Team North America beats Finland at World Cup of Hockey

Here’s something to put a smile on your face before we bury this page in more football talk: Johnny Gaudreau scored last night for Team North America at the World Cup of Hockey, as his group of Under 23 stars pounded a very good Finland team, 4-1.

North America opens play Sunday against Finland before facing Russian Federation on Monday and Sweden on Wednesday, with all games at Toronto’s Air Canada Centre.

Sep 17, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Team Czech Republic goaltender Michal Neuvirth (30) looks on in the first period against Team Canada during preliminary round play in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey at Air Canada Centre.

Matthews, who will join Toronto Maple Leafs camp after the World Cup, said McDavid “thinks the game extremely fast”.

Russian center Evgeny Kuznetsov watched Team North America dismantle Finland on Sunday night.

“I said in the beginning of the pre-tournament that you could put everyone’s name in a hat, pull two names out, and I’d be excited to play with anyone you pulled out there”, Gaudreau said.

The Hockey Writers coverage of the World Cup of Hockey 2016 is being brought to you by PrimeSport, the official Fan Travel & Hospitality Package Partner of the World Cup of Hockey 2016.

Their matchup (Monday at 8 p.m. ET on WatchESPN and ESPN2) will pit two teams that play a similar north-south style, each trying to impose its will on the other.

While Team NA’s defence is young and inexperienced, that doesn’t mean it isn’t good.

“I thought he was going to have a hell of a game and he did”, coach Todd McLellan said. Team Europe coach Ralph Krueger called North America “the fastest team in the tournament”, and don’t expect anyone to offer an argument. We were able to open it up a bit in the second with some big goals. “But it didn’t take us long to come together”. “I think they respect their opponent, but not too much, so you have to be ready for them”. “It’s going to be a good test for us”.

SHUT DOWN: Lightning RW Nikita Kucherov had a quiet opener in Russia’s 2-1 loss to Sweden. Fifteen of the 18 skaters had at least one shot on goal.

Barring a lot of salary going out the door (looking at you, Dennis Wideman) I don’t see how Calgary could come close to affording Russell if his reported ask is true. “But I think the chances was there”. But I feel the touch. “I’m hanging on to the puck more and creating more offence”.

“He has just gotten better every day”, McLellan said.

Moments later, Tarasenko hit Markstrom in the mask with a shot that the Vancouver goalie was able to shake off.

These are the three most talked-about prospects in years and they all were in on the first power-play goal. Less than 2 minutes later, Hedman one-timed Carl Hagelin’s feed glove-side past Bobrovsky. “But the North American skill guys with some size – Nathan MacKinnon, Mark Scheifele, even Auston Matthews – have handled it so far”.

Ovechkin scored with 33 seconds left in the third, putting a wrist shot from the point off the post and past a screened Markstrom. With that being said, on numerous occasions, pucks squeezed through Rinne and he had poor rebound control throughout the evening.

With the talent Team North America has, there really aren’t any bad linemates to have, according to Gaudreau. It wasn’t necessarily the most skillfull play we’ll see these guys make, but it was a pretty incredible way to kick off the tournament for this team. The Russian squad is full of players with a lot of high-level worldwide experience, though, so this is going to be a terrific test for North America.