In a pivotal game for Canada in the 4 Nations Faceoff against Finland on Monday at the Garden (1 p.m.), coach Jon Cooper is sticking with Jordan Binnington in net over Adin Hill or Sam Montembault.
Any other possible changes, including the availability of defenseman Cale Makar, will be closer to game-time decisions.
A regulation win will put Canada through to the final against the US. Anything less and they’ll need help from the Americans over Sweden. Finland could also advance to the title game with a regulation win.
Cooper said the goaltending choice was “not difficult at all.”
“Listen, the kid’s played great for us. He’s given us a chance to win,” said Cooper. “Ultimately in the NHL, if you can limit an opponent to two goals or less, it should give you a chance to win and he’s done that for us. He did that for us (against the US). It was lack of goalscoring that hurt us. But I think the one thing that’s underappreciated about Jordan is his gamesmanship and his ability to play the puck. If you look at him in all our clean breakouts and exits the other night, he’s the one that started it. He’s the one that starts the (Connor) McDavid breakaway.”
While it’s a road game for the rest of Team Canada, it’s not quite the same for Bruin captain Brad Marchand.
“It’s always nice to be here. Obviously there’s some familiarity,” said Marchand. “It’ll be different not being the home team. But I’m grateful again to be able to play games of this magnitude in this building in front of fans and people I care a lot about. This is basically my home at this point. It’ll be a lot of fun. It’s obviously different being on the other side of it. But I’m trying to embrace every moment of this and playing for Team Canada. Ir’s obviously more special being in Boston and being able to do it here.”
Meanwhile, USA coach Mike Sullivan can afford to be prudent with his team already through to Thursday’s title game. He’s sitting Bruin defenseman Charlie McAvoy and Jake Sanderson will go in against Sweden in the nightcap. Up front, Matthew Tkachuk, who suffered a lower body injury in the Americans’ 3-1 win over Canada on Saturday in Montreal, will sit as expected and while Boxford native Chris Kreider will draw in. Jake Oettinger will take the net for the US.