“When he’s called upon to make key saves at key times, he’s able to do that,” Hynes said. “But he’s confident. I think he’s focused, and he’s playing his style of game. I think he’s calm in the net, and he reads plays well.”
What makes Eriksson Ek, who Hynes said was banged up during overtime on Tuesday night, a smart choice for Sweden is his versatility: Not only does he have five goals and eight assists through 22 games with the Wild, but Eriksson Ek is an effective defender who can stand in front of the net on the power play and kill penalties.
(The 4 Nations Face-Off will follow NHL rules, with the tournament adhering to a round robin format that will culminate in a final between the top two finishers.)
Brodin missed the past four games with an upper-body injury, but he has a long history of being one of the best matchup defensemen in the league. Before getting sidelined, Brodin chipped in two goals and six assists in 19 games and was part of a formidable duo with captain Jared Spurgeon that had rarely been scored on at 5-on-5.