A recap of the Buffalo Sabres at the 4 Nations Face-Off

The NHL selected three Buffalo Sabres for the 4 Nations Face-Off, defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, defenseman Henri Jokiharju and goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Dahlin played for Sweden, while Luukkonen and Jokiharju were on Finland’s roster.

Many people thought forward Tage Thompson should have competed for the United States, but Dahlin and Jokiharju performed well for their national teams. UPL unfortunately stayed on the bench and didn’t start in net. Let’s look at how the two Sabres’ D-men did during the international tournament.

Rasmus Dahlin

No. 26 was the only Blue and Gold player to compete for Team Sweden, but the veteran defenseman made the most of it. In Sweden’s first matchup against Canada on Feb. 12, the Canadians scored early, netting two goals from Nathan MacKinnon and Brad Marchand, respectively to give Canada a 2-0 lead. However, Jonas Brodin cut that in half midway through the second period.

Mark Stone gave Canada a two-goal lead once more toward the end of the second, but it could have happened sooner if not for Dahlin’s defensive heroics. Dahlin thwarted MacKinnon from getting a second goal, blocking a shot in front of Sweden’s net some viewers and broadcasters initially thought went in.

Later in the tournament, the Swedes faced Finland in a Scandinavian hockey clash on Feb. 15. Mika Zibanejad opening the scoring for Sweden at the first period’s 8:35 mark, but Anton Lundell evened it up less than three minutes later. During the opening period’s final minute, the Finns struck again as Mikko Rantanen beat Filip Gustavsson with a one-timer to make it 2-1 Finland. Dahlin answered back early in the second, tying the score with a rebound he picked up from Joel Eriksson Ek.

Sweden lost in overtime to both Canada and Finland and beat the United States for its only victory after the U.S. and Canada already locked up spots in the Championship Game. Despite this disappointment, Dahlin said competing in the 4 Nations was a “dream come true”. He got to play with other talented Swedish players including Erik Karlsson and Victor Hedman, averaged 17:46 of ice time and showed off his physicality, notably throwing Edmonton Oilers’ star Connor McDavid to the ice.  Dahlin hopes his performance at the tournament earns him a spot in next year’s Winter Olympics.

Henri Jokiharju

Buffalo defenseman Henri Jokiharju also played for his country’s team and like Dahlin, scored a goal in the 4 Nations Face-Off. Jokiharju got Finland’s only puck in the net during the team’s 6-1 loss to the United States on Feb. 13. The Finnish D-man beat American goalie Connor Hellebuyck midway through the opening period to put Finland on the board first.

That would it for the Finns’ goals that night, but Jokiharju showed he’s not the only Sabres’ blueliner who can score. No. 10 almost matched Dahlin in minutes played, with 17:36 of ice time in two games, Finland’s defeat against the U.S, and the team’s OT victory vs. Sweden. Finnish coach Antti Pennanen was impressed with Jokiharju’s performance, calling him “really solid.”

The defenseman spent most of his ice time paired with Utah Hockey Club veteran D-man Olli Maatta, a combination that seemed to work for Team Finland. While Finland, like Sweden, lost to Canada and was eliminated on Monday, Jokiharju showed off his hockey skills and proved he’s got what it takes to compete with other NHL players.