Team Canada Makes Lineup Changes After Too-Close-For-Comfort Game Against Sweden
The Team Canada game against Sweden was a nail-biter, and the team has decided to insert Sam Bennett into the lineup to help with their next game vs the USA.
Fresh off their thrilling 4-3 overtime victory over Sweden Wednesday night, Team Canada is making a strategic lineup adjustment in anticipation of their highly anticipated showdown with the United States at the 4 Nations Face-Off this Saturday.
Sam Bennett is replacing Travis Konecny
Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett was inserted into the Canadian lineup at practice Friday, taking the place of Travis Konecny. Bennett was placed as the center on a line with Brad Marchand and Seth Jarvis, a sign of a tweak in Canada's strategy.
Also, Team Canada made another change by moving Anthony Cirelli to the wing on a line with Brayden Point at center and Brandon Hagel, an all-Tampa Bay Lightning line.
These changes suggest Canada is seeking a mix of speed, grit, and offensive variety in attacking a high-scoring American squad. Konecny, who played 10:20 against Sweden, finished with a minus-2 rating and three hits.
Bennett, on the other hand, will bring an extra dimension to Canada's bottom six, bringing physicality and grit to counter a U.S. team that erupted for five third-period goals in a 6-1 rout of Finland on Thursday.
The 28-year-old Bennett has been a force for the Panthers this season, recording 18 goals, 17 assists, and 62 penalty minutes in 55 games. The puck drops at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday in Montreal.
The U.S. can clinch a spot in the finals with a regulation win over Canada tomorrow night.
| POLL | ||
FÉVRIER 14 | 429 ANSWERS Team Canada Makes Lineup Changes After Too-Close-For-Comfort Game Against Sweden Will Sam Bennett help Canada beat the USA? | ||
| Yes | 252 | 58.7 % |
| No | 177 | 41.3 % |
| LIST OF POLLS | ||
| G | A | PTS | ||
| Tom Wilson | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| Alexander Ovechkin | - | 3 | 3 | |
| Brendan Gallagher | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Anthony Cirelli | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Josh Doan | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Pierre-Luc Dubois | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Dylan Guenther | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Victor Hedman | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Jack McBain | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Dylan Strome | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Jake Guentzel | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Brandon Hagel | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Michael Carcone | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Christian Dvorak | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Zemgus Girgensons | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Nick Paul | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Brayden Point | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Cam Atkinson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| John Carlson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Nick Desimone | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Complete stats | ||||
| STANDINGS 2024-2025 | ||||||
TOP 10 | GP | W | L | OL | PTS | |
Jets | 56 | 39 | 14 | 3 | 81 | |
Capitals | 55 | 36 | 11 | 8 | 80 | |
Oilers | 55 | 34 | 17 | 4 | 72 | |
Stars | 55 | 35 | 18 | 2 | 72 | |
Golden Knights | 56 | 33 | 17 | 6 | 72 | |
Panthers | 57 | 34 | 20 | 3 | 71 | |
Hurricanes | 56 | 33 | 19 | 4 | 70 | |
Wild | 56 | 33 | 19 | 4 | 70 | |
Maple Leafs | 55 | 33 | 20 | 2 | 68 | |
Avalanche | 57 | 33 | 22 | 2 | 68 | |
| Conference | Cumulative | ||||||