Welcome to the In the NHL Power Star index: a weekly gauge from players who control a substantial buzz around the league. When a player is included on this list, it may not be a good thing – it means that it captures a large quantity of the attention of the hockey world.
These players are not in a particular order with regard to the quantity of buzz they create, but the size of the sample of this week was taken from the confrontation of the 4 nations. We will revisit the Star Power Index every week throughout the regular season.
Before the 4 nations in progress, Nathan Mackinnon probably looked like the most dangerous offensive player in the whole In the NHL. By playing for Canada in the best tournament, not much for the star of the Colorado avalanche.
Mackinnon set up a tournament at the top of four goals for Canada en route to win MVP after the Canadians beat Team USA during the championship match.
In doing so, the avalanche star only became the 11th player to make an average of one goal per game during an NHL international tournament. He became the first to do so since the 2004 Hockey World Cup when Keith Tkachuk (five goals in five games) of the United States and Fredrik Modin (four goals in four games) accomplished the feat.
Mackinnon took a hot start when he started to confront the 4 nations in style with a goal only 56 seconds after the opening of the Canada Tournament against Sweden. The 29-year-old also scored two goals in Canada’s 5-3 victory against Finland in a match that the Canadians needed to win to reach the championship match.
When the lights were the brightest match for Thursday’s title, Mackinnon increased once again.
In the opening period of the Thursday competition, the star of the Florida Panthers, Sam Reinhart, was able to secure the washer behind the net and pushed it back to his teammate Thomas Harley at the Blue Line. Harley then passed the washer to Mackinnon at the edge of the playing circle, which did the rest. Mackinnon led to an instant shot that made its way through a ton of traffic at the front and above the shoulder of the American goalkeeper Connor Hellebuyck to open the score.
It was certainly no surprise to see Mackinnon put his stamp on a game with so much on the line. After all, Mackinnon is currently leading the NHL with 87 points (21 goals and 66 assists) in the regular season, and should have all the momentum to continue doing it when the season resumes this weekend.
From the point of view of the United States, it is difficult to claim that defender Zach Werenski was not the best player in the country throughout the confrontation of the 4 nations.
The Columbus Blue Jackets Blue-Lord ended up directing the tournament around at points (6) when he collected six assists. Werenski became the first defender in the history of the NHL international tournament to direct all the players in the points department.
Werenski has accumulated at least one point in each four games in the United States. He also became the fifth defender to register at least one point in each of his first four games in an NHL international tournament.
During Thursday’s championship match, Werenski crowned a spectacular tournament when he obtained a decisive pass on the goal of defender Jake Sanderson who gave the Americans a 2-1 advantage.
At 7:32 of the second period, Detroit Red Wings striker Dylan Larkin was able to release the puck and exceed it in Werenski at the blue line. Shortly after receiving the washer, Werenski let a shot from the point that the Canadian goalkeeper Jordan Binnington was able to make a huge pad. However, the rebound slipped free and Sanderson marked the slit on the room.
Werenski also had the start of the best tournament when he recorded three assists in a 6-1 victory against Finland at the opening of the United States. Blue Jackets Blue-Lord have recorded assists on the two objectives of Matthew Tkachuk in the third period to lead the Americans to a convincing victory.
Werenski also had a assist at the first meeting against Canada in addition to the United States match against Sweden.
For those who saw Werenski playing throughout the regular season, it may not have been a huge surprise to see the defender of the stars dominate the fashion he made. Werenski is currently in the second row of the NHL defenders in points (59) behind only Colorado Avalanche, Cale Makar (63).
Werenski was able to highlight his spectacular vision at the offensive end of the ice, while being a arrest defender at the other end. There may not have been a more important player for the success of the Americans throughout the confrontation of the 4 nations than Werenski.
At 37, many had Sidney Crosby dominating the confrontation of the 4 nations on their bingo card? Perhaps not, but this is exactly the scenario in which the captain of the Penguins of Pittsburgh found himself in last week.
Over the past two decades, Crosby and Alex Ovechkin have been faces of sport. At one point, it would be necessary to expect Crosby to end up decomposing and being a shell of his old self with Hart trophy. Well, that has certainly not happened and the Penguins captain presented his elite capacity on the largest scene in the world.
Crosby finished the tournament with a goal and four assists. The Canadian captain started with a blow when he recorded three assists in the 4-3 prolongation of Canada against Sweden during the team’s opening match. Crosby helped set up the winning goal of Toronto Maple Leafs Mitch Mitch Marner while he used his elite ice vision to find Marner.
On this particular room, Crosby brought the washer to the offensive area before bringing it out of the offensive zone to Marner. Crosby ended up skating outside the area to play the game next to it, and Marner patinated with a flow of flow to bury the winning goal.
Crosby was now Captain of Canada during international victories at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games Tournament, at the 2014 World Winter Championship, at the 2016 Hockey World Cup and the 4 nations. Canada has a record of 48-6 in all time in matches where Crosby is accompanied by its country.
At 37, Crosby always looked like the best ice player several times. It is hard to believe that it is still playing at such a high level. It was a treat for everyone in the world of hockey, because who knows how many more of these types of tournaments in which Crosby will compete.
He is sure to say that Finland did not have exactly the performance they wanted in this tournament with only one victory in his last three games. When Finland faced the United States, the keeper july Saros had his right share of difficulties.
Saros made six goals with a defeat of 6-1 in the hands of the American when he only stopped 26 of the 32 shots he faced. The Nashville predators goalkeeper granted only two goals in the first two periods.
However, the United States broke out for four goals in the 19:45 am of the third period to take control of the match. The United States coach Mike Sullivan mixed his lines for Matthew and Brady Tkachuk to patlate with Jack Eichel in the second period, and that seemed to change the tide in favor of the Americans.
It was almost as if Saros was shocked when he got out of the locker room when he abandoned the goals to Matthew Tkachuk and Jake Guentzel in the first 26 seconds of the frame.
After an approximate performance against the United States, Finland turned to the rescue goalkeeper Kevin Lankinen in the match on Monday against Canada. If Finland could gain in regulations, they would have won their place in the championship match. Instead, Lankinen made four goals during the first two periods, including three in the opening period, which led Saros to replace the Vancouver Canucks goalkeeper in the second period.
Once Saros came in the game in place of Lankinen, he produced a solid performance when he turned 14 shots with which he was confronted, but Finland could not overcome the high deficit in a Defeat of 5-3. The decision not to start the goalkeeper of the predators in the net against Canada can finally have turned against an essential match for Finland.
