars
- Oettinger bounce-back: The young goalie looked shaky at times in the loss
“We know we can compete with anyone in this tournament. The game against Canada wasn’t our best, but we’ve grown a lot as a team since then. We’ll be ready to go and we’re excited for the opportunity to bring home the gold on home ice. It’s going to be a battle but we wouldn’t want it any other way.”
– U.S. head coach Mike Sullivan
The stage is set for an epic finale between the world’s top two hockey powers. Can the Americans regroup from a disheartening defeat to claim supremacy, or will Canada reign supreme and silence the home crowd? Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM ET on Thursday at TD Garden with continental bragging rights on the line.
