Victor Hedman speaks with reporters postgame Team USA picked up a massive 3-1 win over Team Canada on Feb. 15. With this victory, they have officially qualified for the 4 Nations Face-Off championship game, which takes place on Feb. 20. Their opponent for that contest has not been determined yet. Tampa Bay Lightning [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning/] superstar Jake Guentzel was a massive reason for Team USA's win against Canada. The star winger scored [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning/latest-news/4-nations-face-off-lightnings-jake-guentzel-scores-for-team-usa]the team's game-tying goal and then gave Team USA much-needed insurance by scoring the empty-netter to make it 3-1. Following the game, Team USA head coach Mike Sullivan [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/boston-bruins/latest-news/ex-bruins-coach-responds-to-usa-canadas-3-fights] had some big praise for Guentzel, noting that he was not surprised by Guentzel's clutch play. "Not surprised at all. I watched it firsthand for a lot of years," Sullivan said [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yKFhLL2OUU&t=136s]. "He's 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. I just think 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." Jake Guentzel [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjEyODgwODc2MjQ0MDUxNDY1/usatsi_25430504.jpg] Jake Guentzel Sullivan undoubtedly knows Guentzel very well, as he was the Lightning star's coach during the entirety of his eight-year stint with the Pittsburgh Penguins. During his time in Pittsburgh, Guentzel had 219 goals and 466 points in 503 games. He also won the Stanley Cup as a rookie with Pittsburgh in 2017, where he had 13 goals and 21 points in 25 games. Clearly, Sullivan knows how special of a player Guentzel is, and the Lightning are very lucky to have him now as a part of their core. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Google News [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjEyMTYzOTA0NDY4NDI4Nzc2/google-news.png] Google News Stay updated with the most interesting Lightning stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwruDfCA?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen] to never miss a story.
