Florida Panthers
Team USA vs. Finland at 4 Nations: How to Watch, Lines, Odds
The Florida Panthers have eight players in the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off — five of whom are playing tonight when Team USA and Finland square off in Montreal.
Per morning reports, Florida captain Sasha Barkov will center a top line for Finland with Colorado’s Artturi Lehkonen and now Carolina winger Mikko Rantanen.
Matthew Tkachuk will line up on the right side of Team USA’s top line with center Jack Eichel (Vegas) and Kyle Connor (Winnipeg).
Both players are on their respective team’s top power-play units.
For some players, this is their first chance at international play since joining the NHL.
Tkachuk, for instance, noted that he is in his ninth NHL season and has not played for Team USA since he was in junior.
Barkov played for Finland at the 2014 Olympics in Sochhi as a Florida rookie, and also took part in the World Cup of Hockey in 2016.
Both players are considered locks for next year’s Olympic teams as the NHL returns to the Winter Games for the first time in 12 years.
“When you put the Finnish jersey on, you know that’s a huge honor,’’ Barkov said Thursday morning.
“Everyone expects the best out of you, and it is a big honor and a lot of pride to represent your country and especially for Team Finland. We respect that a lot, to be able to get this chance and every single guy knows it. Every guy went through the junior system where you figure out how big an honor and how much pride you take in it.’’
4 NATIONS FACE-OFF NOTES
- Aside from five current Panthers playing tonight (Barkov, Tkachuk, Niko Mikkola, Eetu Luostarinen, and Anton Lundell) there are also two former Panthers playing between the two — and they are connected. Finland has Erik Haula, who was part of the return (so was Luostarinen) in the 2019 trade with Carolina for Team USA’s Vincent Trocheck.
- How to Watch: Tonight’s game is available on both ESPN and streamed on ESPN+. In Canada, tune into Sportsnet and TVAS.
- Starting Goalies: Team USA will start reigning Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck (Winnipeg); Nashville’s Juuse Saros goes for Finland.
- NHL Betting Odds: Team USA is a heavy favorite on the money line (-400) at the local book. To win with the Tkachuk Brothers, a $400 bet pays $100. If you think the Finland Panthers are going to pull the upset, a $100 wager wins $260.
ON DECK
TEAM USA @ FINLAND
- When: Tonight, 8 p.m.
- Where: Bell Centre, Montreal
- National TV: ESPN
- Streaming: ESPN+
- Radio: NHL Network SiriusXM
- Betting Odds — USA Favored: Money Line (-400); Puck line (-1.5, -130); Over/Under 5.5 (-135/+110)
PROJECTED TEAM USA (0-0) LINES
81 Kyle Connor (WPG) // 9 Jack Eichel (VGK) // 19 Matthew Tkachuk (FLA)
59 Jake Guentzel (TBL) // 34 Auston Matthews (TOR) // 86 Jack Hughes (NJD)
7 Brady Tkachuk (OTT) // 10 J.T. Miller (NYR) // 12 Matt Boldy (MIN)
29 Brock Nelson (NYI) // 16 Vincent Trocheck (NYR) // 21 Dylan Larkin (DET)
8 Zach Werenski (CBS) // 25 Charlie McAvoy (BOS)
74 Jaccob Slavin (CAR) // 23 Adam Fox (NYR)
15 Noah Hanifin (VGK) // 14 Brock Faber (MIN)
37 Connor Hellebuyck (WPG)
30 Jake Oettinger (DAL)
Scratched: Chris Kreider (NYR), Jake Sanderson (OTT), Jeremy Swayman (BOS)
Injured: None
PROJECTED TEAM FINLAND (0-0) LINES
62 Artturi Lehkonen (COL) // 16 Sasha Barkov (FLA) // 96 Mikko Rantanen (CAR)
24 Roope Hintz (DAL) // 20 Sebastian Aho (CAR) //92 Patrik Laine (MON)
27 Eetu Luostarinen (FLA) // 15 Anton Lundell (FLA) // 64 Mikael Granlund (DAL)
86 Teuvo Teravainen (CHI) //56 Erik Haula (NJD) // 40 Joel Armia (MON)
77 Niko Mikkola (FLA) // 23 Esa Lindell (DAL)
18 Urho Vaakanainen (NYR) // 33 Nikolas Matinpalo (OTT)
3 Olli Maatta (UTE) // 10 Henri Jokiharju (BUF)
74 Juuse Saros (DAL)
1 Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (BUF)
Scratched: Juuso Valimaki (UTE), Kaapo Kakko (SEA), Kevin Lankinen (VAN)
Injured: None
Team USA and Finland Projected Lines Courtesy NHL.com
4 NATIONS FACE-OFF SCHEDULE
At Bell Centre, Montreal
- Wednesday: Canada 4, Sweden 3 (OT)
- Tonight: United States vs. Finland, 8 p.m. (ESPN, ESPN+)
- Saturday: Finland vs. Sweden, 1 p.m. (ABC, ESPN+); United States vs. Canada, 8 p.m. (ABC, ESPN+)
At TD Garden, Boston
- Monday: Canada vs. Finland, 1 p.m. (TNT/truTV, Max); Sweden vs. United States, 8 p.m. (TNT/truTV, Max)
- Thursday, Feb. 20: Championship game, 8 p.m. (ESPN, ESPN+)
Standings
- 1. Canada 2; 2. Sweden 1; 3. Finland, USA 0
