How should we choose to perceive the news that Alex Pietrangelo has withdrawn from the 4 Nations Face-Off?
We can smirk at the fact he stepped aside from Team Canada to rest “an ailment” and, hours later, logged more than 24 minutes to help his Vegas Golden Knights topple the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. We can rub our foreheads with concern, noting Team Sweden is already down two goaltenders, and wonder how many other players will pull out in the two remaining weeks before the event starts. We can pat ourselves on the back with an “I told you so,” as the NHL made its bed by creating a low-stakes, four-team tournament and placing it in the middle of the regular season’s stretch run.
Or…we…