Canada's Marchand ready for rematch against 'best' team he's ever faced

BOSTON — Let’s start with a statement from Brad Marchand that deserves our attention, especially since so much of our attention in the seemingly interminable lead-up to this 4 Nations Face-Off finale between Canada and the USA has been devoted to an American player who’s currently with his Canadian NHL team on the other side of the continent.

“They’re by far the best that I’ve played,” Marchand said of Team USA sans reigning Norris Trophy winner Quinn Hughes.

Marchand, a Stanley Cup winner, was a big part of the Canadian team that dispatched the United States before beating Team Europe in the final of the 2016 World Cup. But he said ahead of Thursday’s game that the team he played against last Saturday featured the best competition he’s ever faced.

“No disrespect to the previous teams, but (with) the way the game has evolved the past 10 years, some of the players on their team will be some of the best players to ever play the game of hockey,” the 36-year-old said from Boston four days after losing 3-1 to the Americans in Montreal. “They embody a team that competes at the highest level. They have everything. They check well, they play physical, they have incredible talent, the defencemen on their team can all skate, they’re all good size, and their goaltending is also incredible. So, they don’t have any weaknesses. Just their skill level is incredible to watch. You look at them and you look at that team and there’s nothing wrong with it. It’s definitely the best that I’ve seen, really that I think I’ve ever played against.”

Brady and Matthew Tkachuk have helped make it so and, despite both suffering lower-body injuries en route to the final in Boston, both intend to make it a champion.

“I’m ready to go,” said Matthew, who sat for most of the third period of USA’s win over Canada before skipping Monday’s loss to Team Sweden. “It’s going to be an incredible game, and I don’t want to miss it.”

Brady left the Sweden game after the first period, and USA coach Mike Sullivan said he wasn’t feeling well enough to practise Wednesday.

But Matthew said his brother is “saving everything he has for (Thursday) night,” and added, “I’m very confident he’ll be at his absolute best.”

Sullivan clarified, “From an injury standpoint, right now, the only one that’s out is Charlie McAvoy.”

Any thought that Hughes could be parachuted in from Vancouver to potentially replace someone if the U.S. was to lose another player to illness or injury ahead of the final was eliminated on Wednesday. USA general manager Bill Guerin was informed that Hughes hasn’t been medically cleared by the Canucks to return from the injury that kept him out of this tournament to begin with.

Marchand has not been focused on Hughes at all. All he’s been thinking about is this rematch against the best team he’s ever played against.

“I think the biggest thing that I’ve learned is you really have to be grateful for the moment,” Marchand said. “These moments are so few and far in between you never know when you’re going to get another one. I think the biggest thing I’ve learned throughout my career is you have to embrace every opportunity to enjoy the moment. I don’t get nervous for these things anymore because that’s what happens when you overthink it. You’ve got to do everything you can to prepare, and you rely on that. You rely on the work that you put in for whatever it’s been — 10, 15, 20, 30 years before that — that gets you through these moments. But you have to just have fun with it because, at the end of the day, these are the games that you’re going to remember the rest of your life and you want to come out on top and the only way you can do that is to be at you best. You’ve got to take it all in.”

Teammate Cale Makar is ready to do exactly that. 

The man Canada’s Josh Morrissey referred to as “the best defenceman in the world” on Tuesday missed Saturday’s game due to illness.

Makar said he wouldn’t miss Thursday’s final for anything.

“The passion runs deep for both sides,” Makar said, “and I know both teams are going to be really excited.”

What we saw from both last Saturday was one of the most exhilarating hockey exhibitions ever played — a 60-minute slugfest that started with three fights in nine seconds, featured top plays at top speed throughout and ended with everyone in the hockey world praying for an encore.

“I’ve been fortunate to be a part of some major events in this great game, but the U.S.-Canada game was the fastest, most intense game (and) collection of talent that I’ve ever been a part of,” said Canada coach Jon Cooper.

He undoubtedly hopes — like the rest of us — that Thursday’s final will top it and his American counterpart talked about the potential for that to be the case.

“In my mind, there’s two really good teams,” said Sullivan. “They’re going to compete extremely hard and do everything they can to win. How good is that for hockey? It’s an unbelievable celebration of hockey. The pace of play will be as fast-paced as what you saw on Saturday, both teams will be emotionally invested, there’ll be physicality to the game. For me, it’s everything that’s good about hockey. I just think it’s a great celebration of hockey. Both of these teams are really good.”

They both feature the greatest players of a generation, with Marchand flanked by Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid to battle Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel and the Tkachuks for a claim to hockey supremacy.

Starting Five for Team Underrated

Even if most of the players here are world-class, not all of them get the acclaim they’re worthy of.

No player is more representative of that than Sweden’s Jesper Bratt. 

Sure, it’s easy to say everyone knows he’s amazing. But when you sit down with your friends and make a list of the 30 best players in the world, how many of them are spitting out Bratt’s name?

The 26-year-old is on his way to shattering career highs with the New Jersey Devils this season. He’s got 17 goals and 64 points in 57 games after posting 85 goals and 229 points in 240 games over the last three seasons combined. 

Only 24 players in the league have contributed more offence since the start of the 2021-22 season, and no forward on Team Sweden created more offence than Bratt did at this tournament.

“I just think overall, obviously playing with him for three years, I think he just keeps getting better,” said Finnish Devils teammate Erik Haula. “He has that hunger of what type of player he wants to be. He wants to be a playoff performer. He wants to be one of the best. His attention to detail shows his growth as a player and he’s only going to get better. As this tournament shows, too, you notice him every shift. His speed, his quickness, and all his weapons. He’s got vision, he understands the game, he has the ability to create space for himself and for others. He’s quite fun to watch on a daily basis.”

Two players who might be the best in the world at taking away space are almost never mentioned among the best defencemen in the world.

But one player on Team Sweden named one of them, saying USA’s Jaccob Slavin is a notch above anyone else in this department.

“Best defensive defenceman in the NHL,” he said, “and it’s not even close.”

We presented him with our other candidate for the all-underrated blue line, Esa Lindell, and he said, “He’s great, but not close to Slavin.”

Neither is Finland’s Niko Mikkola, but we’re giving him honourable mention here. 

The six-foot-six defenceman logged massive minutes against the best players in this tournament and never appeared out of place doing it. 

“He’s a Stanley Cup champion, and I think there’s a reason,” Haula said of the Florida Panthers blueliner. “He plays with emotion, intensity and is a great player.”

How could you watch this tournament and come away from it without seeing how great Joel Eriksson Ek is?

He had a goal and an assist, averaged 19:44, played in all situations, and did it all on one leg for Team Sweden.

Eriksson Ek, who missed Minnesota’s last game with a lower-body injury he’s reportedly been dealing with for most of the season, is no stranger to playing hurt. He tried to play in the 2023 playoffs with a broken fibula.

There were no signs Eriksson Ek was ailing when he arrived in Montreal, and he left Boston having affirmed his status as one of the better all-around players in the world.

“He’s awesome,” said Wild teammate and Team USA forward Matt Boldy. “He’s someone you want on your team. He plays in all situations. He’s just one of those people you can throw out and no matter what feel confident because he’s out there. He’s someone we rely on a lot, that I love playing with.”

Brandon Hagel is someone Boldy doesn’t love playing against.

He rounds out this team after having already left his mark on the ice, where he fought Matthew Tkachuk to start last Saturday’s game against the USA.

We know Hagel only has one assist in this tournament. But the most important game is still to come and he’s been a Swiss Army knife for Canada since the first one. 

What Hagel has done so far with Tampa Bay this season should’ve already elevated his status.

With 26 goals and 75 points in 82 games last season, Hagel entered the Team Canada conversation. With 26 goals and 62 points in 55 games this season, he should be talked about more as one of the best players in the country.

Lighting and Team Canada teammate Anthony Cirelli knows.

“He’s been unbelievable,” said Cirelli. “An elite player in the world for sure, and just everything he does is great. He can make plays and put the puck in the net, but he’s also always in the right spot in the D-zone and winning battles all over the ice. He’s a guy that does it all for us, and he just keeps getting better.”