SCOC caught up with USA’s Slavin and Sweden’s Kempe ahead of Week 2 of the best-on-best tournament.
The NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off returns for Week 2 as the international best-on-best tournament shifts to Boston on Monday.
Team USA punched its ticket to Thursday’s championship game with its 3-1 win over Canada on Saturday in Montreal.
The game was fresh on the minds of the coaches and players, and was one that had the hockey community and its fans buzzing.
USA head coach Mike Sullivan acknowledged how seriously the players are taking the tournament and what it means to the players to be so competitive at this level with the best players on this stage.
“It was an electric environment,” Sullivan said. “The atmosphere and the energy in the building, it was just palatable. When you think about competing in a high stakes environment, Stanley Cup Finals, things of that nature, that was the feeling that it had.”
On tap first Monday is a chance for either Canada or Finland to advance to meet the USA in that game.
Either team can accomplish that feat with a regulation win. However, if Canada/Finland game ends in overtime, Sweden has a chance at the finals with a win over USA tomorrow night.
On Sunday in Boston, only Finland held a full team practice. Canada had an optional skate with a few players on ice. Sweden and USA did not practice. No Bruins — Brad Marchand, Charlie McAvoy, Jeremy Swayman, or Charlie McAvoy, were available during media availability on Sunday at the TD Garden.
SCOC had the chance to catch up with defenseman Jaccob Slavin of Team USA and forward Adrian Kempe of Team Sweden as teams arrived in Boston Sunday.
Here’s what the two had to say on a couple different topics that SCOC asked them.
Angelina Berube/SCOC
Jaccob Slavin (Carolina Hurricanes) on shifting the tournament to Boston and knowing the U.S. team has a shot at the championship “at home”:
“That’s something that’s super special. When you get a chance to win something of this caliber on your home soil is going to be a special time. We are looking forward to it and it’s going to be fun.”
Jaccob Slavin on USA’s physicality and how it got the team to this point:
“That’s a big identity to our group and how we play here. The caliber of plays that we have, the style of players that we have. I think that’s just a natural part of our group has a physical presence to it, but it’s hard to play against. It’s hard to go in the corner as a d knowing you’re about to get run over or whatever it is. It keeps the other teams on their toes.”
Angelina Berube/SCOC
SCOC asked Adrian Kempe (LA Kings), depending on the outcome of the first game, what Sweden’s game against the USA becomes for him and his team:
“It’s a really important game for us. Obviously we want to end on a high note. We need to win a game. We lost two in OT and that’s tough for us, but I think we’ve showed that we can play with the best teams so it’s a really important game for us. Either way if we end up playing in the final game or not, I think if we finish strong here like we’ve talked about in the locker room, I think that’s going to be the most important thing obviously. Right now, it’s tough after yesterday’s game. We’re still thinking about it a little bit. We have to reset and let that go and think about the game tomorrow and hopefully we can finish on a high note.”
Ahead of playing against his LA Kings’ teammate Drew Doughty tomorrow night, Adrian Kempe talked about how important 4 Nations was to his teammate and how it will be a confidence boost for his teammate once this week is over and the regular season picks up again:
“I’m really proud of Drew. Obviously tough injury going into the season, coming back so late, just a couple games before the break here. Making the team, I think it’s really good for his confidence. I think it’s really good for him to play in games now with the time he’s been off from the ice, I think this is going to help him come back to the regular team and the regular season after this. I’m really happy for him. It’s well deserved and he’s been playing great so far as well.”