Pens Points: USA to the Final

Has the balance of power shifted in international hockey?

Here are your Pens Points for this Monday morning...

The 4 Nations Face-Off has since made worldwide sporting headlines for the wild start to the USA-Canada game on Saturday, where three fights erupted in the first nine seconds of the game. Team USA then put on a defensive clinic, beating Canada 3-1 to establish a changing of the guard in international hockey dominance. [PensBurgh]

The bench boss of Team USA is, of course, Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan, who hailed Team USA’s win over Canada as “an incredible hockey game.” [Penguins]

Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Cruz Lucius, a 2022 fourth-round draft pick, has rebounded from injury in his first season with Arizona State. [Trib Live]

Over the last two years, three-on-three overtime has become a glaring weakness for the Penguins. The Penguins played 13 games decided by overtime in 2023-24, winning only four. However, the team has seen notable improvement during overtime play during the 2024-25 campaign. [Trib Live]

News and notes from around the NHL...

The early-game fireworks between the U.S. and Canada helped propel the 4 Nations Face-Off clash into a massive ratings success for the NHL. The game pulled in an average of 4.4 million viewers Saturday night and peaked at 5.2 million despite going up against NBA All-Star weekend. [Front Office Sports]

Members of Boston Pride Hockey hit the ice at the Boston Bruins’ practice facility for the second installment of the NHL Pride Cup on Sunday. [NHL]