The U.S. earned a dominant win over Finland on Thursday night.
The 4 Nations Face-Off continued Thursday night with a Team USA-Team Finland matchup. Brady and Matthew Tkachuk each scored two goals, and the United States easily handled Finland 6-1 in the first game for both teams at Bell Centre. [NHL]
Here are your Pens Points for this Friday morning…
In his latest edition of the “Trade or Keep” series, Gretz tries pinpointing Michael Bunting’s value to determine if trading him now is the best action. [PensBurgh]
American defenseman Charlie McAvoy is an accomplished player and alternate captain for the Boston Bruins. However, the 4 Nations Face-Off means a bit more for him, as he’s not only representing his country on an international stage but doing so while being coached by his father-in-law, Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan. [Trib Live/AP]
The Penguins swung a minor trade Thursday afternoon, acquiring forward Mathias Laferriere from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for fellow AHLer Corey Andonovski. [Trib Live]
Penguins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk has regained his confidence. [Trib Live]
News and notes from around the NHL…
The NHL may view the 4 Nations Face-Off as more than just an international tournament or as a precursor to the return to Olympic hockey. The tournament could be a testing ground for future rules or game changes. [Yahoo! Sports]
Former defenseman-turned-analyst P.K. Subban has created a signature dish, dubbed “P.K.’s Power Bowl,” for Canadian food delivery service WeCook. [Sportsnaut]
Injury to key players was always a risk with an in-season international tournament. Even with Shea Theodore’s injury at the 4 Nations Face-Off, which has since been given a ‘week-to-week’ designation, that should not deter the NHL from having its players in these events. [The Hockey News]