What we learned in Canada’s thrilling win over Sweden in 4 Nations Face-Off opener
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Ryan S. Clark
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Greg Wyshynski
The opening game of the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off was quite a bit closer than the Canadian fans in Montreal might have liked, but their side earned a victory over Sweden, 4-3 in overtime.
A victorious Canada earns two points in the standings for the OT win, while the Swedes get one. Sweden’s next matchup is against Finland on Saturday (1 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN+), while Canada will next play Saturday against the United States (8 p.m., ABC/ESPN+/Disney+).
But before closing the books on this contest, let’s grade both teams, identify our biggest takeaways, and look ahead to the key players to watch and biggest questions for each team’s next game.
Grading the teams
Canada: B
It’s hard to give Canada anything less than a ‘B’ grade here, even if they might have earned something lower. Squandering a 2-0 first-period lead and a 3-1 third-period lead to wind up in overtime meant Canada couldn’t earn a 3-point regulation win over Sweden. But they did earn two points for an overtime win thanks to Mitch Marner‘s heroics at 6:06 of a frantic extra session — cashing in on Sidney Crosby‘s third primary assist of the game.
So it’s a ‘B’ on a curve. They won the game. They did so playing five defensemen for over two periods, thanks to an injury to Shea Theodore. At times they looked like an unstoppable hockey machine that could score at will and limit an opponent’s chances to nil. At other times, they looked like a group of star players who had limited practice time together and occasionally tried to do too much on their own.
But victory was theirs, heading into Saturday night’s showdown with the Americans. The sweetest part: That Sidney Crosby, whose status for the tournament was up in the air after missing the Penguins’ last two games, was the best player on the ice. (With Mario Lemieux in the house watching, no less.) — Greg Wyshynski
Sweden: B-
Was the takeaway from Sweden’s first game the fact it fell behind by two goals before the first period ended? Or is it more about the fact that it overcame a two-goal deficit to send the game to OT — and nearly win it on a few chances?
The first period deficit was somewhat rectified by a far more cohesive second period that saw Sweden cut the lead to 2-1. But that’s when Sweden relied on its collective. There was Rasmus Dahlin clearing the puck out of the crease. Victor Hedman was among those actively using their sticks in the passing lane, while others such as Viktor Arvidsson were delivering checks. Joel Erikkson Ek was nearly the hero, scoring the game-tying goal while drawing Sweden’s first penalty.
It was the sort of overall performance that reinforces why Sweden could be a problem in this tourney. But falling behind early also spoke to how Sweden’s opening game could have been different if those problems could have been avoided. — Ryan S. Clark
What we learned
Canada’s PP1 is the scariest thing in hockey
While the 4 Nations Face-Off replaced the NHL All-Star Game this season, Canada’s top power-play unit is a suitable stand-in for superstars making magic together.
Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Sam Reinhart … that’s like a human cheat code. They were as unstoppable as advertised in the first minute of the tournament, after William Nylander took a high-sticking penalty at 44 seconds. Makar kept the puck at the blue line, leading to McDavid and Crosby briefly playing catch near the boards. Sid sent a blistering backhand pass across the crease to an open MacKinnon who buried his chance for the 1-0 lead.
When asked how he’d stop that quintet, Brad Marchand joked: “I would probably put three goalies in the net and just let them try to do the job.” Not even that trio would have prevented this goal. — Wyshynski
What if Sweden didn’t have a slow start?
Instead of losing in overtime, perhaps Sweden is the one walking away winning its opening game of the tournament. Either way, it’s one of the questions that the Tre kronor will be left ruminating about entering its Saturday showdown against Finland.
But think back to how this game started: It’s one thing to take a penalty within the first minute. But surrendering a goal within the first 20 seconds of the power play — then giving up a second goal before you can even get off your first shot? And not getting off your first shot until 4:45 remaining in the first period? This was far from the start Sweden sought. In fact, Canada had a 60% shot share in the first period, reinforcing how much it controlled possession.
Falling into that two-goal deficit also underscored why Sweden needed to rely on its collective, which it did. Sweden had three different goal scorers, while Filip Gustavsson kept extending the game until Marner’s overtime winner. But there were still challenges — such as how Sweden had a hard time consistently generating high-danger scoring chances, or how it didn’t draw a penalty until the third period.
Sweden showed it can come back after falling behind. But how will that work if it falls into another early hole Saturday versus Finland? Can it find a breakthrough against Juuse Saros? And what would that look like against the United States on Monday knowing Sweden would be trying to find an opening against reigning Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck? — Clark
Is there a Canadian goalie controversy?
Canada coach Jon Cooper anointed St. Louis Blues goalie Jordan Binnington as his opening game starter over Adin Hill (Vegas) and Sam Montembeault (Montreal), and watched him give up three goals on 23 shots with varying degrees of fault.
Sweden’s first goal wasn’t completely on Binnington, as Jonas Brodin scored on a moving screen by Rickard Rakell. Adrian Kempe‘s goal was a manageable shot from the slot. Joel Eriksson Ek‘s goal was the product of a great Jesper Bratt pass, but Binnington did him a favor by swimming in his crease. Binnington’s best period was overtime, with a couple of game-saving stops before Marner’s goal.
“This kid has played in some huge moments, some big games, he’s a competitor,” Cooper said when he named Binnington the starter. “These other guys will be ready to go if anything happens.”
So did enough happen against Sweden for Cooper to give the crease to Hill — a Stanley Cup winner for the Golden Knights — or Montembeault on Saturday night against Team USA? That’s a mystery. What’s clear is that concerns about goaltending being the formidable Team Canada’s Achilles heel have not been assuaged. — Wyshynski
Sweden’s third goal could unlock something
Getting a game-tying goal was clearly crucial. But the way Lukas Raymond and Jesper Bratt combined to set up Eriksson Ek’s tally in the third period was unlike any other goal that Sweden scored to that point.
Canada’s defensive structure was predicated on forcing Sweden into taking longer-distance shots as a way to make it easier for Jordan Binnington to track the puck. And while Sweden scored two goals from distance thanks to Jonas Brodin and Adrian Kempe, it struggled to find high-danger scoring chances at the net front that Canada created at various points throughout the game.
Eriksson Ek won the faceoff in Canada’s zone and then had the wherewithal to get to the net front that allowed him a chance to either screen Binnington or have what would be one of the easier scoring chances of the evening. He found the latter and it gave Sweden a path toward finding more of those opportunities. This tactic could prove useful over the next several days. — Clark
Players to watch
The most talented player in the world had a secondary assist on MacKinnon’s power-play goal, but nothing else to speak of against Sweden. He had one shot on goal in the game and didn’t generate any in overtime, where MacKinnon (four shots) seemed to do what McDavid usually does.
Since entering the NHL, McDavid is tied with Crosby for the third-most 3-on-3 overtime goals during that span. Canada obviously won’t mind if McDavid needed a game to get his bearings before unleashing the fury on Team USA. Maybe he was like the rest of us and was too memorized by a 37-year-old Sidney Crosby dominating the game to focus on himself. — Wyshynski
There’s an argument to be had for Eriksson Ek considering he scored the game-tying goal and drew Sweden’s lone penalty. But what Gustavsson did in regulation allowed Sweden to survive giving up high-danger scoring chances at a rate of 2-to-1, according to Natural Stat Trick.
But where it became even more evident was how the Minnesota Wild goaltender repeatedly stopped shots from some of the game’s most dangerous players — such as stopping Nathan MacKinnon on multiple occasions in overtime — before Marner’s game-winning goal. — Clark
Big questions for the next game
What will Canada do without Shea Theodore?
Becoming well-versed in 4 Nations injury replacement policy was the last thing Canadian fans wanted to do during the tournament opener. But now they know there’s no reinforcements other than who’s already on the roster with defenseman Shea Theodore out for the rest of the event, according to Jon Cooper.
The Vegas Golden Knights defender injured his hand while bracing himself on a hit by Sweden’s Adrian Kempe. He left during the second period and did not return for the third. Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim is the only blue-line reserve for Team Canada.
Tournament rules state that a team has to fall below 18 healthy skaters in order to bring in one not currently on the roster as a replacement. So it’ll be Sanheim on Saturday night vs. Team USA. And if they lose another defenseman … well, might want to keep the phone near you on the beach, snubbed Canadians. — Wyshynski
Which version of Sweden will show up against Finland?
Will we see the version of Sweden that fell into an early deficit and had to slowly piece its way back into tying the game? Or will it see the version that found ways to control possession and score goals despite playing against a defensive structure that was designed to force shots from distance?
Take away Mark Stone‘s goal, and the way Sweden performed in that middle frame provides insight on why this is an intriguing team in this event. Relying on its two-way ability to support Gustavsson — with the premise it could lead to goals — played into the strategy on how Sweden could win games.
Overcoming that two-goal deficit and forcing overtime against what’s considered to be the tournament favorite further proves that Sweden is dangerous, and could end up hurting someone’s feelings. But that’s only if Sweden can find a way to replicate what it did from the second period on against two teams in Finland and the U.S. who have two of the premier goalies in the world. — Clark
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Jorge Castillo
TAMPA — Nearly a year after suffering an elbow injury that pushed his season debut back to June, New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole said he is “in a really good spot” compared with recent years after starting his offseason throwing program earlier than in previous winters.
The right-hander posted a 3.41 ERA in 17 regular-season starts in 2024 before recording a 2.17 ERA in five postseason outings, including a seven-inning gem in Game 4 of an American League Division Series to close out the Kansas City Royals.
Now, two years removed from winning the AL Cy Young Award and entering his age-34 season, Cole expects to regain his place among baseball’s best hurlers.
“My expectations are the same,” Cole said after the Yankees’ first official spring training workout.
For 48 hours in early November, just days after the World Series ended, it appeared as though there was a chance Cole’s days as a Yankee could’ve been over. The star right-hander opted out of his contract — a nine-year, $324 million pact that registered as the largest contract ever for a pitcher when he signed before the 2020 season — with four years and $144 million remaining, giving the Yankees two days to void the opt-out with a one-year, $36 million extension.
The Yankees chose not to, giving Cole a path to free agency. Instead, after discussions between the two sides, Cole chose to remain with the organization on the four-year, $144 million contract he opted out of, as if he had not exercised the clause.
“The intention wasn’t to do anything other than stay,” Cole said Wednesday. “I was happy to be where my feet were, back in Yankee Stadium.”
Manager Aaron Boone said he thought there was a chance Cole could hit the open market where he would surely garner another rich long-term contract. As for potential awkwardness after the brief tango between the two sides, Boone said Cole immediately expunged any.
“He had a good way about it,” Boone said. “He came in, just talked about it openly after the fact when he came back in. So he kind of put us at ease a little bit, and [had] a laugh. And certainly, obviously, I’m excited that he came back.”
Cole’s return was the Yankees’ first transaction in what became an active offseason. Within a week, the Yankees exercised the 2025 option on Boone’s contract. A month after that, Juan Soto spurned them to sign a record-breaking deal with the New York Mets, spurring the club to quickly make a series of moves to improve the roster by the new year.
Max Fried was signed to an eight-year contract atop the starting rotation alongside Cole. Closer Devin Williams and outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger were acquired in trades. Paul Goldschmidt signed a one-year deal to play first base. Reliever Fernando Cruz came over in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds for backup catcher Jose Trevino. The result is a roster that is very different from the group that advanced to the franchise’s first World Series in 15 years, but one that is expected to compete for another AL pennant nonetheless.
“He’s a tremendous player,” Cole said of Soto. “He was extremely impactful for us, and a joy to watch and a joy to be around. So, Juan will be missed for a certain extent. But the beauty of the Yankees is the ability to go out and fill the roster and fill the spots with the goal of getting back to the World Series and winning the World Series again.”
Cole was in the middle of the Yankees’ fifth-inning meltdown against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the deciding Game 5 of the World Series, which led a few members of the winning club to bluntly criticize New York’s shortcomings. While Boone said he would like his team “to handle things with a little more class” if the Yankees find themselves in that position, Cole said he didn’t pay much attention to the comments.
“It’s a good push for us,” Cole said of falling short in the World Series. “We’re really proud of what we did. At the same time, we walked away from the season with a bitter taste in our mouths and just a real terrible feeling.”
Other notes from Yankees camp:
• Right-hander Eric Reyzelman, a non-roster invitee to spring training, suffered an allergic reaction before Wednesday’s workout and was admitted to a local hospital, where he was slated to stay overnight, according to a team spokesperson. Reyzelman, 23, was a fifth-round pick out of LSU in 2022. He recorded a 1.16 ERA in 31 games (one start) across three minor league levels last season, culminating with 23 appearances in Double-A.
• Boone said that Ben Rice is “definitely” in contention for the team’s backup catcher job but that the club doesn’t view him as solely a catcher. Rice, 25 and a catcher by trade, made his major league debut last season, appearing in 50 games but logging just one inning at catcher. He started 41 games at first base, batting .171 with seven home runs and a .613 OPS in 178 plate appearances as a rookie.
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Alden Gonzalez
The San Diego Padres filled a clear need in their starting rotation Wednesday, agreeing to terms on a four-year, $55 million contract with veteran right-hander Nick Pivetta, sources told ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
Pivetta’s deal, still pending the completion of a physical exam, includes opt-outs after the second and third seasons and is heavily backloaded. The contract will pay him a $3 million signing bonus and only a $1 million salary in 2025, then calls for salaries of $19 million, $14 million and $18 million from 2026 to 2028, sources told Passan.
The structure helps a Padres team that is trying to keep costs down for a second straight offseason and was already running a 2025 payroll of about $194 million, roughly a $30 million increase from where they were on Opening Day last year.
Pivetta, who will celebrate his 32nd birthday Friday, will likely slot in behind the Padres’ incumbent trio of Dylan Cease, Yu Darvish and Michael King, leaving Matt Waldron and Randy Vasquez, among others, to compete for the fifth spot.
One of few reliable starting pitchers remaining on the free agent market, Pivetta has been lauded for his durability, extension and propensity for missing bats.
With the Boston Red Sox over the past four seasons, he averaged 156 innings, posted a 4.33 ERA and struck out 26.9% of hitters. Last year, while posting a 4.14 ERA in 145⅔ innings, Pivetta finished with the lowest walk rate of his career at 6.1%.
Padres general manager A.J. Preller has navigated through a conservative, relatively quiet offseason since watching his team lose to the eventual World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Division Series.
Preller didn’t make an addition to his major league roster until bringing back catcher Elias Diaz at the end of January. Days ago, the team agreed to $1 million deals with Connor Joe and Jason Heyward, who will make up a left-field platoon.
The Pivetta deal, occurring at the start of spring training, represents the first big move of the Padres’ offseason. Given the absence of front-line starter Joe Musgrove, who will spend the year recovering from Tommy John surgery, it’s an important one.
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