Vegas Golden Knights fans are seeing two tales of players representing their respective countries in the 4 Nations Face-Off. First, there's Canada, where Mark Stone, Shea Theodore, and Adin Hill represent the country up north. Then, you have Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin representing the good ol' U.S. of A.
The two nations also had contrasting wins from each other. The Canadians eked out a 4-3 overtime win over Sweden on Mitch Marner's game-winner. Stone had a goal in that game in the second period off a tic-tac-toe feed from Sidney Crosby.
You've met Expressive Mark Stone 🗿
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) February 13, 2025
Now, get ready to meet Patriotic Mark Stone 🇨🇦#ExpressiveMarkStone | #4Nations pic.twitter.com/PnuOYCW4Tt
That's right, Las Vegas residents. Your Captain scored. Crosby had three assists in that game, showing the Montreal crowd how he became a timeless gem. Marner and Nathan MacKinnon can thank the Pittsburgh Penguins legend for the fantastic feeds. In short, Canada's offense ate well, devouring pancakes with maple syrup and poutine. Even Brad Marchand had a goal!
Meanwhile, there was a ton of "Free Bird" belted out among the masses on Thursday. A lot of those goals came from the Tkachuk brothers, Brady and Matthew. Las Vegas residents remember Matthew fondly (or not so much) during the 2023 Stanley Cup Finals. He got into a scuffle with Nicolas Hague and Eichel. Guess who played on the same line as the North Chelmsford native? You guessed it.
As for the alum of Boston University? He had two assists in Thursday's 6-1 victory over Finland, assisting on goals from each Tkachuk brother. You'd never imagine that the Golden Knights center would assist on a Matthew Tkachuk power play goal, would you? Yet, here we are. This is some Marvel Universe-esque content.
The Vegas Golden Knights got plenty of attention at the 4 Nations Face-Off, both good and bad
Watching your two best players perform well under the bright lights is always a promising sign. That's especially true when paired with a sworn enemy you loathe. Even Noah Hanifin contributed with two shots, two blocked shots, and two hits on Wednesday. However, not all is rosy and well in the land of the Vegas Golden Knights (or Team Canada, for that matter).
Shea Theodore will miss the rest of the 4 Nations Face-Off after enduring a brutal hit from Sweden's Adrian Kempe on Wednesday. He's expected to be week-to-week with an upper-body injury, leaving a massive void on the blue line. It affects both teams in more ways than one, ranging from losing a puck-moving defenseman to not having a star run the power play.
Does that mean the tournament should be abolished altogether? Well... Here's the thing, dear reader. People were growing tired of the All-Star Game and have positively responded to this event as a replacement. While having a tournament mid-season isn't the most ideal circumstance, they could consider having it during the offseason, at least. Perhaps September to whet everyone's appetites?
But in all seriousness, it looks like this global spectacle isn't going away anytime soon. Everyone loves the excitement and national pride that it brings. Sure, it can be frustrating to watch if you don't have a subscription to ESPN+ (darn you, Disney). But it looks better for everyone, especially when your two best stars are performing well.