A familiar sight: 'High-stakes player' Guentzel steps up
GETTY
Jake Guentzel congratulates Connor Hellebuyck after the game Saturday.
Mike Sullivan coached Jake Guentzel for a long time. He's seen Guentzel elevate his game on the biggest of stages, like when he scored 13 goals -- including five game-winners -- in the Penguins' playoff run to the 2017 Stanley Cup.
So, in Team USA's biggest of games in the preliminary round of the 4 Nations Face-Off, Sullivan was wholly unsurprised to see Guentzel be the one to step up with two goals in a 3-1 win over Canada to clinch a spot in Thursday's gold-medal game.
"I watched it first-hand for a lot of years," Sullivan told me after. "Jake is a high-stakes player. He plays his very best when it means the most, and I don't think there's a stage big enough for him. He thrives in these types of environments. He's such a smart hockey player. He plays on both sides of the puck. I'm not surprised at all."
Guentzel's goals were some pretty key ones, even if the second was an empty-netter.
Connor McDavid gave Canada the game's first lead 5:31 into the game with a backhand shot on a breakaway, only for Guentzel to answer five minutes later and help quiet the home crowd. Jack Eichel forced a turnover and carried the puck into Canada's end, finding Guentzel at the bottom of the left circle. Guentzel threw a snap shot on net that snuck through the pads of Jordan Binnington:
"You never want to go down 1-0 in these games," Guentzel said. "I was just trying to put a puck on net and somehow found a way. So yeah, that’s a big one."
After Dylan Larkin's go-ahead goal in the second period, Canada was pushing hard for the tying goal in the third. The U.S. was clinging to a one-goal lead with two minutes to go when Canada pulled Binnington for an extra attacker and deployed a 6-on-5 group that included the three big guns -- Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon and McDavid. After the U.S. gained possession, it was Guentzel that fired the puck into the empty net with 1:18 to go and put the game all but out of reach for Canada.
For his efforts Guentzel was named No. 1 star and player of the game. Given the opponent and the stakes, that performance couldn't have come at a better time.
"It’s the best time to play as a player," Guentzel said. "It’s pretty easy to get up for these games. If you’re not getting excited for this, you shouldn’t be playing right now. This is just a lot of fun."
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Taylor Haase
5:43 am - 02.16.2025MontréalA familiar sight: 'High-stakes player' Guentzel steps up
GETTY
Jake Guentzel congratulates Connor Hellebuyck after the game Saturday.
Mike Sullivan coached Jake Guentzel for a long time. He's seen Guentzel elevate his game on the biggest of stages, like when he scored 13 goals -- including five game-winners -- in the Penguins' playoff run to the 2017 Stanley Cup.
So, in Team USA's biggest of games in the preliminary round of the 4 Nations Face-Off, Sullivan was wholly unsurprised to see Guentzel be the one to step up with two goals in a 3-1 win over Canada to clinch a spot in Thursday's gold-medal game.
"I watched it first-hand for a lot of years," Sullivan told me after. "Jake is a high-stakes player. He plays his very best when it means the most, and I don't think there's a stage big enough for him. He thrives in these types of environments. He's such a smart hockey player. He plays on both sides of the puck. I'm not surprised at all."
Guentzel's goals were some pretty key ones, even if the second was an empty-netter.
Connor McDavid gave Canada the game's first lead 5:31 into the game with a backhand shot on a breakaway, only for Guentzel to answer five minutes later and help quiet the home crowd. Jack Eichel forced a turnover and carried the puck into Canada's end, finding Guentzel at the bottom of the left circle. Guentzel threw a snap shot on net that snuck through the pads of Jordan Binnington:
"You never want to go down 1-0 in these games," Guentzel said. "I was just trying to put a puck on net and somehow found a way. So yeah, that’s a big one."
After Dylan Larkin's go-ahead goal in the second period, Canada was pushing hard for the tying goal in the third. The U.S. was clinging to a one-goal lead with two minutes to go when Canada pulled Binnington for an extra attacker and deployed a 6-on-5 group that included the three big guns -- Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon and McDavid. After the U.S. gained possession, it was Guentzel that fired the puck into the empty net with 1:18 to go and put the game all but out of reach for Canada.
For his efforts Guentzel was named No. 1 star and player of the game. Given the opponent and the stakes, that performance couldn't have come at a better time.
"It’s the best time to play as a player," Guentzel said. "It’s pretty easy to get up for these games. If you’re not getting excited for this, you shouldn’t be playing right now. This is just a lot of fun."
Want to participate in our comments?
Want an ad-free experience?
Become a member, and enjoy premium benefits! Make your voice heard on the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates, and hear right back from tens of thousands of fellow Pittsburgh sports fans worldwide! Plus, access all our premium content, including Dejan Kovacevic columns, Friday Insider, daily Live Qs with the staff, more! And yeah, that's right, no ads at all!
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