Team North America’s Auston Matthews celebrates with teammates after scoring against Sweden during the first period of a World Cup of Hockey game in Toronto, Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2016.
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Team Russia is moving on and Team North America is eliminated. Despite playing the two most entertaining games of the tournament, North America is in wait-and-see mode while Sweden is the victor of Group B after getting the point it needed.
HOW SWEDE IT IS: Lundqvist stopped 81 of 85 shots in two games and is the top reason Sweden can win this. Miller has played sparingly for North America, but he could be a valuable depth player for Team USA in the future. “Everybody understands it, and I think it is a huge opportunity for us to move forward”. “How we can rebound from that I have no idea”.
Nathan MacKinnon, one of four No. 1 overall picks on the club, scored the victor at 4:11 of overtime just moments after North American goaltender John Gibson robbed Daniel Sedin on a breakaway. Johnny Gaudreau drew a penalty shot shortly after, but fired his shot high and wide.
“We had no choice. We played every minute to win”. Sweden needs to play a more patient game than it did against Team North America.
It’s uncertain whether the National Hockey League and NHLPA will bring back Team North America in the future and if they do, what that collection might look like.
Nonetheless, for a remainder of the game Sweden and Lundqvist would calm down, and Hank still had to make some big saves in the second, third, and even the overtime period, one on Connor McDavid.
Everything you could have ask for from Henrik Lundqvist in his first competitive game back since his early playoff departure.
“Always when you step on the ice, you want to win the game, but obviously mission accomplished”, coach Rickard Gronborg said.
North America continued to apply pressure, but Filip Forsberg was briefly able to stop the bleeding 6:49 later with a snapshot off of the rush to cut the lead to 2-1.
Datsyuk sat out Russia’s final preliminary round game against Finland with a lower body injury.
Forward Jonathan Toews said that attitude developed from actual performance in such moments.
Do you have a GIF of former Sharks Head Coach Todd McLellan that describes how awesome that game was? It won’t be the last time the Toronto faithful cheer his name, and Matthews almost blew the roof off of the Air Canada Centre.
“If I get a vote I’d like to do it again”, McLellan said. “It was fun, a fun goal”.
Sweden faces Team Europe in the second semifinal Sunday afternoon in Toronto, with the victor facing Canada or Russian Federation in the three-game final.
Canada won Group A and will face North America or Russian Federation in the first semifinal Saturday night. “The King” made 25 saves to beat Finland in the 2006 final, had a.927 save percentage in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, a.943 in Sochi and a.953 so far at the World Cup.
There was a lot to discuss. Too much grit? Not enough skill?
The prospect of the young guns and their dazzling talents up against the methodical, experienced Canadians made hockey fans drool.
“I liked our team”, winger Zach Parise said.
“Honestly when I scored I thought we were in, maybe we shouldn’t have [celebrated] so hard”, said MacKinnon, of Canada.
That’s no surprise to Europe’s players.
Phil Kessel took his shot.
Even hardened NHL veterans couldn’t help but get caught up in the speed and flair the 23-and-under team brought to the World Cup of Hockey. “Felt like I should be doing something important, but couldn’t put my finger on it”.
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.
USA center David Backes said that if the 23-and-under players were available he might not have been on the team.
“To come here and flop like we did is extremely disappointing”, defenseman Ryan Suter said. “We got some good guys on the backend and good goaltending”. Look for that to continue against Sweden (2-0-1). A Russian regulation loss would then create another three-way tie, which North America would have likely won on goal differential. Speed has been king at this global tournament, but Backes noted that the Americans “weren’t going to out-skill Canada”.
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TORONTO (AP) The NHL has gotten nearly everything it hoped for so far at the World Cup of Hockey.
