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Phil Kessel was the most popular American at the World Cup

Russian Federation booked their place in the semi-finals of the World Cup of Hockey with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Finland at the AirCanada Centre in Toronto.

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There’s no pressure on the Europeans, who were expected to finish at the bottom of Group A. There’s significant expectation on Sweden, a nation that has long fared well in global competition, winning a silver medal at the 2014 Olympics and gold at the 2006 Olympics.

Russian Federation still produces great players, but its day as the top threat to Canada for world supremacy in the sport has long passed.

And yes, it would be an upset by any definition of the word. They’ll be facing an offence-heavy battle against the Russians on Saturday night, but should be able to control the game with a far more balanced team. “Two proud nations when it comes to hockey”.

3 AND OH CANADA: The Sidney Crosby-led Canadians looked so good in their first game that American Hockey Hall of Famer Mike Modano tweeted to cancel the rest of the tournament and give them the trophy. “It’s all about the next one”. “I was thinking about it the other day, how training camp is beginning and the guys are there and how it’s going to be great to be back with them”. But it’s only as good as what you do with it. “But it’s going to be fun, fun game”. Lombardi, general manager of the U.S World Cup team, defended the decision not to take more skilled players like Phil Kessel because he believes the US couldn’t match Canada’s depth of talent and skill so it tried to win the tournament another way. “A lot of guys, at least the American guys anyway, have talked about taking a few days off and then joining their team”. Put on a line between Ovechkin, his Washington Capitals teammate, and Vladimir Tarasenko of the St. Louis Blues for the round-robin finale against Finland, Kuznetsov looked very comfortable and creative.

The powerful Canadians were the only one of the eight teams to go through the first round of the tournament with an unblemished record.

But nobody would be happier winning this game than Ovechkin. He’s stopped 91 of 96 shots in the World Cup for a sparkling.948 save percentage.

“It’s two teams with a great history”, Ovechkin said. And if his World Cup showing is any indication, his October and November should be much better this season. Canada is so deep that even slowing Crosby and linemates, Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand, means contending next with Stamkos, Getzlaf and John Tavares. Some players on the current Canadian team were on that team. Toss in two-time Norris Trophy victor Erik Karlsson and the offensively gifted Oliver Ekman-Larsson and you have quite a combination. Netminder Carey Price is back to being Carey Price after missing most of last season with a knee injury. Well of course, right? Though players on both sides didn’t think that offered much insight into today’s matchup, the formula was there for how Canada could fall: Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky turned aside 45 of 48 shots to give Russian Federation a chance. Team GM Dean Lombardi was still peddling the grit-and-grind, all-for-one ideal that ultimately produced five goals in three games. But I think in life and in sports, anyways, the ability to be in the now is what makes you strong and that’s all we have.

“Yeah, you don’t want to get into penalty trouble against them”, Crosby said.

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“I think that’s part of what makes our team really tough to beat”, said Jonathan Toews, who is 44-1-1 in worldwide play for Canada.

Marc Andre Fleury in net for the start of Penguins training camp in Cranberry