Olympic practice: Nick Suzuki practices with Nathan MacKinnon

Michaël Petit
Olympic practice: Nick Suzuki practices with Nathan MacKinnon
Credit: Getty Images

Montreal Canadiens fans are thrilled to have four players representing their country at the Olympics.

Nick Suzuki is the only Canadian representative on the habs, and many were wondering about his role, his number, and his teammates.

This afternoon, Canada practiced for the first time, and we got confirmation that Suzuki will wear #10, while Bo Horvat will wear #14.

During practice, lines were formed on the fly, but it's hard to tell which line is the first, second, and third.

Connor McDavid was on a line with Macklin Celebrini and Tom Wilson. I love that combination.

Then there was Sidney Crosby playing center between Mark Stone and Mitch Marner.

But where was Nathan MacKinnon? He was actually on another line with Brad Marchand and Nick Suzuki. A great opportunity for Suzuki to show what he can do.

Bo Horvat, Brandon Hagel, and Sam Reinhart also formed a line, while Sam Bennett and Seth Jarvis were the extra players.

I love the Canadiens.

Jon Cooper has decided to balance his lines well, which has resulted in some very interesting combinations.

Obviously, the trios aren't necessarily set in stone, but it gives a very good idea of what the lines might look like once the tournament starts.

The Celebrini-McDavid-Wilson line is an excellent idea. Celebrini will be able to act as the more defensively responsible player while still keeping up with McDavid.

Wilson will be responsible for protecting the two talented players, terrorizing opponents with his physical and intense play, while also being able to create space for McDavid and Celebrini.

Let's not forget that for the 4 Nations Challenge, Crosby asked to play with Mark Stone, and there's every reason to believe that he'll once again have the chance to play alongside the Vegas Golden Knights winger.

We also know that Mitch Marner has what it takes to produce offensively, and with a scorer like Stone and a player of Crosby's caliber, it would certainly make for an excellent line.

All of this ultimately leads to Suzuki's line. I don't need to say much about Nathan MacKinnon because we all know him well. He is the NHL's leading scorer this season with 40 goals in 55 games and ranks second in points behind Connor McDavid.

Add to this excellent player a guy like Suzuki, who is very responsible defensively and does everything very well. This will be Suzuki's first opportunity to play on the wing.

And let's not forget Brad Marchand, who is also very well known. He's known for his passion, his intensity, his ability to disrupt opponents, and his overall skill.

Now let's talk about the defensive pairs.

It was a given that Cale Makar and Devon Toews would form a pair, and it's safe to say that they will be the top pairing for the entire tournament.

Josh Morrissey paired up with Colton Parayko. I love Parayko because, in my opinion, he is easily one of the top three defensive defensemen in the entire NHL. Morrissey has proven himself to be a very versatile defenseman with an excellent offensive touch. He has already racked up 76 points in 78 games and has two other seasons with over 60 points.

Thomas Harley is a 24-year-old defenseman who impressed at last year's 4 Nations Challenge. He's big, brings an offensive touch, and is very good defensively. Pairing him with a veteran like Drew Doughty would certainly make for a very nice third pairing.

Shea Theodore and Travis Sanheim formed another defensive pairing.

We also got a glimpse of the powerplay… Let's just say it's scary, even though Suzuki wasn't on either wave (even though he's the third-leading scorer on the powerplay this season, behind Leon Draisaitl and MacKinnon).

The best defenseman with the two best forwards in addition to Crosby and Reinhart… Other countries will have to be VERY disciplined against Canada.

Honestly, even though the United States has three excellent goalies and clearly has the advantage over Canada in that area, Canada's offensive power will certainly give them a run for their money. In addition, Canada's defensive corps is excellent and well balanced. Goalies from other countries are likely to have nightmares about them.


Overtime

– Oliver Kapanen is an extra forward for Finland in practice.

–Well.

– Here are the captain and assistants for Czechia.

— Good idea.

– So sad for Lindsey Vonn…

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