6 takeaways from Canada-Finland: McDavid on a different level, Crosby to the rescue

Here are six takeaways from Canada’s 5-3 victory over Finland

• Connor McDavid was in a different stratosphere from everyone else on the ice, proving why he’s the world best player at any given moment. McDavid led the charge on a spectacular individual effort, picking off a Roope Hintz pass while hovering at the blue line, assessed his options, spun back, and then wired a shot off the post and in for the game’s opening goal. He used his all-world speed to hound Finland off the forecheck, his recovery speed was on full display when batting down pucks defensively, and he wheeled away on the rush to find Travis Sanheim for a dangerous look, then Brayden Point tapped home the rebound. McDavid was constantly turning defensive wins into instant offence, while seeking his own defencemen activating off the rush. He was far and away the best player on Monday and will be the favourite for tournament MVP, if Canada exacts revenge against the United States on Thursday.
• Point doesn’t get enough credit for his defensive acumen, while Mark Stone is well-known as one of the best two-way forwards in the NHL. It took three games, but Jon Cooper may have found his idealized line combinations, and Point-McDavid-Stone will be asked to lead the attack on Thursday night. Point spoke to Sportsnet at the first intermission, emphasizing that Canada came out to capitalize on Finland’s mistakes, and that was starkly evident. Canada played to its true talent level for the first time this tournament.
• Nathan MacKinnon was also outstanding and worked extremely well in tandem with Sidney Crosby and Sam Reinhart. MacKinnon, like McDavid, dominated Finland with his all-world speed, but Reinhart and Crosby’s defensive excellence were major factors, as well. Reinhart won a puck battle in the neutral zone, tipped it free to MacKinnon, who wheeled away for Canada’s second goal. During the second period, Crosby pressed Finland, won a puck battle behind the net, and found MacKinnon for a one-timer. Reinhart finished the game with three assists, and is proving why he’s the Selke favourite over his Florida Panthers teammate Aleksander Barkov. This line is an ideal mix of speed, scoring, hockey intelligence and defensive responsibility. Canada’s top-six is set against the United States.
• As for Crosby: with Mikael Granlund almost single-handedly willing Finland to a comeback, Crosby made a spectacular play to seal off the victory with an empty-netter. Crosby is the oldest player in the tournament, and he looks like he’s 28 again. What a tournament for Sid, who certainly looks the part of The Kid, again.
• Mitch Marner scored the overtime winner against Sweden but he’s been a non-factor offensively otherwise throughout the tournament. It doesn’t mean he’s been playing poorly, necessarily, and he may be best served against the United States in the role he played Monday, working as a shutdown winger alongside Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel. It was always an option for Cooper to deploy Marner with the Tampa Bay Lightning’s outstanding all-around duo, and it forms a true third line capable of playing elite defence, with some occasional scoring pop. We may see Marner against the Jake Guentzel-Auston Matthews-Jack Hughes line for large stretches on Monday.
• Cale Makar made an impact in his return to the lineup, but Drew Doughty was arguably Canada’s best defender on the evening, with sound breakouts, while mitigating some risky plays from Finland, working well in tandem with Travis Sanheim. Thomas Harley was outstanding on Saturday, but he’s not going to factor back into the lineup for the final. Cooper isn’t going to adjust his defensive pairings at this stage, and Jordan Binnington appears poised to make his fourth consecutive start. It’ll be compelling to see what the final lineup actually looks like, given that Cooper may have found his optimal combinations across the board.