Jesper Bratt 0 Shifts, Jacob Markstrom, Sweden Win!
Jesper Bratt dressed, but sat...not the first shift, or period, but the entire game. Bratt, or "Johnny Bench" as they call him in the Sweden locker room had his punishment elongated on Saturday morning. After sitting for most of the final 30 minutes in their last contest, Bratt dressed and received zero ice time. Not one second, not one shift.
I get it, his missed assignment in period two versus Finland that really hurt the team, but does leaving one of your more dynamic puck carrying, speedy forwards, glued to the bench really help? Not seeing the ice for virtually the entirety of the remainder of Friday's game should have been enough. It was done to Filip Forsberg in the Swedes first game of the tourney after a first shift turnover ended up being his last shift. One shift, 1:09 TOI, but back in a full role the next day. For Bratt however, its going on now 90 minutes of benching. Did he say something out of line to Head Coach Sam Hallam? Knowing Bratt, it seems unlikely. Will this crush the already struggling Bratt? I hope not...
Jack Be Nimble
On the complete opposite end of the spectrum has been Jack Hughes. 86 picked where he left off, using his smooth skating to cut through the Denmark D on Saturday afternoon. A rejuvenated Jack helped USA control the majority of the play every time he was on the ice. His control of the puck in the Danes zone wore them down and the US added their fifth goal as Jack left the ice for a change. The sixth goal was a one on one zone entry by Hughes, who slid past the D, faking as if he were going to take the puck around the net and slyly banking the biscuit off of the Danish goaltender's skate.
It's been a very solid showing by Hughes thus far, who many were unimpressed with in the Four Nations last year. Let's keep it going!
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