The 4 Nations Face-Off gets underway tonight in Montreal with Team Canada taking on Sweden. The game pits Sidney Crosby against his Penguins teammates Rickard Rakell and Erik Karlsson.
Yesterday, coach Jon Cooper moved Crosby from center to the wing on a line centered by Nathan MacKinnon, with Mark Stone on the other wing. Crosby says he is adjusting to the wing, where he’s played before, but not often.
MacKinnon and Crosby are both famously from Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia and are offseason training companions, and best friends. Cooper, the Team Canada coach, says they share a big brother/little brother dynamic and are a natural to team up for the 4 Nations.
Team USA plays its first game tomorrow night against Finland. The Americans are coached by Penguins coach Mike Sullivan, who gets the chance to coach his son-in-law, Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy. Sullivan loves the idea of coaching McAvoy.
Team USA and Team Canada play each other on Saturday.
