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4 Nations: Choose Your Own Adventure Day

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NHL 4 Nations Face-Off - Finland v Sweden
Destiny is in your hands…maybe. | Photo by Andre Ringuette/4NFO/World Cup of Hockey via Getty Images

This thing is almost over, but the NHL break is not.

The 4 Nations “Let Some of the Top Players Have Their Day” tourney has shifted to Boston, for another doubleheader day and the conclusion of the preliminary round.

The U.S. has locked its place in the final, while the other three teams all have two points each. The NHL has issued tiebreaker procedures, and since it will be impossible to have a three-way tie, we know the scenarios as the U.S. takes on Sweden and Finland takes on Canada. Basically, if two teams tie for second, their head-to-head result will rule the day.

So…

  • If Finland and Sweden are tied in points, Finland advances to the championship since they beat Sweden in OT head-to-head (this would be from a scenario where Finland and Sweden both win their games in the same way today).
  • If Sweden and Canada are tied, Canada advances since they beat Sweden in OT head-to-head. So if Canada or Finland win in regulation today, the U.S.-Sweden tilt in the evening means nothing.
  • If Canada-Finland goes to OT, then Sweden will know a win in regulation will get it to the final.
  • Canada and Finland cannot end up tied because they face each other.

An Islanders Note

This was nicely done:

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  • Cale Makar would really like to be able to play today. [Sportsnet]
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