Rangers’ Chris Kreider scores but United States loses 2-1 to Sweden at 4 Nations Face-Off

Chris Kreider repped the red, white and blue of the United States and the Blueshirt of the New York Rangers with great pride Thursday night at TD Garden, scoring in his 4 Nations Face-Off debut. But that wasn’t enough to spark shorthanded Team USA, which dropped a 2-1 decision to Sweden in the final prelim game of the midseason international tournament.

The good news for Kreider and the U.S. is that, despite the loss, they will play Canada in the championship game Thursday night. Canada edged Finland 4-3 earlier in the day on Thursday. Sweden finished the 4 Nations with its first win after losing twice in overtime.

Kreider’s buddy, and longtime Rangers teammate, Mika Zibanejad didn’t play for Sweden because of an illness. Zibanejad scored one goal in the first two games for Sweden.

The United States was without Matthew Tkachuk (lower-body injury), Auston Matthews (upper body) and Charlie McAvoy (upper body), and started the game with 11 forwards instead of 12. They also lost Brady Tkachuk to an unspecified injury in the first period and he didn’t return, leaving them with 10 forwards the rest of the game.

As such, Kreider received extra ice time in his first game after he was a healthy scratch in the first two, each a U.S. victory. Kreider scored Team USA’s only goal on his first shift of the game, just 35 seconds into play. He finished with three shots on goal in 17:22 TOI.

Rangers forward J.T. Miller logged 19:58 TOI, won 10 of 13 face-offs, recorded two shots on goal and was credited with a team-high five hits for the United States. Vincent Trocheck was limited to under 11 minutes of ice time and lost four of his seven face-offs, and appeared to have an issue with his right hand or wrist.

Adam Fox played a quiet 17:53 and remains without a point in the 4 Nations Face-Off, like Trocheck and Miller.

Gustav Nyquist and Jesper Bratt scores for Sweden, and Samuel Ersson made 31 saves in his first start of the tournament.

Jake Oettinger started for Team USA and finished with 21 saves,

Sweden 2 – United States 1

Team USA coach Mike Sullivan showed Kreider respect by putting the Rangers forward in the starting lineup alongside Brady Tkachuk and Jack Eichel in his hometown where he starred collegiately at Boston College. Kreider rewarded Sullivan, who was a Rangers assistant when Kreider broke into the NHL during the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs, almost instantly.

Just 35 seconds after the initial puck drop, Kreider barged to the net to bang home the rebound of a Zach Werenski shot after the U.S. defenseman’s power move to the net on right wing.

About a minute later, Dylan Larkin fired a shot off the post. Then at 2:50, Tkachuk upended Leo Carlsson with a big hit and landed another seconds later on the same shift. The United States was off to a flying start and seemed on their way to a rout against a Sweden team that had nothing but pride to play for at this stage of the tournament.

But the tide began to turn when Tkachuk drove hard to the net, lost an edge and slid hard toward the Sweden goal. First he slid into Ersson, then the near post. He got up, skated off in pain and went to the U.S. dressing room. Tkachuk came back later for a very brief shift and that was it. He didn’t play the rest of the game and the United States was down to 10 forwards.

Sweden tied the game 1-1 at 13:39 when Nyquist tipped an Erik Karlsson shot just between the arm and body of Oettinger.

Trocheck played a big part in the next goal of the game. Unfortunately for him, it was scored by Sweden and not the United States.

The Rangers center turned the puck over at center ice, then was seen shaking his right hand in pain defending in the defensive zone. Trocheck dropped further back to pick up a Swedish forward, only to screen Oettinger, when he was beaten by a wicked snap shot by Bratt at 19:04 to make it 2-1 Sweden.

Trocheck headed to the dressing room, likely because of a hand or wrist issue. He returned to start the second period and, in fact, had an excellent scoring chance at 15:05 when Fox set him up in between the circles. However, his one-timer deflected off a stick and wide of the net.

The United States had several good chances but failed to finish in the scoreless second period. Ersson made a terrific pad save at 7:40 after Jack Hughes weaved in for a prime opportunity. Seconds later, defenseman Jake Sanderson sent a shot off the post.

At 9:04, Brock Nelson was stoned point blank by Ersson, and proceeded to shove the Sweden goalie to the ice in apparent frustration, somehow avoiding being assessed a penalty. Two minutes later, Eichel rang a shot off the post.

That theme continued in the third period. Eichel hit the post again in the opening minute and a few minutes later, Jaccob Slavin hammered a left-wing shot that clanged off iron.

With under seven minutes to play in the third period, Nelson had a breakaway but didn’t finish. Oettinger kept it a one-goal game at the other end when he made two sensational point-blank stops on Victor Arvidsson with less than four minutes to go.

Team USA pulled Oettinger in the final minutes, but Eichel and Hughes couldn’t connect on good chances and Sweden held on for the 2-1 win.

The United States has a couple days to regroup, catch its breath and get healthy before playing Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off Final on Thursday.