09/14/2016 – Page 7 – CanucksBanter

Will the World Cup of Hockey help the biggest stars in the world get in shape for the regular season in October? Getty ImagesPhoto:

Hockey fans can get their fix early this year, with the 8-team tournament kicking off Saturday.

By ERIC GOLDSTEIN Sept 14, 2016

Feel the chill in the air? OK, maybe not yet.

Either way, hockey season is right around the corner. Rookies report to the Flyers training camp on Monday, while veterans show up next Friday.

In the meantime, hockey fans get to feast on the World Cup of Hockey, an eight-team tournament full of stars, that drops the puck Saturday.

Let’s take a look at each team’s chance of bringing home the championship.

Contenders

Canada

Need to know how ridiculously talented Canada’s roster is? Claude Giroux is on the fourth line. With the Flyers captain relegated to “checking line” duties, you can only imagine the potential of this lineup. Fresh off a gold medal at the 2014 Olympics at Sochi, captain Sidney Crosby and Co. are the favorites to be the last team standing. Anything less will be considered a disappointment.

Sweden

Silver medal winners in Sochi, the Swedes are the Canada’s biggest challenge. Led by two-time Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson, they boast the best defense and one of the best goalies, Henrik Lundqvist. Plus, the offense is loaded with enough firepower to avenge their Olympic finals loss.

USA

Coach John Tortorella’s biggest decision? Who to start in goal each game. He has to pick between studs Jonathan Quick, Ben Bishop and Cory Schneider. The trio is the sole reason the Americans have a shot at winning this thing after finishing a forgettable fourth at the Olympics.

In the Mix

Russia

Offense? Check. See Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, Vladimir Tarasenko and reigning Rookie of the Year Artemi Panarin. Goaltending? Check. See Sergei Bobrovsky, Semyon Varlamov and Andrei Vasilevskiy. Defense? Not much. See the couple of players who played in the minors last season on the roster. Result? Muddled. The Russians have the potential to either win it all or exit early – just like they did on their own ice in Sochi.

Finland

Yes, the Fins are talented but they’re too young. More than half the roster is either 25 or under. They must ride Tuuka Rask, a former Vezina Trophy winner, and Pekka Rinne, a former Vezina finalist, to turn into a sleeper and advance to the elimination round.

North America

Want to watch the future of the NHL? North America, which consists of players from the U.S. and Canada age 23 and under, is a Who’s Who of No. 1 draft picks and current or rising stars. Names like McDavid, Eichel, Gaudreau, Matthews, Ekblad and Gostisbehere, just to list a few, make up the roster and represent the league’s Next Generation. North America has the potential to surprise but likely lacks the experience to reach the finish line.

Here’s Your Participation Medal

Czech Republic

Flyers forward Jakub Voracek has his hands full as one of the lone stars on an underwhelming roster. An upset in pool play would be a realistic goal.

Team Europe

Just try not to embarrass yourselves.

Source: World Cup of Hockey preview: Canada, USA, Sweden top contenders – Metro

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NHL BRIEF: WORLD CUP OF HOCKEY EDITION – SEPT. 14, 2016

Welcome to the “NHL Brief: World Cup of Hockey Edition,” a daily collection of the latest news and notes from the tournament.

TUESDAY’S RESULT

Home Team in Caps
TEAM USA 3, Team Finland 2

TEAM USA EDGES TEAM FINLAND IN FINAL TUNE-UP FOR BOTH CLUBS

Team USA jumped out to a 3-0 lead by 5:34 of the second period off goals from T. J. Oshie (1-0—1), Ryan Kesler (1-1—2) and Derek Stepan (1-0—1) before holding off a furious third-period rally from Team Finland to close out their pre-tournament schedule with a 2-1-0 record.

* Goaltender Jonathan Quick made 30 saves to improve to 2-0-0 with a 1.80 goals-against average and .954 save percentage in two pre-tournament appearances.

* Team USA’s next game will be the World Cup of Hockey 2016 opener against Team Europe at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 17. Team Finland opens their tournament versus Team North America on Sunday, Sept. 18, at 8:00 p.m. ET.

ON THIS DATE IN HISTORY

The 1996 and 2004 World Cup of Hockey tournaments both crowned champions on Sept. 14.

* Twenty years ago today at the first World Cup of Hockey ever staged, Team USA defeated Team Canada 5-2 in Game 3 of a best-of-three championship series. Tony Amonte’s tournament-winning goal broke a 2-2 tie with 2:35 remaining in regulation and goaltender Mike Richter was named tournament MVP.

* In the winner-take-all final of the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, Team Canada defeated Team Finland 3-2. The game marked Mario Lemieux’s final appearance in a Team Canada jersey and just 52 seconds into the contest he threaded a cross-ice pass to set up Joe Sakic for the game’s opening goal. Forward Vincent Lecavalier was named tournament MVP.

Click here for a look at the game sheets from both contests.

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NHL NETWORK ORIGINALS DOCUMENTARY SERIES DEBUTS TONIGHT

NHL Network will explore hockey’s rich history and tradition in its first-ever documentary series, NHL Network Originals. To mark the start of the World Cup of Hockey 2016, the first installment of NHL Network Originals is Orchestrating An Upset: The 1996 World Cup of Hockey, premiering tonight at 10:00 p.m. ET – 20 years to the day that Team USA defeated favored Team Canada to win the inaugural World Cup of Hockey.

A preview clip can be viewed here.

SNEAK PEEK AT WEDNESDAY’S ACTION

All Times Eastern
Team Czech Republic @ Team North America, 3:30 p.m., SN, SN1, TVAS, ESPN3
Team Sweden @ Team Europe, 7 p.m., SN360, TVAS2, ESPN3
Team Russia @ Team Canada, 7:30 p.m., SN, TVAS, ESPN2

PRE-TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE CLOSES WITH THREE-GAME SLATE

The World Cup of Hockey 2016 pre-tournament schedule closes with three games across two cities on Wednesday.

* Team Canada and Team Russia will continue their storied rivalry when they meet in the final tune-up for both clubs before World Cup of Hockey 2016. Longtime Penguins teammates and 2016 Stanley Cup champions Sidney Crosby (Team Canada) and Evgeni Malkin (Team Russia) will go head-to-head in front of their home crowd at CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh.

* Team Czech Republic will face Team North America, also at CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh. In their last game on Sept. 10, Team Czech Republic secured a 2-1 shootout win over Team Russia after captain Tomas Plekanec knotted the score with 1:11 remaining in regulation and Jakub Voracek and Ales Hemsky scored in the shootout. Team North America outscored Team Europe 11-4 in a pair of pre-tournament contests and is backstopped by Penguins Stanley Cup-winning goaltender Matt Murray.

* Team Sweden will face off against Team Europe at Verizon Center in Washington. Capitals forward Nicklas Backstrom – who has been skating on a dynamic line alongside Filip Forsberg and Patric Hornqvist – will represent Team Sweden in front of his NHL home crowd while Capitals goaltender Philipp Grubauer is expected to see his first action with Team Europe.

LOOKING AHEAD…

Thursday, Sept. 15

World Cup of Hockey 2016 Media Day – Air Canada Centre

* Full schedule available on media.nhl.com

Friday, Sept. 16

Scotiabank World Cup of Hockey Fan Village opens – Toronto’s Distillery District
Pepsi World Cup of Hockey Premiere Party – Scotiabank World Cup of Hockey Fan Village

Saturday, Sept. 17

World Cup of Hockey 2016 tournament officially begins at Air Canada Centre:
3:30 p.m. – Team USA @ Team Europe
8:00 p.m. – Team Czech Republic @ Team Canada

REMINDER: WORLD CUP OF HOCKEY CREDENTIALS AVAILABLE FOR PICK-UP

Media credential pick-up for World Cup of Hockey 2016 is now available at Air Canada Centre (Southside of the building facing Lake Shore Blvd.) daily from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Media are strongly encouraged to pick up their credential prior to Thursday’s World Cup of Hockey Media Day if possible.

A complete media schedule of events and other tournament publications and information can be found at media.nhl.com.

LOOSE PUCKS

Team Canada added forward Ryan O’Reilly to their roster, replacing Tyler Seguin…Tickets for Pepsi World Cup of Hockey Premiere Party featuring The Killers, Sam Roberts Band and Daya are available for purchase at ticketmaster.ca… Team Finland’s Patrik Laine – who was selected No. 2 overall by the Jets at the 2016 NHL Draft – scored his first goal of exhibition play… ICYMI: Team North America players Brandon Saad, John Gibson, J.T. Miller, and Vincent Trocheck – who all grew up playing hockey in the Pittsburgh area – as well as Penguins goaltender Matt Murray skated with 30 local minor hockey players after practice on Tuesday at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry Township, Pa.