The NHL’s 4-Nations Face-Off came to a close last night, when Canada emerged victorious in the tournament’s championship game. The Senators had representation across the tournament on all four teams, both on and off the ice. Now that the tournament has ended, it’s time to look back on how the Sens’ participants fared.
Taking to the ice for Finland was Nikolas Matinpalo. A late addition to the team on February 9, the Finnish defenseman quickly proved he belonged in the tournament when he took on a shutdown role for his country. Matinpalo stepped up to play big minutes for Finland, including a heavy matchup against Canada’s line featuring Connor McDavid.
Linus Ullmark joined Sweden as one of three goaltenders on the team. Ullmark entered Sweden’s game against Finland in relief of fellow goaltender and former Senator Filip Gustavsson, where he made 15 saves to help Sweden head to overtime against Finland.
Jake Sanderson was another late addition to the tournament, joining on February 9. The 22-year-old defenceman played in just two games but made an immediate impact on the ice. In the biggest game of the tournament, the championship, Sanderson scored for the United States to give them a 2-1 lead in the second period.
