It’s an odd time to head to the beach but that’s what the bulk of the National Hockey League’s skaters are up to for the next week.
The others? The top stars from Canada, the United States, Sweden and Finland?
It’s the awaited return of best-on-best international play as the 4 Nations Face-Off debuts.
We’ll touch on that and one other pressing topic that’s a frightening prospect for Ottawa Senator Fan as another edition of whatever-this-column-is-called presents itself.
HAVE YOU EVER . . .?
That is the question, and we’ll fill in the blanks. Have you ever seen an offensive onslaught that is potentially as potent as what Team Canada will bring to the table for the 4 Nations?
The boys at TSN were running down the lineup and lines that Canadian coach John Cooper (excellent choice by the way) is slotting before his team’s opener Wednesday in Montreal versus Sweden.
How’s this for a first power-play unit – Connor McDavid (best player in the world), Sidney Crosby (best player period of the last 20 years), Nathan MacKinnon (NHL points leader and hockey’s best combination of grit, skating and otherworldly skill), Cale Makar (best defenceman in hockey) and Sam Reinhart (ummm-57 freaking goals last season and a Stanley Cup).
King Connor likes to play it down, but really?
“I think everybody just assumes it’s gonna work. That’s not necessarily the case,” McDavid said after Monday’s opening practice. “You know, it takes a lot of work. I think obviously you saw a little bit of the power play come together today. We were working at it after practice, so it takes a lot of work and it’s gotta come together real fast. But we’ll make it work.”
I’d bet on that last statement.
We haven’t seen a grouping like this since Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux were put together back in 1987 at the Canada Cup.
Keep in mind that the second unit isn’t a paper bag lunch either as the NHL’s resident assist wizard Mitch Marner steps out onto the ice with Brayden Point, Josh Morrissey, Shea Theodore and Mark Stone.
Mind you, this is all subject to change but anyway you shake and bake it, the talent and ability to score is immense and intense.
WHAT, NO KA-CHUNK . . .?
Like Team Canada, there could be alterations to the Team USA placements but as it stood Tuesday morning, Brady and Matthew Tkachuk will not be on the same line.
(This might be a good thing when they face Canada on Saturday . . . any penalties could prove murderous. See above).
Young Brady started the American mini-camp slotted in with J.T. Miller and Matt Boldy; Matthew’s slated to line up with speedsters Kyle Connor and Jack Eichel.
The one line that truly catches the eye and the imagination is Toronto’s Auston Matthews’. The NHL’s top sniper aligns with one of the circuit’s top dishers in Jack Hughes (Tampa’s Jake Guentzel rounds out the trio). Could be deadly.
The U.S. is being discussed as Canada’s biggest challenge and if netminding becomes a storyline here, the Americans can be considered a favourite.
Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck is the expected No. 1 while Dallas star Jake Oettinger slots in – for now – as the No. 2.
Sweden and Finland are considered (somewhat) longshots for gold here.
While the Swedes open against Canada – again, on Wednesday night at the Bell Centre – Finland and the U.S. tee off the next evening, again in Montreal.
The tournament gets a day off Friday before resuming Saturday for a banger of a final day and night at the Bell Centre. The Finns and Sweden play a 1 pm ET game before the stage gets set for what promises to be a dynamite clash between the States and Canada at 8 pm.
4 Nations then travels to Boston for the final two tourney matchups before the grand finale on Thursday, Feb. 20th.
YOU EVER WISH YOU WEREN’T WHERE YOU WERE . . .?
That might be Ottawa, right about now.
Yes, a spot in the playoffs is lovely and the prospects remain good that the Senators slip in. However, IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY (get used to it, you’re going to hear a lot of this down the stretch) – Ottawa would more than likely want to change positions.
How’s Ottawa-Florida sound to you Ottawa Fan?
Not so nice, eh.
Given the way and manner in which the Panthers have absolutely destroyed the Senators the past couple of years, this pairing could be an unseemly and unsightly one.
Seems to this corner that every time the two meet up, Ottawa’s weakest areas get zoomed in on – be it team speed, defensive awareness or overall fear factor.
The Panthers are Ottawa’s Regina George (Mean Girls, 2004) and Fred O’Bannion (Dazed and Confused, 1993) bundled into one rapacious package.
Saturday night’s blow-out victory by Florida – capping off a fruitless three-gamer through the southern State – underlined Ottawa’s foibles: Tim Stutzle played scared; the team could not keep up; and the defence made Kieran Culkin look calm.
If the Senators stay where they are (first wildcard position), they’ll be rooting for the Toronto Maple Leafs the rest of the season. The Buds are three points back of Florida but have two games in hand.
So then, tell me with a straight face Ottawa Fan that you’d rather not see the Leafs in the opening round?
Fun times, right?
OTTAWA SENATORS WEEK AHEAD:
No games scheduled due to 4 Nations Face-Off
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