The 4 Nations Face-Off is nearly complete, with just the championship between Team USA and Team Canada to take place on Thursday, Feb. 20. Before the tournament got underway, we took a look at how the Minnesota Wild fans should be excited about the opportunity to have so many of their staff represented.
With Team Sweden officially eliminated, three out of their five players are now done, but they still have two in the tournament with Team USA. Brock Faber and Matt Boldy still have a game left to play, but we’ll look at how the members of Team Sweden did, starting with Joel Eriksson Ek.
Eriksson Ek Recovered
Eriksson Ek missed the final Wild game before the 4 Nations Face-Off, and many assumed that meant he was out of the tournament. However, that wasn’t the case, as he was back in time for Team Sweden’s first tournament game. He didn’t waste any time as he put up a goal in that game after being held pointless in his previous four.
He played like someone who hadn’t just missed a game due to injury and looked close to his form from the beginning of the season. He was playing with the speed and intensity from before his injuries, and it was great to see. The Wild have been looking for that form to come back, and now that it is, hopefully, he can bring it back with him.
Luckily for the Wild, he escaped this tournament without injury and recovered from one before returning to Minnesota. When the regular season gets back underway, for Eriksson Ek that will be Saturday, Feb. 22 against the Detroit Red Wings on the road, they’ll need him to bring that game. Apart from that first goal, he also tallied an assist for two points in his three tournament games.
Brodin Shines Again
Most don’t notice Jonas Brodin because a lot of his work is behind the scenes and not fancy goals. Like his Wild and Team Sweden teammate Eriksson Ek, Brodin has had his fair share of injury problems. He only skated in three games after returning from injury before heading to the 4 Nations Face-Off, but he had back-to-back assists before the break. He continued that in the first game of the tournament, as he scored a goal.
That was his only point of the tournament, but again, his main priority was defense, and he also excelled in that area. He blocked shots, got his puck in stick lanes, and did his best to keep the opposition to the outside, away from his goaltender. Again, like Eriksson Ek, Brodin looked like he had his old form back and was skating like he wasn’t injured recently.
The Wild should be extremely excited about how these two played and even more excited about them bringing that back to the lineup. With the postseason rush about to begin, they will need all of their top-notch players.
Gustavsson Best of the Best
While Eriksson Ek and Brodin performed well, their teammate Filip Gustavsson stole the show. In their first game against Team Canada, he was a star, and although they did lose that game, he got them to overtime. Most will argue his stats are against him, but his actual performance was better than his numbers.
He showed his confidence level at the beginning of the season, and although he struggled at times during the season, he didn’t show it at the tournament. He did leave Team Sweden’s second game due to illness and didn’t start the third but was the backup. This tournament significantly boosted his confidence, which, hopefully, he’ll bring home alongside his teammates.
Prior to the tournament, he appeared to be regaining his original form and playing each game stronger, but he wasn’t quite there yet. This tournament looked like the exact thing Gustavsson needed to take his game to the next level.
Wild Need Their Swedes
All three of these players are integral to the Wild, and thankfully, all three seem to be getting back to the top of their game at the perfect time. The season is getting to the point where every win matters, and they’re going to need these three to contribute, especially Gustavsson in net. Hopefully, this tournament was just what these players needed to get their game back in peak form, and they’ll help secure wins for the Wild.
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