The list of players ruled out before the game between the United States and Sweden on Monday was a who’s who of the U.S. roster: Auston Matthews, Matthew Tkachuk, Charlie McAvoy, each of the members of the team’s leadership group.
All of those absences were deemed "precautionary" by Team USA head coach Mike Sullivan, as was the decision to keep Brady Tkachuk off the ice during the second and third periods M
McDavid scored the first one — on the way to the United States beating Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off on Saturday night in an epic clash of the two rivals. Top-line forward Matthew Tkachuk, who fought two seconds after the puck dropped to send a message,
This little mid-season tournament proved to be something much greater, and the NHL must now deal with the ramifications.
The Americans recognized the opportunity they lost at the 4 Nations Face-Off, but will be strong next year in Italy.