When asked how he would slow down Team North America, Brad Marchand had the most Brad Marchand way of answering.
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But it is more than that.
Team North America caught Group B favorites Sweden off guard with an explosive start before securing a thrilling 4-3 overtime win at the World Cup of Hockey on Wednesday to keep alive their hopes of reaching the semi-finals.
“I think we definitely have turned some heads”, said Connor McDavid, whose performance at this World Cup has solidified him as the next greatest player in the game.
The two points assures North America (2-1-0) is still alive in the eight-team tournament, but Russian Federation holds the tiebreaker in Group B and can eliminate the under-24 squad and take a spot in the semifinals if it beats Finland (0-2-0) on Thursday.
“It was kind of embarrassing, actually, the first 10 minutes”, said staunch Swedish defenceman Niklas Hjalmarsson. “I felt pretty old there”.
“No”, said Sedin. “First one”. “That to me is one of the most exciting things about this tournament”.
That’s the bone that Bruce Arthur of the Toronto Star picks with Todd McLellan and his staff: That they didn’t share the details of Team North America’s clinching scenarios, and therefore did them wrong by not having them put the pedal down in regulation.
Yes, it sounds like a hockey writer’s hyperbole. The good news for team North America is that Russia will have to play without star centerman and National Hockey League veteran Pavel Datsyuk, which could prove to be the difference in the fate of the Russians.
MacKinnon’s incredible goal came while the teams were playing three-on-three and capped off a razzle-dazzle play by North America.
Starting in place of Matt Murray, North America goalie John Gibson stopped 35 of 38 shots. So he dragged the puck in front of Henrik Lundqvist, squeezing it just under the goaltender’s out-stretched stick, going to his backhand and chipping it into the net.
Russia, which defeated North America on Monday, would advance to the semifinals instead of North America with a victory over Finland. Based on how the USA fared in the tournament, the Americans could have used them this year as well.
“I mean, it’s spectacular to watch”, said Canada coach Mike Babcock.
“We became fans”, McLellan said. “I was standing on the bench, (yelling), “No! No! Go!’ It was just going back and forth, the energy in the building and the passion with the fans, the players…” Then Matthews collected the puck and got knocked to his knees and kept control of the puck like he was Curly Neal dribbling for the Globetrotters, and he found Morgan Rielly, whose shot was spit back out to Matthews for a rebound goal. There may not be another McDavid, or the stunning young Auston Matthews. He could have been one their best players.
We will have, however, tangible evidence of what hockey can look like when the coach takes the harness off.
The game was considered an instant classic, a showcase of speed, skill, scoring and goaltending. No sport does less to encourage offence, and that’s why North America was such a shock. “I think the amount of pressure on both teams is a little bit different”.
If you can catch a replay of that game, do everything in your power to make sure it happens.
“A linesman told me a amusing story during the second exhibition game against Europe”, said Chiarelli. “I think I can be so much better”.
Team North America, a mix of United States and Canadian players 23 and younger, scored two goals in the opening 95 seconds but Sweden twice erased two-goal deficits to force overtime. “I remember being young and not really realizing what was at stake”.
“Those are a lot of guys that are going to be playing for the USA and Canada real soon”, U.S winger Zach Parise said.
As former NHLer Ryan Whitney wrote on twitter, “If I’m Johnny Hockey and there wasn’t a Brinks truck loaded to the tits sent from the Flames waiting in my driveway I would lose my mind”.
MacKinnon’s handled the puck like a magician, something all these kids seem to be able to do these days.
“I may text or call him tonight”, Scheifele said, “and tell him to get his wrists ready to take a few big one-timers”. “It was fun, a fun goal”. Then came Vincent Trocheck’s goal at 1:25 off slick passing from Eichel and Gostisbehere.
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Because it was fun.
