BOSTON -- Team USA downplayed concerns about a handful of key injuries ahead of its 4 Nations Face-Off championship game against Canada on Thursday.
The United States lost 2-1 to Sweden on Monday night, playing with a diminished lineup in a game that had no bearing on the tournament. Canada's victory over Finland in regulation earlier in the day clinched its spot in the final and a rematch against the Americans, who won a brutal battle with the Canadians in Montreal on Saturday by a score of 3-1.
The 4 Nations final is Thursday night at TD Garden.
Team USA forwards Matthew Tkachuk and Auston Matthews as well as defenseman Charlie McAvoy sat out against Sweden out of injury precaution. The U.S. inserted New York Rangers forward Chris Kreider and Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson into its lineup against Sweden, playing with 17 skaters (11 forwards, 6 defensemen). Kreider scored the lone goal for the Americans in the loss.
The thin lineup got even thinner when forward Brady Tkachuk was hurt in the first period and did not return due to a lower-body injury. Tkachuk, who also plays for Senators, lost an edge while driving to the Sweden net in the first period and slammed his side into the goal cage just 7:37 into the game. He went back to the bench in discomfort and eventually left for the trainers room.
He returned to the ice for a 14-second shift later in the period but did not come back out with the team for the second period. USA Hockey announced he would not return.
U.S. coach Mike Sullivan said after the game that Tkachuk was held out for "precautionary reasons" and had no immediate update on his injury.
"We'll see how it responds," Sullivan added, "but I don't anticipate it being an issue."
While Matthew Tkachuk sat out against Sweden, he is expected to play Thursday versus Canada.
The Tkachuk brothers helped set the tone for Saturday's victory against Canada with two fights within the first three seconds. They play on either side of center Jack Eichel to form one of the more effective U.S. scoring lines. Sullivan said that McAvoy and Matthews were out on Monday with upper-body injuries and that Matthews was the more "nicked up" of the two. The coach anticipated having more information on all four injured players Tuesday. All that said, The Boston Globe, citing two sources, reported that McAvoy was admitted to Massachusetts General Hospital on Monday night for undisclosed reasons.
Amid all of the news, the U.S. players were confident that their teammates would be "good to go" against Canada.
"I mean, I'm not a doctor. But I'm sure a lot of those guys will be playing on Thursday," center Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils said. "Guys are hungry for this game and really excited."
Eichel also was optimistic.
"No, we'll be good to go. We get two days here, and we will take advantage of our time and get guys healthy and be ready to go on Thursday," he said.
The lineup absences meant some American players were tasked with higher ice time against Sweden, which won its first game of the tournament. Eichel (22:11), winger Jake Guentzel (23:36) and defenseman Zach Werenski (24:08) played their highest minutes of the tournament.
"Obviously, it's tough. We start the game with 11 forwards and then you lose another guy and a key player on our team. It's never easy," Eichel said. "You don't want to see anyone go out, but I give the guys credit. We had chances. We just weren't able to bury them."
Teams that have multiple injury absences at forward or on defense during the 4 Nations tournament are allowed to call up a player not currently on the roster as a replacement. Team Canada did this when it lost defenseman Shea Theodore for the tourney after an injury and when defenseman Cale Makar couldn't play on Saturday, bringing on Dallas Stars defenseman Thomas Harley to face the U.S.
Sullivan wouldn't rule out using that protocol but seemed optimistic that the Americans wouldn't need to utilize an injury replacement player against Canada on Thursday.
"We're hopeful we're going to get some of these guys back. I would anticipate we would. We'll have to wait and see how things play out here over the next day or so," he said. "Obviously, there will be contingency planning in the event that we need people."