Patrik Laine hoping to use 4 Nations Face-off to build confidence

The Montreal Canadiens have two players representing the organization at the 4 Nations Face-off.

Joel Armia has been playing some of his best hockey, forming one of the best penalty-killing forward duos with Jake Evans in the entire league. Armia has been a menace on the kill, exhibiting brilliant puck protection skills - keeping his body between the puck and defenders, and using his strong puck skills to burn precious time off the clock. Armia doesn't move the needle much offensively, but his defensive play more than makes up for it.

Habs teammate and fellow countrymen Patrik Laine is also playing for Finland, and his season has been a rollercoaster. Laine was injured during the preseason, after a nasty knee-on-knee hit against the Toronto Maple Leafs. But at the Canadiens home opener, Laine was serenaded by the crowd, an obvious confidence boost for the 6'5" sniper from Tampere.

But the season has been a tale of two halves, seeing Laine showcase his all-world offensive skills, as a can't-miss on the Canadiens was very impressive. Habs fans got a glimpse of what it is like to have an elite sniper with the power to score from anywhere in the offensive zone. But his brilliant play on the power play, and the confidence it brought soon faded, and his recent cold streak has slowed him down fiercely.

Very few things can fix your confidence than representing your country on one of the biggest stages in hockey. I also think that being able to play with guys like Alex Barkov and Sebastian Aho will allow him to put his sharpshooter skills on display. But I think a good focus for him would be following what they are doing defensively, in an attempt to get an increase in his ice time when the tournament is all wrapped up.

I am by no means a fan of team Finland, I am Canada all the way, but I must say that their uniforms look clean. True to Finnish colours, Suomi is boldly written across the chest in blue, with the crowned lion just below. I expect that Laine and Armia will be a thorn in Canada's side, and I can't wait to watch the tournament unfold.

In an ideal world, Canada wins the tournament, but Laine scores a hat trick and makes a few key defensive plays. Then he returns to the Habs with a Silver medal, and with some newfound confidence, despite being a runner-up to Canada. He scores a pile of goals and ignites the Bell Centre, but not enough for the Habs to miss out on a top-five pick.

Yes, this is very specific and we will circle back if this happens, which who knows, right?

Jordan Binnington gets the nod for Canada

Samuel Montembeault was maybe the least likely of the three goaltenders to start the tournament between the pipes for Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-off. Adin Hill and Jordan Binnington have backstopped their teams to a Stanley Cup championship. Safe to say, Montembeault is at a completely different point in his career, with the Stanley Cup not yet within reach.

It is just one start, and if the intent is for each goaltender to get a start, then Montembeault and Hill will have a chance to show their stuff. But Montembeault's international resumé, while impressive, was viewed as a notch beneath Binnington's. And he likely ranks as the third goalie in the depth chart for Canada.

I don't think it's a problem now, but if he doesn't get a start, I think maybe he could use that as fuel when he returns to Montreal. There have been question marks about his play of late, which in comparison to Jakub Dobes, might not look so great. But Montembeault has been a battler since arriving in Montreal, and I think that alone should merit a start.

We will see, is all I can say.