Welcome to the NHL Star Power Index: A weekly gauge of the players who are controlling substantial buzz around the league. When a player is included on this list it may not be a good thing — it means that they are capturing a large amount of the hockey world’s attention.
These players are in no particular order when it comes to the amount of buzz that they’re creating, but this week’s sample size was taken from the 4 Nations Face-Off. We’ll revisit the Star Power Index every week throughout the regular season.
Prior to the 4 Nations Face-Off getting underway, Nathan MacKinnon looked like arguably the most dangerous offensive player in the entire NHL. While playing for Canada in the best-on-best tournament, not much changed for the Colorado Avalanche star.
MacKinnon bagged a tournament-high four goals for Canada en route to earning MVP after the Canadians beat Team USA in the championship game.
In doing so, the Avalanche star became just the 11th player to average a goal per game during an NHL international tournament. He became the first to do so since the 2004 World Cup of Hockey when Keith Tkachuk (five goals in five games) of the United States and Fredrik Modin (four goals in four games) accomplished the feat.
MacKinnon got off to a hot start as he began the 4 Nations Face-Off in style with a goal just 56 seconds into Canada’s tournament opener against Sweden. The 29-year old also tallied a pair of goals in Canada’s 5-3 win against Finland in a game that the Canadians needed to win in order to reach the championship game.
When the lights were the brightest in Thursday’s title game, MacKinnon rose to the occasion one more time.
In the opening period of Thursday’s contest, Florida Panthers star Sam Reinhart was able to secure the puck behind the net, and dished it back out to teammate Thomas Harley at the blue line. Harley then passed the puck off to MacKinnon on the edge of the face-off circle, who did the rest. MacKinnon uncorked a snap shot that made its way through a ton of traffic in front and over the blocker-side shoulder of American goaltender Connor Hellebuyck to open the scoring.
It certainly wasn’t a surprise to see MacKinnon put his stamp onto a game with so much on the line. After all, MacKinnon currently leads the NHL with 87 points (21 goals & 66 assists) in the regular season, and should have all the momentum to continue to do so when the season resumes this weekend.
From a United States standpoint, it’s hard to argue that defenseman Zach Werenski wasn’t the country’s best player throughout the 4 Nations Face-Off.
The Columbus Blue Jackets blue-liner ended up leading the round-robin tournament in points (6) as he tallied six assists. Werenski became the first defenseman in NHL international tournament history to lead all players outright in the points department.
Werenski racked up at least one point in each of the United States’ four games. He also became just the fifth defenseman to register at least a point in each of his first four games at an NHL international tournament.
In Thursday’s championship game, Werenski capped off a spectacular tournament as he earned a secondary assist on defenseman Jake Sanderson’s second-period goal that gave the Americans a 2-1 advantage.
At the 7:32 mark of the second period, Detroit Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin was able to free the puck and pass it out to Werenski at the blue line. Shortly after receiving the puck, Werenski let a shot go from the point that Canadian goaltender Jordan Binnington was able to make a huge pad save on. However, the rebound squirted free and Sanderson scored from the slot on the play.
Werenski also had quite the start to the best-on-best tournament when he recorded three assists in a 6-1 win against Finland in the United States’ opener. The Blue Jackets blue-liner recorded primary assists on both of Matthew Tkachuk’s goals in the third period to lead the Americans to a convincing victory.
Werenski also had an assist in the first meeting against Canada in addition to the United States’ game against Sweden.
For those that have seen Werenski play throughout the regular season, it may not have come as a huge surprise to see the star defenseman dominate in the fashion he did. Werenski currently ranks second among NHL defensemen in points (59) behind only Colorado Avalanche standout Cale Makar (63).
Werenski was able to showcase his spectacular vision on the offensive end of the ice, while being a shutdown defender on the other end. There may not have been a more important player to the Americans’ success throughout the 4 Nations Face-Off than Werenski.
At 37 years old, did many have Sidney Crosby dominating the 4 Nations Face-Off on their bingo card? Maybe not, but that’s exactly the scenario that the Pittsburgh Penguins captain has found himself in over the past week.
For the last two decades, Crosby and Alex Ovechkin have been the faces of the sport. At some point, it would be expected that Crosby would eventually begin to break down and be a shell of his former Hart Trophy-caliber self. Well, that certainly hasn’t happened and the Penguins captain showcased his elite ability on the world’s biggest stage.
Crosby finished the tournament with a goal and four assists. The Canadian captain started with a bang when he recorded three assists in Canada’s 4-3 overtime win against Sweden in the team’s opening game. Crosby helped set up Toronto Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner’s game-winning goal as he utilized his elite ice vision to find Marner.
On that particular play, Crosby brought the puck into the offensive zone before dishing it back out of the offensive zone to Marner. Crosby ended up skating back outside of the zone to make the play onside, and Marner skated in with a head of stream to bury the game-winning goal.
Crosby has now served as the captain for Canada in international tournament wins at the 2010 Winter Olympics, 2014 Winter Olympics, 2015 World Championship, 2016 World Cup of Hockey and the 4 Nations Face-Off. Canada has a 48-6 all-time record in games where Crosby suits up for his country.
At 37 years old, Crosby still looked like the best player on the ice on several occasions. It’s hard to believe that he is still playing at such a high level. It was a treat for everyone in the hockey world since who knows how many more of these types of tournaments that Crosby will compete in.
It’s safe to say that Finland didn’t exactly have the performance that they wanted in this tournament with only one victory in its last three games. When Finland took on the United States, goaltender Juuse Saros had his fair share of struggles.
Saros surrendered six goals in a 6-1 loss at the hands of the American as he stopped just 26 of the 32 shots he faced. The Nashville Predators netminder only allowed two goals in the opening two periods.
However, the United States erupted for four goals over the final 19:45 of the third period to take control of the game. United States coach Mike Sullivan shuffled his lines to have Matthew and Brady Tkachuk skate with Jack Eichel in the second period, and that seemed to shift the tide in the Americans’ favor.
It was almost as if Saros was shell-shocked when he came out of the dressing room as he gave up goals to Matthew Tkachuk and Jake Guentzel in the opening 26 seconds of the frame.
After a rough performance against the United States, Finland turned to backup goaltender Kevin Lankinen in Monday’s game against Canada. If Finland was able to win in regulation, they would’ve clinched their spot in the championship game. Instead, Lankinen surrendered four goals in the opening two periods, including three in the opening period, which led to Saros replacing the Vancouver Canucks goalie in the second period.
Once Saros came in the game in place of Lankinen, he produced a solid performance as he turned aside all 14 shots that he faced, but Finland couldn’t overcome the lofty deficit in a 5-3 loss. The decision to not start the Predators goaltender in net against Canada may have ultimately backfired in a must-win game for Finland.
In the fast-paced world of professional hockey, there are always a few standout players who capture the attention of fans and analysts alike. This season, two young stars have been making waves in the NHL and are quickly rising to the top of the league’s star power index.
Nathan MacKinnon, a center for the Colorado Avalanche, has been a force to be reckoned with on the ice. The 25-year-old Canadian has consistently been one of the top scorers in the league and has shown incredible skill and speed in every game he plays. MacKinnon’s ability to create scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates has made him a key player for the Avalanche and a fan favorite among hockey enthusiasts.
On the other side of the ice, Zach Werenski, a defenseman for the Columbus Blue Jackets, has been turning heads with his impressive defensive play and offensive contributions. The 24-year-old American has shown great poise and skill in his defensive responsibilities, while also chipping in with crucial goals and assists for his team. Werenski’s ability to shut down opposing forwards and contribute offensively has made him a valuable asset for the Blue Jackets and a player to watch in the NHL.
As these two young stars continue to shine on the ice, fans can expect to see even more impressive performances from them in the future. With their talent and determination, Nathan MacKinnon and Zach Werenski are sure to be among the top performers in the NHL for years to come.
