Team USA Appears to Have Made a Shocking Decision by Scratching Rangers Veteran Ahead of First 4-Nations Game
It appears that Team USA chose to scratch a New York Rangers veteran from their lineup ahead of their first game of the 4 Nations Face-Off against Finland.
On Thursday, the United States and Finland will meet on the ice for their first game of the long-awaited 4 Nations Face-Off at the Bell Center in Montreal.
With so many extremely talented players, Team USA had to choose which players would get to play in their first game, considering that every game counts in such a short tournament.
It appears that Team USA's management and coaching staff decided to scratch New York Rangers veteran Chris Kreider from their lineup:
This comes as a surprise to many, especially given the latest comments from USA's head coach, Mike Sullivan, about the player:
He can also contribute to the penalty kill. We've played against him a lot, especially being in the same division, so I'm very familiar with his game. But above all, he's just a great person. He's a really good teammate, and his versatility is one of the reasons he's on this roster.
When you look at the types of players we have in supporting roles, versatility is a crucial element-the ability to play multiple positions or take on different responsibilities. And I think he checks a lot of boxes in that regard."
Kreider, a great leader and player, has been having a tough season with the Rangers this year, scoring 20 points in 47 games.
On the other hand, some people think he was the obvious choice to sit out the first game:
With all that talent, someone had to be scratched, and Sullivan seems to have made his choice.
We'll see if that changes in the next games.
