Night number four of the 4 Nations Face-Off came to a close last night, as the tournament now shifts from Montreal to Boston. The 12 pm CT game saw Finland beat Sweden 4-3. Even though the game didn’t feature any Jets, we still saw plenty of European NHL talent on display. It was a rough start for Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson, who allowed 2 goals on 4 shots. After Linus Ullmark took over in net, Sweden battled back, taking a 3-2 lead at one point, but it was Mikael Granlund who was the hero for Finland in overtime.

The 7:00 pm CT game was one of the most anticipated hockey games of recent memory. Josh Morrissey and Team Canada against their number 1 rivals, the Americans, featuring Connor Hellebuyck and Kyle Connor. For Josh Morrissey, this game was an opportunity for him to step up in the absence of Canada’s number 1 defenceman, Cale Makar. For Hellebuyck, it was his 2nd straight start in goal for USA, looking to continue to prove his spot as the American’s top goaltender. Kyle Connor was shuffled around with several linemates in his 1st game, playing on any of the top 3 lines, but last night’s game he was on the “4th line” with Brock Nelson and Vincent Trocheck.

Briefly assessing each of the Jets performances last night, it was Hellebuyck who stood out the most on the stat sheet in the 3-1 USA win. That being said, Josh Morrissey is the 1st player I was focused on watching this game, as it was a big opportunity for him to show his skills with Makar out of the lineup. Coach Jon Cooper kept Morrissey on the “2nd pairing” with Colton Parayko, but Morrissey was promoted to Canada’s top powerplay unity. Morrissey led all Canadian defencemen with 22:08 time on the ice, recording 1 shot on goal, 3 blocks and 2 hits. With all the star power Canada has, Morrissey wasn’t the player with the most eyes on him, however he handled his increased role quite well throughout his 28 shifts in the game.

Shifting the attention over to Kyle Connor now, who was placed on Team USA’s 4th line with Brock Nelson and Vincent Trocheck. Simply put, Connor didn’t have as good of a game as he did in USA’s 6-1 win over Finland. Several factors could have impacted his play, whether it be his “diminished” role within USA’s forward group, or just overall not getting the same opportunities on the ice that he did in game 1. Connor finished last in ice time among all American players with 8:32, but he still hit the stat sheet with 4 hits, good for 2nd on Team USA behind only Brady Tkachuk.

As for Hellebuyck, he was as solid as always in net for Team USA last night. Hellebuyck faced 26 shots, making 25 saves, while only allowing 1 goal on the night. That goal was a dazzling effort by Connor McDavid to give Canada a 1-0 lead, but just like in the game versus Finland, Hellebuyck was perfect after allowing a goal in the 1st period. His .962 SV% bring his tournament average to a best .957, with a 1.00 GAA. Team USA is guaranteed to be in the championship game on Thursday now, and if he continues to play this well in those 2 games, Hellebuyck has a shot at tournament MVP.

After 2 games played for each of the 4 countries, USA is at the top of the standings with 6 points. Canada, Finland and Sweden are all tied in 2nd with 2 points each, setting up an exciting final day of round robin play on Monday. Josh Morrissey and Team Canada will play Team Finland (in Boston) on Monday at 12:00 pm CT. With a regulation win, Canada will advance to the 4 Nations Face-Off championship game against Team USA. The “prime time” game, at 7:00 pm CT, featuring Hellebuyck and Connor, will see Team USA battle Team Sweden. USA will have a chance to go a perfect 3-0 in the round robin, while Sweden need a win and some help from Finland to have a chance at a spot in the championship game. Make sure to check back here at Jets Nation on Monday night for a recap of the Jets performances in their final round robin game, while also setting up the grand finale one game championship on Thursday night at 7:00 pm CT in Boston.