BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Henri Jokiharju has scored one goal in 39 games for the Sabres this season. The defenseman matched that tally within eight minutes playing for his home country in the 4 Nations Face-Off.
Jokiharju’s snap shot from the right circle on the rush gave Finland an early lead, but it was hardly enough to keep up with the star-studded United States team in a 6-1 loss Thursday night in Montreal.
Brothers Matthew and Brady Tkachuck each scored twice for Team USA, Matt Boldy and Jake Guentzel also scored, Jake Werenski had three assists, and Jack Eichel set up a pair of goals in the tournament opener for both teams.
Added to the Finnish team as an injury replacement, Jokiharju has won gold medals in the men’s world championships, world juniors and U-18 tournaments.
The scoreboard made Thursday’s look like more of a rout than it was for the first two periods, when quality chances were at a premium and space on the ice was hard to find. Boldy scored the go-ahead goal on a textbook deflection of Minnesota Wild teammate Brock Faber’s shot late in the second, then the floodgates opened early in the third.
Everyone was finishing checks, including Eichel dumping Finnish captain Aleksander Barkov into the U.S. bench. Brady Tkachuk bowled over 6-foot-6 Niko Mikkola with one of his game-high eight hits, and Matthew Tkachuk gave Patrik Laine an earful before a faceoff as the Americans began to take over.
Many fans hadn’t even returned to their seats from intermission when Matthew Tkachuk sailed a long shot in past Juuse Saros 15 seconds into the period. Saros then gave up another softie to Jake Guentzel, and Brady Tkachuk beat the struggling Nashville Predators goaltender again to make it three U.S. goals in less than three minutes.
That onslaught quieted the very pro-Finland crowd full of Canadians eager to root against their country’s biggest hockey rival. Some even booed the U.S. anthem before the game, and there was plenty more where that came from for Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews several times he touched the puck.
Matthew Tkachuk added another for good measure on the power play with 8:47 left, and that was enough for the “U-S-A! U-S-A!” chants to fill the bowl at Bell Centre. In the waning minutes, a few U.S. fans proclaimed, “We want Canada!”
Finland, which also has Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen on its roster, plays against Sweden and Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin on Saturday before the U.S. faces Canada.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.