If Team USA does not win Tuesday, it can not go to the semifinal.
Advertisement
About how the underdog USA will be playing with complete desperation, their lifeline in the World Cup of Hockey contingent on a victory after Team Europe’s 3-2 overtime triumph over the Czech Republic on Monday afternoon. “It’s a matter of us just going out and playing our game and continuing to get better throughout this tournament”. Based on their precarious position, it has become exactly that. “The result that happened from the first game is that it’s also for our lives now”.
The world cup is back, and no we’re not talking soccer for the first time in months. “We need our best players to be our best players”, Tortorella said.
“We have practiced enough, we have talked enough, we have gone through all that process”. I can’t wait. It will be a blast playing them. “It’s going to be a blast”.
By the time you read this, you would have likely heard all the bluster, the innuendo, the pointed salvos leading up to Tuesday’s much-ballyhooed showdown between hockey rivals Canada and the U.S.
Babcock anticipated keeping the same lineup versus the US, meaning Claude Giroux and Jake Muzzin will sit out once more. That’s how important this game is.
A loss could mean the end of the national team careers for a number of players, particularly given the uncertainty surrounding NHL players participating in the 2018 Olympics in South Korea.
To beat Canada, it will come down to superstars producing.
“I actually had a question coming into the rink if I thought our team was cocky, because they said we’ve been kind of pumping our own tires”, center Connor McDavid said. United States coach John Tortorella opted to sit big, bruising defenseman Dustin Byfuglien which came back to bite them as they were tossed around by the Europeans in what was a sloppy, 3-0 defeat and while they will need more than just putting Buff in the lineup against Canada it will certainly help.
“For us, I don’t think we should really be concerned”.
Team U.S.A. Gets Shut Out. A regulation win will guarantee the Canadians a spot in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey semifinal.
KANE AND ABDELKADER: Hart Trophy victor Patrick Kane is expected to play on a line with grinder Justin Abdelkader and center Derek Stepan.
“I said (Saturday night) after you win in the tournaments (like this) the tendency is (to) maybe get a little fat”, said Babcock, referring to overconfidence. “Wherever he uses me, wherever he puts me, I’ll be ready”. That goal would send the game to 3-on-3 overtime.
Europe took a 2-1 lead at 2:17 of the third period on Zuccarello’s first of the tournament. Team Finland will head into the Air Canada Centre to take on the “home team”, Team Sweden.
Team Canada, which has won two straight Olympic golds and the last World Cup in 2004, has the deepest and most talented roster. Philipp Grubauer was Europe’s back-up. The 6-foot-5, 265-pound Byfuglien is a physical force with a big shot on the power play who can make a difference against Canada, which isn’t changing anything.
If there were pictures on the scoresheet, a few of Canada’s goals would qualify as masterpieces.
Advertisement
“From the outside, we got stamped up as the underdog here”, Draisaitl said. He did have some luck on his side, too, most notably in the final minute when Shayne Gostisbehere rifled one off of the left post. If your plan is to be intimidating, then why is the best embodiment of that style of play watching from above in the press box? AP material published by LongIsland.com, is done so with explicit permission.
