Tkachuk brothers lead USA to victory over Finland in the 4 Nations
With two goals each, both players were instrumental in turning around a match where the U.S. team struggled to find its rhythm and initially fell behind.
USA players celebrate Matthew Tkachuk's first goal.
The US national ice hockey team kicked off its 4 Nations campaign with a hard-fought victory over Finland. The North American squad started off sluggish, but the Tkachuk brothers turned the game around and led their teammates to a crushingdominant 6-1 victory.
The Americans had a hard time getting into the game. They conceded the first goal early and the Finns comfortably controlled the game for the first two periods, with Mike Sullivan's charges were unable to put the Europeans under pressure during that opening stretch.
Revolution in the third period
In the third period, the American reaction came from Brady and Matthew Tkachuk, whom Sullivan joined in a line. Their connection produced the team’s first two goals, bringing confidence and igniting a surge that led to a decisive victory. Securing a regulation win was particularly crucial in a short-format tournament like this one.
J.T. Miller wasn’t concerned about the team’s early struggles on the ice, instead focusing on what worked from the third period onward: "This is going to take time, and it’s a short tournament. Normally, it takes time to build chemistry and make key plays. The group did that today."
Canada awaits on Saturday
A chemistry the Tkachuk brothers already had and that proved crucial for the victory, leading the team while the rest searched for their own rhythm. To build that cohesion, Sullivan adjusted the lines midway through the game, pairing the Tkachuks on either side of Jack Eichel, reshuffling defensive pairings, and moving Kyle Connor to the third line alongside Matt Boldy and Miller.
On Saturday, the national team will take on Canada, which needed overtime to defeat Sweden in an intense 4-3 game.
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