NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 16, 2025
Team USA defeats Canada, Finland upsets Sweden in 4 Nations Face-Off action. Details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
TEAM USA DEFEATS CANADA, SECURES SPOT IN CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
NHL.COM: The United States got two goals by Jake Guentzel while Dylan Larkin tallied the game-winner to defeat Canada 3-1 before a sellout crowd of 21, 015 fans at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
Team USA winger Jake Guentzel (NHL.com).
Guentzel was named Player of the Game while teammate Connor Hellebuyck stopped 25 shots for the Americans. They have six points in the tournament, earning a spot in the Championship Game on Feb. 20 in Boston.
Connor McDavid opened the scoring in the first period for Canada, who outshot the Americans 26-23. This was the first game the Canadians have lost to the United States in a tournament featuring NHL players since the round-robin of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
TSN: The game got off to a raucous start with the Bell Centre crowd booing the American anthem, followed by three fights within the first 10 seconds of the game. The first tilt featured USA forward Matthew Tkachuk and Canadian winger Brandon Hagel, followed by Brady Tkachuk tangling with Sam Bennett, and American forward J.T. Miller scrapping with Canadian defenseman Colton Parayko.
DAILY FACEOFF: The Tkachuk brothers later said they and Miller engaged in those fights to “send a message” to the Canadians. It was something they planned during a group chat before the game.
NHL.COM: Matthew Tkachuk suffered a lower-body injury that forced him to sit out the final 12:36 of the third period. He later downplayed the injury but Team USA head coach Mike Sullivan said Tkachuk was still being evaluated by team doctors, leaving his status uncertain for Monday’s game against Sweden.
SPORTSNET: Canadian defenseman Cale Makar missed this game due to illness. He was replaced by Dallas Stars blueliner Thomas Harley.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a well-deserved victory for the Americans. Matthew Tkachuk said postgame that he and his teammates wanted to send the message to the Canadians that “it’s our time right now.” It was received loud and clear.
McDavid’s goal aside, Team USA did a masterful job shutting down Canada’s vaunted offense with their physical defensive play. They took away the middle of the ice and the shooting lanes and cleared traffic in front of Hellebuyck, who was superb between the pipes.
Following the game, McDavid said he and his Canadian teammates are determined for a rematch with the United States. That will depend on the outcome of Monday’s game against the Finns.
Makar could return to action for that game. Canada missed his offensive presence and puck-moving skills against the Americans.
The biggest question for Canada will be whether Binnington, Adin Hill, or Sam Montembault gets the start against the Finns. Binnington looked shaky at times during Canada’s win over Sweden. He didn’t play badly against Team USA but Guentzel’s game-tying goal was a softie that even he knew he should’ve stopped.
The tournament shifts to Boston with Canada facing Finland and the USA taking on Sweden on Monday, Feb. 17. The championship game will be held on Thursday, Feb. 20.
If Canada or Finland wins in regulation on Monday, they’ll face the Americans on Thursday. If either team wins in overtime or a shootout, Sweden can advance to the final with a regulation win over the Americans.
NHL.COM: An overtime goal by Mikael Granlund lifted Finland to a 4-3 victory over Sweden during their afternoon game.
Anton Lundell, Mikko Rantanen and Aleksandar Barkov scored in regulation, Patrik Laine collected two assists and Kevin Lankinen turned aside 21 shots for Finland. Mika Zibanejad, Rasmus Dahlin and Erik Karlsson replied for Sweden. Filip Gustavsson left the Swedish net after the first period due to an illness, with Linus Ullmark stopping 15 of 17 shots the rest of the way.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canada-USA game overshadowed an entertaining back-and-forth contest between these long-time Nordic rivals.
The Swedes know their chances of reaching the championship game aren’t good. Karlsson praised the Finns’ game while lamenting his team’s inability to reach the standards they’d set for themselves.
Before the game, Swedish defenseman Victor Hedman spoke about the sporting rivalry between the two countries. “I think if you ask them, they say they’re the big brother. If you ask us, we’re the big brother.” Following the game, Laine replied, We’re the big brother now.”
IN OTHER NEWS…
RG.ORG: Hall-of-Fame winger Pavel Bure criticized the Vancouver Canucks’ handling of J.T. Miller during a discussion of his former club’s recent struggles. “If you’ve got a talented player who doesn’t fit into the team, that’s a failure of management,” said Bure. “If it gets to the point where you have to trade him, something has already gone wrong.”
THE PROVINCE: Speaking of the Canucks, season tickets will be rising by 11 percent for next season. Seats in the upper bowl of Rogers Arena will cost $6,900.00 CDN. The team said the increase covers ongoing renovations to the arena and their intention to keep pace with the rising salary cap.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The article notes the rising cap has little to do with the price increase and more to do with ownership’s belief they’re selling a luxury good, “a thing that their season ticket members value as a symbol, not as much as an experience.”
MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Sidelined Canadiens defenseman David Reinbacher is close to returning from a knee injury suffered during preseason. The promising blueliner could start playing with their AHL affiliate in Laval by the end of February.
Lyle,
Your coffee headline says “Sweden upsets Finland”….needs quick correction.
IP
Fixed, thanks IP! It was a late night!
Team USA may have wanted to set the tone but Canada didn’t stand down at all. so the deliberate attacks just served to promote the “ugly american”
The differnce in the game, again, was Binnington who let in 2 soft goals.
Canada had more control, more chances, kudos to Hellebuyck who kepi team USA in the game.
The Finland/Sweden rivalry tends to be overlooked and unknown over here but it’s longstanding.
We got a taste of it a few years ago in Montreal when Kotkaniemi (Finn) fought Robert Hagg (Swede) and KK commented on not liking the Swedish guy.
I don’t think you can blame Binnington on the Larkin goal. But he should have stopped Guentzels goal. He wasn’t the reason Canada lost.
I admire the toughness and desire of the Tkachuk brothers but those three fights to start the game were a disgrace that has no place in the game. Lyle has said this many times before. Fighting has always been part of the game but the staged fights that are happening all too often are not good for the game and its image. I had never been a proponent of banning fighting in the game but stuff like that is making me re- think.
Not the reason they lost but Hellebuyck is top notch & you can’t win only scoring 1 against.
Mitch Marner was hiding from the camera, it seemed like, for long portions of the game.
I’m a Canadian fan but you can’t have a bunch of players who play similar, gel together & win.
Canada needed a couple of bigger guys who can score & aren’t scared.
Unfortunately it then also promotes the ugly American is a winning American.
Yeah, interesting observation, Chrisms.
But I hope the heated rivalry is settled by skilled hockey and not brawls.
For one, that style won’t be tolerated in the Olympics, and this tournament is a poor substitute for them.
And some of us will remember the damage done to the game by Philly in the early 70s.
On top of it all it would be sad indeed if it came down to judging players by their nationality.
I hate the staged fighting. I’m glad I only caught the second half of the game. But if the booing is a microcosm of the current political situation then calling the American team the ugly Americans only to lose to said team kinda is a tacit acknowledgment that the bullying “ugly” tact works. Probably not what the poster was aiming for.
Another apt point, Chrisms.
Chrisms,
I have no problem with Team USA, as I’ve mentioned Lane Hutson is cheered in Montreal.
The daily litany of insults, threats, tariffs, 51st state isn’t the way to treat a friend and ally.
The provocation achieved its purpose, getting Canadians of all stripes feeling uneasy and quite frankly booing the anthem is a rather mild voicing of displeasure.
As long as sporting events are treated to flag waving, anthems, outdoor fly by and other plays on patriotism and gladiator games a reaction is to be expected.
The three wanted to make a statement? The one I saw is that the booing was justified.
Habsfan. My point was that if the booing was justifiable due to the political situation it’s not a great outlook for the booers. Despite the protest the ugly Americans handed the booers a loss. It’s just a game but if one extrapolates that out that being ugly is a winning strategy then welcome to merica! Where do you want your star to go on the flag! (That last couple sentences was sarcasm).
Habfan30, other than Crosby and Mcdavid your forward group was nowhere to be found! McKinnon,Stone,Point,Reinhardt,to name a few!They were MIA All night!All that firepower and 1 goal to show for it!
Sr. agreed ..also agree with Chrisms points too. One bad line change by the defense was costly.
Canadiens not having Cale Makar and Shea Theodore didn’t help.
As an American and Sidney Crosby fan wow was just rooting for good hockey….like Chrisms said I’m glad I missed the beginning shanagins..
If the Canadians beat Finland in regulation and that’s no given we are in the final even if Sweden beats Finland in regulation. We beat them head to head.
I think Sweden after two crushing OT losses may give the Americans a fight..
Besides the play on the ice, it seems the American coaches have made adjustments that the team responded well to. At times the Canadian team wasn’t playing as tightly as the Americans, especially on D which they had to be if they ever hoped to win this game.
The start of the game was crap and took a lot of the steam out of the game for me with those unnecessary staged fights. If you want to fight, just have a reason, any reason but last night was pretty lame, just dumb and guys that do that should get kicked out of the hockey game. It seemed this game was a bit slower and duller than the previous two games so far. That’s probably a testament of coaching but you can’t help think those staged fights could have been the reason as well.
That “1” Tkachuk, I think his name is Brady , would make a fine third line centre in Toronto …
3rd line? He’s more than that. Check your 🤓
The Tkackuk Bros just wanted to emulate their father’s big opening for the USA against Canada in the 1996 World Cup of Hockey.
Johnny….You mean the Hanson brothers
Slapshot….LOL
I read that same article in the vancouver Sun yesterday. I notice you avoided mentioning the title of the article – ” Canucks ticket prices increase again. Can fans afford it ?”
And yes, the rising salary cap may not be the main reason that ticket prices have increased 31% from 2022/2023 to 2025/2026, but the Canucks organization did bring it up.
I also wonder about some of the increase in revenue coming from the media rights deal at a time when NHL TV ratings in the USA are dropping substantially. We already witnessed the collapse of Bally Sports last year. How are viewer ratings doing in Canada?
The article goes on to state that the perks that past ticket holders used to experience are dwindling, and turnover of the team ticket representatives is significant. In the most recent 6 years of our season ticket ownership here in Detroit, we have had 4 different ticket reps.
Finally, let me quote the closing lines of the article: “There was a time when fans weren’t just seen as bags of money to be drained, but those days seem long gone”.
“I notice you avoided mentioning the title of the article – ” Canucks ticket prices increase again. Can fans afford it ?”
I wasn’t avoiding it at all, Iago. I rarely quote headlines directly, preferring to note the notable points of the article.
I really wonder how Mathews , Hellebuyck, Connor, B. Tkachuk Sanderson will feel about all this when it’s back to business as usual next week?
“We love you again now that you’re not wearing your ugly American jersey”?
Would love to see all their unfiltered, true feelings when this is done.
Sadly, I must agree Captain Obvious. In hindsight, what with all the political/economic one upmanship and ignorant anthem-booing crapola bouncing around, this tournament could not have come at a worse time.
How can ill-feelings not linger?
I bet Bettman is grinding his teeth.
Hey CO none of the fans of any of those players are booing those players as well as those players know they are not being booed but rather the fans are booing about something else.
I can understand why you don’t like it. If I disliked it I’d want to know why and try my best to understand (emphasize). No one is happy with this booing.
Hey Ron,
I definitely think these players , all of them have taken this very personally. Without question. Some have already expressed it out loud. Regardless of why fans are booing, they seem to have taken this to heart.
I’m positive, US fans will play the same game this week to Canadian players. Almost would bet the farm on it at this point.
I think Canada already has an issue attracting US players in UFA. The US doesn’t seem to have as much of an issue luring in Canadian players.
If this all continues throughout the season, I wouldn’t be shocked if you even see less Americans wanting to play north of the border.
Bottom line, none of this is good for the game or ultimately imo, relations generally speaking between our citizens.
It’s just a bad look.
CaptainObvious you are dead on about players playing in Canada vs the states! Ottawa you better make the playoffs or Tkachuk might ask out like his brother Matthew! Things worked out pretty good for him in Fla.!
Politics has already changed the relationship between Canada and the States unfortunately. What you`re seeing is the aftermath now. Americans thought Canadians would just cowtow because we`re nice and polite and it`s just not going to happen. The start of the game wasn`t staged fights, staged fights are when players from 2 teams get together and agree to fight. No staging here, this was a 100% bullying tactic. Thachuk even said it in his interview, we wanted to send a clear message. Remember during the covid the Canadian teams played amongst themselves, I loved seeing Montreal vs. Toronto, Calgary vs Edmonton, didn`t miss the US teams at all. So if the Americans don`t want to play here, so be it. We can have 2 separate leagues, enough players to go around. Just remember one thing, the stanley cup doesn`t belong to the NHL
Yogi, I don’t think it’s far-fetched at all to see all 7 Canadian franchises pull out and form their own, with the additions of a team in each of Saskatoon/Regina, Quebec City, and possibly even the Maritimes (Halifax – with Crosby an owner) and with ALL the revenue from CBC/TSN/etc., going to the new league. Another area that could likely support a franchise in such a league to round it off at 10 would be the London – Kitchener-Waterloo sector.
George you`re right we could had 5 teams and have a great league, even put a second team in Montreal. I know one thing that`s 100% certain, hockey would survive easily without American teams. Not sure hockey can survive without the Canadian teams or at least be a relevant league. You look at Detroit and Chicago right now as examples. When they`re not winning fans don`t flock to the arenas
Not to mention Pittsburgh … as we will soon see,
And oh yeah …. the second coming of the Montreal Maroons!
The US would be just fine without Canadian teams.
22-23 season nhl revenue was 6.43. Canadians teams accounted for 1.48 of that revenue or roughly 25% being literally 1 team shy of 25% of the total teams.
Those numbers include a struggling Arizona team.(120 million) but Ottawa was not far behind at 128 million.
The emergence of US players has and will also help grow the game in the US.
And as I say above, the US doesn’t have anywhere near the problem keeping , luring Canadian players as Canada does US players.
We’ll be just fine without Canada. They wouldn’t be shutting down the NHL here.
Not sure we could add 7 teams back. But I’m positive the US could add 5 teams.
We’ll be okay either way.
Great win for us but really it was Helleybuck shining; some very good defense; and two softies let in by Binnington.
Guentz did get two goals; one was an absolute softie and the other an EN. Definitely one of the 3 stars but #1 star was Helleybuck (and he didn’t even get in top 3 stars).
Should have been
#1 Helleybuck
#2 Guentzel
#3 McDavid (credit where credit is due)
I’m so glad that they couldn’t bring in Thompson.
I think they should stick with Binnington 😊🙏 😂
Re the fights . I liked the “gumption” to show our determination.
I didn’t like as much the pre-planned nature of it; spontaneity would have been better.
But most of all I thought it was cowardly for Matthew Tkachuk (after already pre-planning the fight) to choose to scrap against someone that was 25 lbs lighter. Why not choose Reinhardt or Bennett or Stone? Brady then challenges with a 3” and 35 lb advantage.
Our true “energy” came from Miller taking on Parayko (with 5” and 10 lbs on Miller).
8787,See what Sullivan can do with a little talent! That over the hill gang in Pittsburgh is well passed their twilight!
Yeah, along with spare-part Ty Smith, they peddled Guentzel off to Carolina for Bunting and 3 grade B prospects and 2 conditional 2024 picks … and judging by some, you’d think Dubas had just made the trade coup of the Century! Bunting is NO replacement for Guentzel and the others are just what they are classified as – prospects, taken 51st, 53rd and 124th – and until we can see how they do with regular work in the NHL, that’s what they’ll remain. Prospects. Every team in the league has a host of therm.
Not to be outdone, Carolina then sent Guentzel off to Tampa for a 2025 3rd round pick! Wonder if Carolina fans are doing cartwheels over that coming prospect.
A little talent? Did you seriously just say “look what sully can do with a mfin all star team! Pens suck!”
Sr
We may not have the offensive clout that you have (two best players in the world and also best defenseman in the world [yes I put Makar ahead of Hughes]); but we certainly held our own defensively. That said, we do have the world’s best goalie and he IS the difference maker.
Sully or any other coach would have put Helleybuck in. Not really any coaching miracle there. We didn’t match your speed offensively. We did choke up the middle though. Helleybuck over Binnington was the difference. I don’t think Thompson lets in 2 softies. Without those softies, we’re pulling Hellebuyck with 2 mins left, you up 1-0.
Remember, Sullivan continues to play the likes of Nieto, when any other player will do; and tosses line combos and D pairings in the blender multiple times a game effectively blocking chemistry building for Pens.
I’ve said it many times before and I’ll say it again. Dubas deals the hand, but it is how the hand is played (which is all on Sully) that dictates maximum results with said hand.
On Thursday, if Cooper sticks with Binnington it likely won’t matter what Sullivan does. Helleybuck once again victorious over Binnington.
George
Waddel kicked Dubas’ butt in the Guentzel deal.
ALL major media had projected a 1st + good young roster + good prospect
No first
“ Fair” instead of “good” roster player (Bunting) and a little bit older (not “young”)
He may have got a good prospect (still TBD)
The two other sundry were equivalent to Smyth (none in media had projected that Pens would be giving more than just Guentzel)
The media projected…? Well if the media said it, it must be true. Dubas isn’t the king of all trades, but he didn’t exactly get fleeced. Guentzel was never, ever, going to sign for less than what Tampa gave him, and the Pens couldn’t if they wanted to.
yes the Hanson brothers did stir it up for Team USA….
Crosby has shined, Guentzel has shined, Erik Karlsson has played well, Coach Sullivan is doing a wonderful job.
And to start it all off Mario Lemieux makes a surprise appearance he got an ovation that almost blew the roof off the Bell Center house.
Game one they chanted Crosby’s name in OT wow pretty cool
Pittsburgh has represented well..
Agree with SR, I was disappointed with team Canada response in the game, not the fights! To me, they didn’t do much when they had opportunities. MacKinnon, Point, Reinhart were definitely MIA! That was surprising, they got effectively checked all over the ice. 2nd period was terrible. They let the US dictate the game. They didn’t work as hard as the US to go get the loose pucks in order to create more chances? I expected more from hagel and cerelli to perhaps get one because you knew they were going to check McDavid and MacKinnon to death. But I was totally wrong, thought Canada would really bring it ; especially in Montreal!!!
Yogi is the only one close to describing the fighting correctly.
These fights weren’t staged, there was no score being settled it was a pure pre-planned attack, outright thuggery.
They wanted to set the tone and the boys responded well, on top of which taking hte lead in the game.
Playing “ugly american” didn’t work and the game settled in with Hellybuck getting the job done.
I deleted the rest of my comment
8787..yet again you are delusional. You can add George to the list of Dubas haters.
Don’t hear either of you popping off how bad Dubas did in the Marcus Petersson deal why because he did very well. Good trade.
The Guentzel trade Dubas got some decent adds to the team and organization.
Ville Koivunen has 15 goals in Wilkes Barrie,
Michael Bunting has scored 20 goals twice for the Penguins roster, an ok draft pick and Cruz Lucius in doing well in division 1 Ncaa.
For the record 8787 the Penguins have 29 draft picks the next three years and 15 of them in the first three rounds More than any NHL team..
And he will have close to $29 million this off season you will see.
Washington retooled in one year don’t say it can’t be done..
Not sure where you get Bunting has scored 20 goals twice for Pittsburgh, 6 last year and 14 this year. Duba`s trades in Toronto haven`t been all bad, he OK on a couple of them. Kadri Marchment McCann and Verhaeghe all have 2 things in common. They can all score and they all play a physical type game. Oh wait they have a 3rd thing in common, they were all given away for nothing by Dubas. Now if you want to talk about Dubas`s bad trades, that`s a whole new column. All those draft picks Pittsburgh has, you might want to get somebody other than Dubas to do your drafting. He has one of the worse draft records in the NHL. He was handed a talented team with one of the best prospect pools in the NHL and a boat load of cap space to with it. He got fired for accomplishing nothing but emptying cupboards, squanding the cap space. A person doesn`t have to hate Dubas to realize he`s a terrible GM. Some people try to avoid the spring rush and hate him now
Yogi what i meant he had 20 total last year and is on pace for 20 this year.another words a 20 goal scorer in the trade
Well in only 2 years he has stockpiled a lot picks improved the wilkes barrie farm
And has made the Penguins younger and will b more next year