It’s a special Thursday edition of the Friday Four as we look at some intriguing player storylines heading into the semifinals at the Olympics. On deck this week is:
After watching Canada’s three games in round-robin play, you’d have to really squint to find things to improve upon. Canada rolled to the No. 1 seed heading into the elimination stage, winning all three games with a plus-17 goal differential. The Canadians looked just about unbeatable, but their quarterfinal matchup against Czechia was a good lesson on just how fast things can change in a short tournament.
A lineup that appeared to be incredibly deep and balanced quickly became vulnerable when Sidney Crosby headed down the tunnel with an injury. Coach Jon Cooper shifted Nathan MacKinnon up to the top line to skate with Connor McDavid and Macklin Celebrini, as he did earlier in the tournament, but without Crosby, Canada suddenly looked like a one-line team.
That highlighted one minor issue from the round-robin that is becoming magnified. MacKinnon hasn’t really looked comfortable anywhere at even strength other than with McDavid and Celebrini. First, MacKinnon was in the middle of Brandon Hagel and Sam Reinhart, though Reinhart has been shifted down the lineup and seen his minutes reduced as this tournament has progressed. Nick Suzuki then took Reinhart’s spot next to MacKinnon, but Suzuki is clearly more comfortable at centre and was having a difficult time adjusting to the wing. Cooper tried using Brad Marchand with MacKinnon versus Czechia for a bit before it was clear Marchand wasn’t 100 per cent and not moving like he normally does.
Not finding an optimal line for the Colorado Avalanche superstar, who also still appears to be a bit banged-up from the hit he took against France, could become more of a problem for Canada if it’s not resolved for Friday’s showdown with Finland. If Crosby can’t play, Cooper might not have the luxury of sliding MacKinnon up with McDavid and Celebrini.
Canada simply didn’t look as threatening up and down its lineup against Czechia, and it became much easier to defend. Finland is also arguably more structured defensively than Czechia, and generating offence in the semifinals was already going to be more challenging. Canada might need MacKinnon to drive his own line Friday because even if Crosby plays, it certainly doesn’t seem like he’ll be playing at full strength.
So, what options does Cooper have to try to find the ideal spot for MacKinnon? Well, the obvious answer might be to look back at the 4 Nations Face-Off. MacKinnon really clicked with Crosby and Mark Stone at that tournament, and Canada could at least try to revive that somewhat. Obviously, if Crosby is out, they can’t fully unite, but it may make some sense to play MacKinnon with Stone and Mitch Marner. Both Stone and Marner are responsible defensively and very smart players. They can get the puck to MacKinnon in areas where he could do damage.
If Crosby does play, Cooper could elect to go with MacKinnon, Crosby and Stone. It would allow Crosby to shift to the wing and take pressure off him if he’s still battling the injury, and Suzuki could slide back to the middle of the third unit with Marner and another winger. Suzuki was much more effective at centre after Crosby went down.
The option to play MacKinnon with McDavid and Celebrini will always be there and Cooper can easily go to it in a break-glass-in-case of emergency scenario, but Canada is going to be at its best if MacKinnon is driving his own line. Finding that perfect balance where MacKinnon is concerned could be the difference between a gold medal and a disappointing exit.
Connor Hellebuyck, United States
For a team that appears loaded between the pipes, the United States had more than a question or two to answer in goal heading into the Olympics.
Connor Hellebuyck is coming off a season in which he won the Hart and Vezina, though that meant little to his detractors about the veteran’s play in high-stakes games. Hellebuyck hasn’t had a save percentage better than .886 in Winnipeg’s past three playoff runs and was outduelled in the final at last year’s 4 Nations by Jordan Binnington, so you could see where some might have some trepidation about his play on the world’s biggest stage.
So far, though, Hellebuyck has checked every box for the U.S. He’s allowed just three goals over three starts in the tournament and was at his best in the quarterfinal in a tough matchup versus Sweden. Hellebuyck stopped 28-of-29 shots in the overtime win, rising to the occasion when one misstep could have sent the Americans packing.
It must be very comforting for American head coach Mike Sullivan to see Hellebuyck look this strong up to this point. Jeremy Swayman was very shaky in his only outing against Denmark, allowing a goal from centre and a couple of other questionable ones. Jake Oettinger has also yet to appear in a game and throwing him in cold at this stage of the tournament would be very risky.
The net is very clearly Hellebuyck’s going forward and it should be based on the way he’s played. You could argue Hellebuyck has been the best goalie at these Olympics and if the U.S. plans to win gold, he’s going to have to keep it going right through the championship game.
If you’re an avid Dallas Stars fan, you probably already appreciate the intricate details of Miro Heiskanen’s game. To the casual NHL observer, there’s a decent chance Heiskanen is often overlooked. He doesn’t have the flash of a Cale Makar and he doesn’t pop as frequently as Quinn Hughes, but there are only a handful of defenders in the world you’d rather have on your team than Heiskanen.
The Finnish blue-liner’s brilliance was on full display when his country needed him most. Down a pair of goals in the Finns’ quarterfinal matchup against Switzerland, Heiskanen took over in the third period. The 26-year-old finished with a game-high 29:19 of ice time and led Finland with five shots. He also scored the game-tying goal with just over a minute left to send the game into overtime.
A lot of the things Heiskanen does well won’t always show up in box scores. He’s eclipsed 55 points only once in his NHL career but his impact on the game is undeniable. Heiskanen is one of the best puck movers in the world and his skating is elite. The Stars rearguard can control the tempo of the game and break the puck out of his own end with ease. It’s not always flashy, though it sure is effective.
One of the things fans have missed out on in the past 12 years without NHLers at the Olympics is shining a light on underappreciated players. Most people understand that Heiskanen is a top defenceman, but seeing him excel on the world stage against the best players on the planet might take the appreciation to another level. Heiskanen is going to have to maintain his level of play and perhaps exceed it if Finland hopes to pull off an upset against Canada.
Jaroslav Halak isn’t walking through that door.
That was the biggest concern for Slovakia heading into these Olympics. Not so much up front, as Juraj Slafkovsky has 10 goals in 11 career Olympic games and budding star Dalibor Dvorsky has really stepped up. Not really on the back end either, where two-time Cup winner Erik Cernak and the emerging Simon Nemec roam. It was the inexperienced play between the pipes that made people question whether Slovakia could hang with the world’s elite.
The questions were fair to ask, if we’re being honest. Samuel Hlavaj came in as the starter and the 24-year-old has yet to play an NHL game. His AHL numbers have been really rough this season, with an .884 save percentage in 18 games. That couldn’t have inspired much confidence in even the most loyal Slovakian fan. That said, Hlavaj hasn’t just been a non-issue for the Slovaks in this tournament, he’s been a driving force who’s propelled them into the semifinals.
Hlavaj has stopped 129-of-139 shots he’s faced in Milan and owns a .928 save percentage, while delivering a couple of statement performances in the process. He allowed just one goal against Finland in Slovakia’s opening game and just two in their quarterfinal matchup against Germany. Even in Slovakia’s only loss, versus Sweden, Hlavaj still turned aside 46 shots.
It’s a very small sample size but it’s leading some to question what Hlavaj’s NHL prospects might be. It’s no secret Wild GM Bill Guerin is looking to add a centre to his roster before the trade deadline, and there have been whispers he may be willing to listen on Jesper Wallstedt as part of the return. How real those rumours are remain to be seen, but given how strong the Minnesota Wild prospect has looked at this tournament, Guerin has surely taken notice. The Wild probably feel a lot more confident now about having to call on Hlavaj if they needed to than they did a couple of weeks ago.
