“Because it’s the USA playing Canada, there’s a rivalry before it even starts”.
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The influence of European players on the NHL is reflected in an analysis Krueger made for the International Ice Hockey Federation a few years back. “But this is a unique start with the World Cup, so it’s just trying to get in a rhythm and going out there and playing, and I think as a team, to find our game as well”.
I understand there are some extremely talented players – Tyler Johnson, Phil Kessel, Kevin Shattenkirk and Justin Faulk – who were not selected to the roster, but the vision of Team USA’s management group, including coach John Tortorella, has built a team that can beat Canada. I’ve been covering Team Sweden and Finland, but now that I’m back on American soil for games at Verizon Center on Tuesday (Team USA vs. Finland, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN) and Wednesday (Team Sweden vs. Team Europe, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN3), I want to give my impressions of the US team – whether you want them or not.
Having Price in a live hockey game at all is a good sign for Team Canada and Montreal Canadiens fans, though. The young wolves were mercilessly for Team Europe on Thursday in their first preseason game, winning 4-0 before a near-capacity crowd of 18,005 spectators at Videotron Centre.
USA forward Ryan Kesler was ejected late in the second period for boarding Shea Weber. There is no doubt Team Canada has a almost unstoppable force behind hockey legends such as Sidney Crosby, Claude Giroux, Steven Stamkos and Drew Doughty.
Even before a puck has been dropped, anthems have been a big topic at the World Cup of Hockey. Watch the game with us here! Canada never really flinched in the face of the pestering, but they lost.
Crosby himself lost control at one point Friday night and cross-checked US forward Kyle Palmieri after a tussle near the American goal.
In terms of team concept, Team USA has the upper hand.
Around the Team USA dressing room, players raved about the atmosphere and how it contributed to making the Americans’ 4-2 win over Canada feel like something more than just a pre-tournament game.
“Both teams want to make sure they’re playing well heading into the tournament”, Canadian captain Sidney Crosby said following Monday’s practice in Ottawa.
Team Canada is lucky to have Crawford. “They were generated by the players”. There are bragging rights on the line and Canada is not the type to step down from a challenge.
On July 3, 2016, Canada’s oldest thoroughbred horse race, and North America’s longest continuously. The team has five of the six most recent No. 1 picks in the National Hockey League draft with Nathan Mackinnon, Connor McDavid, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Aaron Ekblad and Auston Matthews.
Neither team has the depth that the tournament’s powerhouse countries have. That’s why I’m picking Team North America to come up with the upset in this game. Two goals from Mackinnon and a shutout from Matt Murray, fresh off a Stanley Cup victory last spring, hoisted Team North America head and shoulders above their competition. Team USA isn’t about to completely pound the Canadians into submission or try to beat them in one-on-one situations. No one believed the youngsters could pull off any modicum of success. That’s a skilled, fast team. Hockey is a game that favors speed. “Everybody knows a handful of guys before they got here and now it’s a great chance to get to know each other even better”. Those two teams along with Czech Republic and Europe comprise Group A, while the others make up Group B.
Breakaways. Streit and Sean Couturier (North America) are alternate captains on their respective teams.
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This is the first of two games they’ll be playing against each other, the second being in Ottawa on September 10. The two winners advance to the best-of-three final.
