The 4 Nations Faceoff Opener Was a Dream for Penguins Fans

The opening game of the round robin portion of the Four Nations Faceoff between Canada and Sweden was a dream for Penguins fans, and if you missed it, shame on you.

The international tournament is replacing the NHL All-Star festivities, and it took about 56 seconds to realize that the Four Nations was going to blow NHL All-Star week out of the water.

The Intros

In a small opening ceremony that introduced each country's captain, Le Magnifique was also brought out of the tunnel to meet with Captain Canada, Sidney Crosby.

The two greatest Penguins of all time standing next to each other was an incredible moment, and the ovations wouldn't end from the crowd gathered at the Bell Centre. Just listen to that pop.

The First Sid Assist

Any power play that has Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Sam Reinhart might just be an automatic goal. Sweden learned this in the first minute and didn't take another penalty the entire game.

But not before Sidney Crosby went no-look, backhand, behind the back with a seam pass to his buddy Nathan MacKinnon for the first goal of the tournament.

I'll say it right now: There is not a single player in the NHL that elevates his teammates more than Sidney Crosby.

McDavid and MacKinnon both had some amazing individual moments in the game, but none of them led to goals. Crosby was the only one with multiple points for Team Canada...and he had three.

Sid creates goals unlike any other player this century, and he doesn't do it with speed. He does it with IQ, precision, and vision.

The Second Sid Assist

Oh, and at 37 years old he's still the best at protecting the puck. He had me fooled into thinking he'd go with a power forward move here.

Instead, he slams on the breaks, shields the puck from Gustav Forsling (an incredible defenseman, by the way), and puts a pass right on the tape of Mark Stone for the third goal of the game.

Two filthy assists for Captain Canada.

The Swedish Penguins Played Well Too

It's easy to get wrapped up in the allure of Sidney Crosby, but both Rickard Rakell and Erik Karlsson had really good games as well. Both of them were very noticable on the ice, especially Rakell.

Originally left off the Team Sweden roster, Rakell was a top-liner who logged the second most minutes among forwards for the Swedes. He didn't appear on the score sheet, but he led Sweden in hits (3) and was creating some of the best looks offensively for them as well.

Adrian Kempe's goal to cut the lead was set up by a nice move by Erik Karlsson in the neutral zone, giving him a primary assist and a point in the first game of the tournament.

The Swedish Penguins came to play, and that's exactly what Penguins fans should be looking for in this tournament. Boost the trade value of Rakell and Karlsson so there's no skimping out on a great return if they're traded.

Crosby Assists the OT Winner

At the end of his shift in overtime, Crosby acted like he was going to bring the puck into the attacking zone, but instead he sent a mega-drop pass to Mitch Marner who galloped in with speed and won the game.

How Crosby saw him I have no idea, but knowing that he wasn't going to take on three defenders and instead handing it off to a fresh body who had the ice in front of him just shows how much Crosby knows the game.

I won't call the great stars of the game selfish, because their skills are indicative of them making plays themselves. But Crosby is so wise with his decisions that he always makes his teammates better.

That's a real leader, a captain-like trait, and Crosby has been doing this for 20 years now. Oh, and notice how Sid was the only name ringing out from the crowd chants in Montreal.

If you didn't watch last night's game, watch the rest of the Four Nations Faceoff. This tournament is literally fantasy hockey. We're seeing the best players in the world on the same team playing against peers on the opposing team.

You will never see Sidney Crosby connecting with Nathan MacKinnon in Colorado (I'm looking at you Biz), so cherish these moments now while you can. This tournament is shaping up to be legendary.

USA vs Finland will be on tonight at 8pm EST on ESPN and ESPN+.