Two hours before the drop of the puck for the World Cup of Hockey opener against Team USA, Team Europe coach Ralph Krueger issued strong words.
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While these guys all get along and play for the same National Hockey League team, it must seem a bit odd going after each other in the World Cup. For the Americans, Patrick Kane will score twice, and Max Pacioretty will find the net once. Team Europe features players from eight countries – Germany, Slovakia, Switzerland, Denmark, Austria, France, Norway and Slovenia. They outshot the two teams (playing U.S. twice) by a combined 129-74, including 99-52 at even-strength.
Especially if you happen to have the best hockey player in the world.being centered by Sidney Crosby.
Canada was victorious in two-of-three exhibition games, generally dominant in each. Thirteen of the team’s 23 players won a gold medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics.
USA’s next game is versus Canada on Tuesday (12pm NZT). And they promptly got thrown back.
“It was a struggle for us”, Tortorella said.
“I think we were down one goal to nine after four periods of playing as a team, and the only thing we spoke about in that intermission was either we pack up and roll over and go home, or now we pull together and we fight to build an identity, and that’s when identities are born, in hard times”, said Europe coach Ralph Krueger. Canada’s roster is the most experienced, highest-scoring and winningest NHL-wise. Neuvirth got a great opportunity to keep the Czechs in this by playing fantastic in the middle of the period, but Jonathan Toews smashed through Neuvirth’s best efforts in order to make it 5-0 Canada. “On that second goal, I’ll definitely take the fault on that one”. “That’s a play (controlling the puck at the blue line) I’ve made a million times in my career”. Just kind of lost the puck and the next thing you know they go down 2 on 0. “That’s unacceptable from me”.
So, before both teams take the ice to battle it out in the hopes of getting off on the right skate, let take a closer look at all the information you’ll need to make sure you catch all the action on the ice in the opening matchup of the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. His players were just as confident.
Europe dealt the final blow at 18:32 of the second when Bellemare deflected Jannik Hansen’s shot past Quick.
The U.S. wasn’t without scoring opportunities, launching almost twice as many shots as its opponent (18-10), but the Americans could not find the crack in the armor of Team Europe goalkeeper Jaroslav Halak. Now the re-tooled Americans are suddenly in danger of yet another global faceplant.
“Poor Tortorella didn’t have a chance”, Cherry said. “This is a sprint”.
“We can not go in there second-guessing ourselves or having a losing attitude in our heads”, said assistant coach Vinny Prospal.
“No matter what tournament we’re going to, we expect to win and want to win”. “It’s a spot we didn’t want to be in, it is a very unsafe spot but we are here”.
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“The fact that there are complications relevant to the stopping of our season in the middle at a very prime time. and the difficulties of dealing with the International Olympic Committee and the International Ice Hockey Federation are really the factors if we continue to go”. “We’ve got to up our level and up our game”.
