The Tampa Bay Lightning forward looked like a lock to get his first chance at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, but he broke his leg in November 2013 and didn’t recover in time to take part despite a frantic rehabilitation schedule.
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Russian Federation appeared to catch a break before the game even started, when Sweden’s starter Henrik Lundqvist was ruled out of the game because of the flu. After some initial takeaways, here are some reasons why you should make it a point to tune in, as well as what to watch for. A lot will depend on the results of tomorrow’s Finland/Sweden game, but North America will at least need more points than Russian Federation in the final group game in order to advance to the semifinals. Canada just wants to beat everyone. The Canadians hopefully watched the game between the USA and Europe and learned that you can’t take your foot off the gas for any team. He’s well-versed on both sides of the ocean and believes the approach here in the World Cup is the right one so far for Team Canada.
In the meantime, Team USA seemed jittery and undisciplined. “They know what’s at stake so we expect them to play hard, to play chippy”. Even while recognizing that management omitted offense-oriented puck-movers such as Justin Faulk, Keith Yandle and Kevin Shattenkirk from the roster, the onus is on this team’s defensemen to be much, much better in that department Tuesday, even as they will surely be under sustained pressure all night.
The question to be answered now is how will Team USA respond? If they’re able to exit their group unscathed, there is no easy task in the next round. With goal differential a potential tiebreaker, every goal counts, and Europe will try to keep things rolling against the Czech Republic on Monday and Canada on Wednesday.
It was an unacceptable performance for the US, which now has been shut out in three consecutive major global tournament games dating to the 2014 Sochi Olympics. But all you have to do is take a look at the results from other games to know that Canada’s biggest test still lies ahead. We need to have a business look.
“You look at the North America team and Team Europe, and there’s a lot of players who might not have got the opportunity to play in a tournament like this”. They’ve got the future faces of the National Hockey League in guys like Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, and Auston Matthews. You really do have the majority of the best in the world playing in this tournament.
Carey Price turned aside 27 shots to record the shutout. When you have the size and the speed that we have [among the forwards], put that with the skill and smarts – these guys know where they’re supposed to be at all times. “Whoever came up with the young guns team. what a great way to showcase the National Hockey League in two years from now”. Sweden proved their defence is as good as advertised (and that’s without Henrik Lundqvist), and the North Americans are as risky as anybody.
About how the Americans feel they are coming into the hornets nest that is the Air Canada Centre.
Canada (1-0) and the United States (0-1) will meet on Tuesday in what is a “must-win” for the Americans if they hope to have any chance of securing a top-two spot in the group to advance. The Czechs could be a nice dog here as they aim to rebound after a sluggish start but top to bottom they are the weaker group and I think Europe gets another victory and punches their ticket to the knockout stage. That goal would send the game to 3-on-3 overtime.
Teams Canada, Europe, Sweden and North America all posted impressive wins respectively over squads from the Czech Republic, United States, Russia, and Finland. “That’s a big thing we have to [correct] for the next game”.
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But this week features two of worldwide hockey’s biggest longstanding rivalries with Sweden-Finland (3 p.m. EST) and USA-Canada (8 p.m.) facing off on Tuesday. “We’re going to make decisions in a sprint mode”. You’ll probably be glad you did.
