Matt Boldy Is Changing His Narrative At the 4 Nations Face-Off

The 4 Nations Face-Off is in full swing, and it's been exciting to see how some of the Minnesota Wild's best players have performed on one of the biggest stages the NHL has assembled in years. Filip Gustavsson, Jonas Brodin, Joel Eriksson Ek, Brock Faber, and Matt Boldy have represented Minnesota well during the exciting tournament. 

Boldy, in particular, is significantly impacting Team USA despite playing relatively limited minutes. 

There's a notion regarding Boldy that he tends to only score against weaker teams. There's some debate as to whether that label is fair. After all, Boldy is only 23 years old and often plays on lines where he's expected to be the sole offense driver. While that's true, there's also some concern over his perceived lack of progress. 

Boldy continues to be an impact player. Still, we’re waiting for him to ascend and become a truly dominant player. Boldy's performance in a marquee event like the 4 Nations Face-Off could go a long way in shedding the long-standing narrative surrounding him. 

Before we discuss Boldy's performance, addressing the elephant in the room is critical. This year, the Four Nations Face-Off will replace the All-Star game. This event does not include some of the best hockey players in the world because it is limited to teams from the USA, Canada, Finland, and Sweden. 

According to several insiders, including Chris Johnston, it's an event that many don't believe will ever occur more than once due to the NHL's return to the Olympics and future planned World Cups. 

With all that in mind, it may seem like this tournament lacks prestige. There's no reason to think a strong performance in these games is all that interesting, right? 

If that’s the case, the players must not have gotten the memo. They have treated the 4 Nations Face-Off like a best-on-best exhibition and played at a high standard. Many players have commented on the tournament's competitiveness. 

"Something like this, when you see the intensity and the emotion and how much guys actually care and want to win and represent their countries, you can't really compete with that," USA forward Vincent Trocheck said. "It's not comparable to an All-Star game or a Pro Bowl or something like that. This [tournament] is something that's like playoff hockey. 

“This [event] is like Game 7 every night."

Most players feel the same as Trochek. The games have been excellent, competitive, and have higher stakes than any all-star game in the last several decades. If the players are treating this like playoff hockey, Boldy's impactful play has been encouraging. He's not just performing against a good NHL team; he's playing well against some of the greatest players in the world in a high-pressure environment.

One of the most encouraging things about Boldy's play has been his level of engagement in games. Boldy is at his best when he's playing like a power forward and showing a high level of competitiveness. He's brought that to the 4 Nations Face-Off. 

Check out this assist he had in the first game of the opening round:

Boldy's aggressive body check in the corner creates a fantastic opportunity to make a play when it leads to a turnover. Boldy made a nice pass, but his physical game made the play possible. His willingness to get to dirty areas also showed up in the goal he scored to give Team USA the lead.

He does a great job of getting to the front of the net and tipping Wild teammate Brock Faber’s shot. It's a simple play, but one Boldy can make with his size and strength when engaged. At times, Boldy can play a perimeter-based game. Still, he's genuinely dominant when he drives the net and plays physically. 

In the next game, he made a presence in the USA-Canada matchup. Hitting stats are subjective, but Boldy registered three hits in the game against Canada. He showed he didn’t back down in a physical game. Boldy made a solid defensive play on an errant Sidney Crosby pass and pushed the puck up-ice to Dylan Larkin, who scored the game-winning goal. 

Boldy has shown he can impact vital games during the 4 Nations Face-Off. He's been physical, played strong defense, and been assertive offensively. Playing to these strengths has also produced strong analytics as he was one of the best American players in Expected Goals % and Corsi % in the marquee game against the Canadians.

(Source: Moneypuck)

Boldy put in another impressive performance in the USA’s next game against Sweden. Despite losing to the Swedes, Boldy was one of the best Americans on the ice. With several American players out of the game due to injury, Boldy played the most minutes he had in the tournament with 17:28 of ice time. He rewarded the Americans with the fourth-most expected goals on the team (.39) and a 60.6% expected goals percentage.

Boldy's strong play in the tournament's first three games was monumental in getting the Americans to the finals. The Wild forward has already proven he can contribute to winning in big games. If he's a factor in a United States finals victory, it could go even further in helping him shed the notion that he only scores against bad teams and doesn't always show up when it matters. 

Given how players treat this tournament, Boldy shows clear potential as a clutch player. As he matures into an even more critical part of the Wild's core, Boldy's experience in the 4 Nations Face-Off could prove vital in his development toward being a playoff performer. These games are already like the playoffs.

He could contribute to a run if the Wild gets this version of Boldy during the postseason.