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Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski adds another assist in U.S. loss to Sweden
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- Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski adds another assist in U.S. loss to Sweden
It's a good thing Zach Werenski is comfortable logging a ton of minutes for the Blue Jackets .
Despite playing as part of a seven-man defensive rotation Monday night at TD Garden in Boston , Werenski led the United States in ice time during a 2-1 loss to Sweden to complete round robin action in the NHL's first 4 Nations Face-Off tournament.
Feb 17, 2025; Boston, MA, USA; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team Sweden forward Adrian Kempe (10) and Team USA defenseman Zach Werenski (8) battle for the puck in front of goalie Jake Ottinger (30) during the second in a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
The loss doesn't impact the U.S. in the tournament after clinching a spot in Thursday night's championship with a 3-1 victory over Canada on Saturday night at Bell Centre in Montreal . The red, white and blue will now get a rematch for the championship against Canada, which punched its ticket earlier Monday with a 5-3 victory over Finland.
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More: 4 Nations Face-Off final: Date, time, how to watch United States vs. Canada rematch
Werenski, who skated 23:44 on 21 shifts against Sweden, set up the U.S. goal with a primary assist off a nice shot that led to Chris Kreider 's putback off a rebound 35 seconds into the game. Swedish goalie Samuel Ersson didn't allow another puck to get past him, making 31 saves in Sweden's victory.
Feb 17, 2025; Boston, MA, USA; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team Sweden forward Jesper Bratt (63) is congratulated by his teammates after scoring a goal during the first period in a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game against Team USA at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
Werenski's assist was his fifth in three games, tying him with Canada's Sidney Crosby for the tournament scoring lead at five points. Crosby has one goal, four assists and five points. According to the NHL, Werenski tied Derian Hatcher for the second-most points by a U.S. defenseman during an NHL international tournament. Hatcher had three goals, two assists and five points in six games to help the U.S. win the 1996 World Cup of Hockey.
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Werenski was dominant against Sweden despite not putting a shot past Ersson.
He looked for his shot more aggressively than in the first two U.S. games, leading his team in attempts (10) and shots (six). He also skated with three new defensive partners while his main partner, Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy , was scratched along with forwards Auston Matthews and Matthew Tkachuk .
Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski led Team USA in ice time vs. Sweden.
Those three sitting prompted U.S. coach Mike Sullivan to use 11 forwards and seven defensemen, but his team played most of the night with 10 forwards following an injury that forced Brady Tkachuk out of the game late in the first.
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As a result, Werenski's ice time increased by about 10 minutes from the 13:47 he skated Saturday in Montreal. The way things started against Sweden, it felt like Werenski might have a big scoring night to go along with his usage boost. Ersson and the metal framing of the nets prevented that, allowing goals by Gustav Nyquist — a former Blue Jackets forward — and Jesper Bratt to give Sweden its only win.
Next up for Werenski and the U.S. is the highly anticipated rematch against Canada for international bragging rights.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Zach Werenski tied for 4 Nations scoring lead despite U.S. loss
