Team USA Heads Into The Quarterfinals Undefeated Thanks To The Auston Matthews Legacy Game
EyesWideOpen. Getty Images.You look across the tournament into Group A and what Canada has going for them. Connor McDavid is a superstar, and he just set the record for most points by a Canadian at a single Olympics since the NHL era. Sidney Crosby is a superstar, and he just set the record for most career points at the Olympics since the NHL era. Macklin Celebrini is a superstar, the future of the NHL at just 19-years-old, and he has 4 goals in 3 games.
The best players in the world are shining on the brightest stage for their country. Canada has a team full of superstars, but the alphas manage to separate themselves from the rest of the pack. The point I'm getting at here is that through the 4 Nations tournament and 2 games so far at these Olympics, Auston Matthews hadn't managed to separate himself from the rest of the guys on USA's roster. He was just a guy on the team.
Until today.
If Team USA is going to have any chance at winning gold at these Olympics, then they need their best players to actually be their best players. Guys like Jack Eichel, guys like the Tkachuk brothers, guys like Quinn and Jack Hughes, and guys like Auston Matthews. One of the best goal scorers in the history of hockey, who has the ability to singlehandedly flip a game on its head.
The sauce to Werenski was a thing of beauty. The goal on the powerplay wasn't anything fancy. It's not a goal that is going to end up on Auston Matthews' career highlight tape. But this is what you want to see out of your leader. Getting behind the defense, to the tough areas of the ice where you know you're probably going to take a few chops on the forearms, parked right in front of the net to bury one home and give the team a little insurance.
Everybody knows how dangerous Auston Matthews is with his shot. He can score from anywhere on the ice with that thing. But sometimes the shot isn't working, and you need to adapt to get yourself going. So Auston Matthews just keeps going to the tough areas, and getting rewarded.
Advertisement
The Tkachuk and Eichel line has been great all tournament. Jack Hughes has been making the American 4th line one of the more dangerous lines in the tournament. And now that Team USA has the Matthews line going as well? That's going to be huge heading into the medal rounds. Especially considering USA is most likely going to have to go through Sweden in the quarterfinals.
Give Canada the easy path to the gold medal game. Let them get complacent. Team USA is going to have to battle their dicks off to get there, but that'll only make them more dangerous and ready for the moment. Captain America has the fellas exactly where they need to be right now.
P.S. -- Matthew Tkachuk also exactly where he needs to be right now. I don't know if the same chirps are going to work against McDavid, but it might be worth a shot.
PLAY FREEBIRD