Five takeaways from USA-Canada at 4 Nations Face-Off

The intensity is jumping off the screen

Three fights in nine seconds will dominate the headlines — especially considering the star power involved in those fights. Think they were making up for lost time? 

The first 20 minutes of hockey felt like a decade of hockey combined -- the fights, an off-the-charts level of awesome Connor McDavid goal and monster hitting from Boston defenseman Charlie McAvoy and Ottawa winger Brady Tkachuk. For those in person, the intensity was obvious. You could also feel it emanating off the TV screen.

NHL rules, rather than IIHF, in an international best-on-best setting lead to the wildest version of the sport 

Only two power plays in the entire game, three fights and numerous collisions — with some of the greatest skill players on Earth treating this like a Stanley Cup Final game. 

Sometimes the best ideas are organic. Sometimes they are accidental — the NHL's 4 Nations Face-Off might be a little bit of both. This could be the start of something new — and an end to the traditional NHL All-Star Game. 

Fans have been begging for an improvement on the All-Star Game. The NHL found it

There are myriad reasons why the NHL All-Star game doesn't work. The skill events don't translate well, the games have less intensity than NHL exhibition games, many players don't take it seriously and guys regularly bail on the event. 

It's not a best-on-best, either. The NHL requires every team to be represented — often leading to undeserving players at the All-Star Game.  

The 4 Nations Face-Off, in its inaugural run, has flipped the script. Players want to be there — so much so that Los Angeles's Drew Doughty pushed himself hard to get back on the ice and prove he could potentially make Team Canada as an injury replacement.

Team USA is deep everywhere, but their goaltending is the difference

Connor Hellebuyck stopped 44 of 46 shots in two regulation wins for Team USA — including some Grade-A chances against Team Canada.

The questions will swirl around everyone else — Sweden's down a goaltender to illness (Filip Gustavsson), Finland already made one goalie change and St. Louis's Jordan Binnington has been on the hook for a couple of clear-sighted goals in the first two games of the round robin for Team Canada. 

Injury concerns are mounting. Who has the most to lose? 

Team Canada was down three defensemen Saturday from its originally announced roster — missing Vegas's Alex Pietrangelo and Shea Theodore with injuries and Colorado's Cale Makar with an illness. 

Be prepared for some pushback on this tournament. Typically, superstars don't get injured in low-intensity All-Star Games. If the tournament doesn't drive revenue and also results in injuries that impact NHL teams fighting for the playoffs, general managers will almost certainly voice those frustrations.

Just don't expect those complaints to come from the fans or the players. 

The tournament will move to Boston for the final two games of the round robin and the Feb. 20 championship game.

Canada vs. Finland will drop the puck 1:00 p.m. Monday, Feb. 17. Sweden vs. USA will meet later that night at 8:00 p.m.