4 Nations Focus: Sam Reinhart vs. FIN
Winning along the wall
Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon stole the headlines from Canada’s 5-3 win over Finland on Monday afternoon. Come the 4 Nations Face-Off Final, however, it’s fair to assume Team USA will once again devote its efforts to crowding their runway.
As such, Sam Reinhart’s quiet breakthrough—especially on the forecheck—could be more significant than many realize. His timing and craftiness along the wall provided new linemate Sidney Crosby with plenty of touches throughout the game. Plenty of opportunities to attack down low. You’ll need those when faced with American gridlock in the NZ.
Unlike frenetic teammate/Lightning rival Brandon Hagel, the Panthers winger doesn’t rely on motor or physicality in the trenches.
He’s (CAN 13) a thinker:
In this 50/50 battle, he appears primed to meet Roope Hintz (FIN 24) with a stiff shoulder. The 6’3”, 213-pound Finnish forward clocks the impending collision and braces for impact, but Reinhart swiftly adjusts his sights from body to biscuit, dipping and sliding his lower body (watch his inside skate) in front of Hintz to erase any hint of puck exposure.
Hintz loses his bearings after delivering the check, whereas Reinhart remains laser focused on possession through contact, rolls to his forehand and extends the play to MacKinnon (CAN 29). Seconds later, Josh Morrissey (CAN 44) fires from middle ice and Crosby nearly corrals a juicy rebound.
Here’s another example of the 29-year-old’s forechecking savvy:
With MacKinnon patrolling the high wall, F1 Reinhart aims to deny Panthers teammate Eetu Luostarinen (FIN 27) the two most attractive options in this scenario:
Turning his eyes up ice on his forehand.
Making a clean connection to his safest outlet (Niko Mikkola, FIN 77).
In other words, this is a matter of effective hedging. He sets his course for Luostarinen’s left shoulder to discourage a solo escape attempt. Then, once he confirms that the Finn is intent on dishing, he peels off and uses his length to occupy the lane to Mikkola. Any “successful” pass in the face of his pick-your-poison positioning will have to hug the boards. Rarely the optimal play.
Luostarinen hopes for a direct link-up nonetheless. The result? A deflection and recovery for Crosby below the goal line.
Even without the cleverness, Reinhart can bolster Canada’s forecheck by simply arriving on time to support his linemates. Over and over again vs. Finland, he showed up at the precise moment when Crosby required a bit of assistance to secure control:
Off a scrambled faceoff, Esa Lindell (FIN 23) manages to wrestle inside leverage away from Crosby. Guess who’s the third man on the scene? Reinhart reaches his spot before the defenseman can free up his stick, allowing the Canadian winger to seal the left boards and funnel the action back toward Crosby. Now Sid the Kid has the upper hand, and you know damn well he won’t relinquish it.
A similar setup on the opposite wall generated a second-period goal:
F1 hinders the retrieval —> F2 seals the wall —> Canada regains possession —> slot pass to MacKinnon —> profit.
If Team USA insists on clogging the NZ runway, Canada must thrive in the trenches on Thursday night. It has to manufacture an uglier, heavier brand of offense to complement its high-octane menace. Reinhart’s board play is therefore one of the most encouraging signs from the team’s win over the Finns.
Overall, he posted 3 assists and a 56.0 xGF% at 5-on-5.
Here are the full highlights: