The first ever 4 Nations Face-Off, the international best-on-best competition put on by the NHL, has certainly lived up to the hype. For the first time in nearly a decade, superstars are donning the sweaters of their home country, creating dream line combinations like Nathan MacKinnon and Sidney Crosby for Canada and the Tkachuk brothers playing together for the United States.

With the round robin now complete and another Canada vs. USA rematch set for the Finals, there were enough games played to establish some takeaways that minor hockey players can bring to the rink with them. Just like the intensity of the tournament, OMHA playoffs are underway with exciting action happening all across the province. There are teams battling for position with only limited spots to advance in the end, so every game matters.

Each of the four countries participating all earned a win in the opening phase, showing that you can never count out any opponent this time of year. Every point matters when it comes to the standings and one game can prove to be a huge swing. Finland came in as the underdog of the tournament and beat Sweden in overtime. Sweden lost twice in the extra period – one of those games going their way could mean we are all looking at a different Final. Two of the opening three contents went to overtime, and every game was decided by two goals or less aside from one.

Apart from the closeness of the tournament in the standings, let’s take a look at some of the intangibles.

Chemistry has proven to be important, and teams have had to find it fast in playing just three games so far.

We’ve seen the ‘Tampa Bay’ line play together at times for Canada under head coach Jon Cooper, who leads Lightning teammates Brandon Hagel, Anthony Cirelli and Brayden Point during the regular season. That familiarity with each other echoes on minor hockey teams, where that harmony on playing with the same linemates all year long has gotten you to this point.

If you buy into it, there’s also the aforementioned ‘Cole Harbour’ hometown connection with MacKinnon and Crosby, and the brotherly Tkachuk tandem that have provided instant sparks to their respective teams. With just a few team practices under their belt before puck drop, any fit like this can prove to be a benefit to get on the same page.

It’s also the little things that can make all of the difference. Fresh off an opening night victory over Sweden, MacKinnon and Crosby both attended the optional morning skate despite the late game played the night before. This example of work ethic, led by captain Crosby, set the tone for the rest of his team on how the best players in the world approach the game.

In its last game against Canada, it was the Finns who showed why it’s so important to fight until the very last whistle. Down four goals in the final period, Finland scored three times in six minutes to bring it to a one score contest. While they didn’t earn the win in the end, one more bounce going their way could’ve led to a different Finals matchup.

Anything can happen during this time of year and no team can be underestimated. Good luck to all House, Local and Representative teams in playoffs!