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Columbus Blue Jackets News Clips

September 10-12, 2016

Columbus Blue Jackets PAGE 02: Columbus Dispatch: Pierre-Luc Dubois wants to prove Jackets made right pick PAGE 04: The Hockey Writers: Columbus Receives Rave World Cup Reviews Cleveland Monsters/Prospects NHL/Websites PAGE 06: Toronto Star: Team North America could end up relying on veteran players at World Cup PAGE 08: Columbus Dispatch: World Cup of Hockey | U.S. tops Canada in fast-paced, physical game PAGE 10: NHL.com: Team USA finds formula for success PAGE 12: NHL.com: Team North America has rooting interest in World CupNHL.com / Team North America has rooting interest in World Cup PAGE 14: The Globe and Mail: World Cup of Hockey a place for youngsters to learn new tricks PAGE 16: Sportsnet.ca: Canada-USA rivalry on full display in gritty World Cup debut PAGE 18: Sportsnet.ca: World Cup Takeaways: USA 4, Canada 2 PAGE 22: Sportsnet.ca: NHL concussion spotters to have new powers for 2016-17 PAGE 23: Sportsnet.ca: Las Vegas owner confirms team will have ‘Knights’ in name PAGE 24: Sportsnet.ca: The World Cup of Hockey: By the numbers PAGE 26: TSN.ca: Canada No. 1 in World Cup of Hockey Power Rankings PAGE 28: USA Today: Team USA tops Canada in World Cup of Hockey exhibition game PAGE 30: NHL.com: Team Canada responds against Team USA PAGE 33: NHL.com: Team USA following John Tortorella's lead PAGE 36: Sportsnet.ca: Team North America can score, but will that be enough?

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http://bluejacketsxtra.dispatch.com/content/stories/2016/09/11/pierre-luc-dubois-wants-to-prove-jackets-made-right-pick.html

Pierre-Luc Dubois wants to prove Jackets made right pick By Aaron Portzline - September 12, 2016

Pierre-Luc Dubois is an amiable young man. Even halfway through a reporter’s question that would make most 18-year-olds squirm, Dubois cracks a wide grin and shrugs his broad shoulders.

The Blue Jackets selected Dubois, a hard-working, skilled center, with the No. 3 overall pick in this summer’s NHL draft in Buffalo. It became the story of the Blue Jackets’ summer, not so much because they drafted Dubois — he was widely considered a top-5 talent — but because they passed on Finnish wing Jesse Puljujarvi to do it.

Needless to say, the career tracks of Dubois and Puljujarvi, who was picked No. 4 by Edmonton, will be charted for many years to come. So how much pressure does this put on Dubois?

“I completely ignore it,” Dubois said, with a smile. “There is no pressure. I have to be the best player I can be. I’ve always worked for that, always tried to be the best player I could, whether it’s now or when I was 12 years old.

“(The Blue Jackets) drafted me third in front of the guy everybody thought they were going to draft, but I think they made the right decision. I want to prove that to everybody.”

Puljujarvi is expected to stick with the Oilers, and he might play on a line with Edmonton’s budding superstar Connor McDavid. There is a growing sentiment around the Blue Jackets that Dubois might not be returning to his junior club, either. At least not right away.

“We’ll see,” Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said. “We’ve always said that it’s up to the player.”

Blue Jackets president of hockey operations John Davidson was even more forceful.

“If there’s any part of him that isn’t ready, he’s going back,” Davidson said. “We sent (defenseman) Alex Pietrangelo back to junior, twice, when we were in St. Louis. We took some heat for it at the time, but look at him now. Some guys are ready, though.”

Dubois, 6 feet 3 and 212 pounds, has been in Columbus for nearly a month. He has been skating with Blue Jackets regulars Brandon Dubinsky, Boone Jenner and others at Nationwide Arena’s practice rink.

“I came here early to get used to NHL caliber, get used to being on the ice with NHL players,” Dubois said. “It’s still my goal to play in the NHL next year. I’ve worked really hard and I’m just going to give it my all.”

This week, Dubois and the rest of the Blue Jackets’ prospects will head to Traverse City, Michigan, for the prospects tournament.

Blue Jackets training camp opens Sept. 22.

Dubois told NHL.com this summer that he wants to “force” the Blue Jackets into keeping him on the roster. He also said that if he sticks in the NHL this season, he would have a “good shot” at winning the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie.

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Maybe the biggest surprise with Dubois is yet to come.

“Since I was a kid, everybody has maybe written me off a bit,” Dubois said. “Now I think people are starting to see what I can do on the ice, and I think I can surprise a lot of people this year.”

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http://thehockeywriters.com/columbus-receives-rave-world-cup-reviews/

Columbus Receives Rave World Cup Reviews By Mark Scheig - September 12, 2016

Our Blue Jackets Sunday Feature is back for another season. Every Sunday throughout the 2016-17 season, we will highlight a positive story from around the world of the Blue Jackets. Last time, we honored three outstanding people and their contributions in the world of art. Today, we shift our attention to the World Cup of Hockey. Columbus hosted an exhibition game Friday night at Nationwide Arena. How did everything go?

Columbus Thrives in Spotlight Events

Columbus is no stranger to big hockey events taking place at Nationwide Arena.

In 2007, Nationwide Arena hosted the NHL Entry Draft. Early in 2014, the city and arena hosted the NHL All-Star Game. Then Blue Jacket Ryan Johansen stole the show by winning game MVP honors. His teammate and current captain Nick Foligno was the captain of that team. It’s a memory that will last in the minds of Blue Jackets fans for a long time.

This past week, Columbus found themselves again in the spotlight of the hockey world by hosting Team USA for their practices in preparation for the World Cup of Hockey. After three days of practices, Team USA hosted Team Canada in an exhibition game. As usual, Columbus rose to the occasion and shined.

The building was electric. This was no ordinary exhibition game. Anytime Canada and the US get together in anything, you can normally expect things to happen. Not surprisingly, things did happen.

The game was hard-hitting. It was clear from the start that Team USA wanted to impose themselves to Canada. There were many hard hits. There was even a game misconduct involved.

Team USA ultimately won the game 4-2. The biggest winners of the day were the fans, especially those who attended the game. They helped make Nationwide Arena shine for the hockey world to see.

After the game ended, many notable people from around the hockey world shared their impressions of Columbus. Blue Jackets fans and those who already live in Columbus know how great a city it is. After Friday night, many more saw how great the city is.

Reflections of Columbus

In seeing the overwhelming response to how Columbus did this week, one theme stood out. The city did great in accommodating the teams, the media, and the fans.

Blue Jackets Special Moment

This week in Columbus was special for two Blue Jackets players in particular. Both Brandon Dubinsky and Jack Johnson got to play in their home rink while representing Team USA.

After Friday’s game, Dubinsky expressed his gratitude about the game’s importance to Columbus. Everyone got to see how great the fans were.

For Jack Johnson, it was a chance to play for his country after not being included on the Olympic team. As he said before the game, “you never know if it’s your last shot.” Dubinsky added, “You can tell this means a lot to him (Johnson).”

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This past week in Columbus shows just how passionate this area is for hockey. Couple that with the Blue Jackets showing signs of improvement, and you can see why this region is on the verge of something amazing. Columbus rises to the occasion on the big stage. That’s something you can always be proud of.

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https://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/2016/09/08/team-north-america-could-end-up-relying-on-veteran-players-at-world-cup.html

Toronto Star / Team North America could end up relying on veteran players at World Cup By Bill Beacon - September 9, 2016

MONTREAL—Team North America head coach Todd McLellan has “young experience” on his squad that may end up playing a key role in the World Cup of Hockey.

While teenagers like Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews will get most of the attention during the eight-team tournament, there are a handful of players on the roster who are not all that young, at least in terms of NHL experience.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins of the Edmonton Oilers and Sean Couturier of the Philadelphia Flyers have spent the last five seasons in the NHL, piling up more than 300 games apiece. Brandon Saad of the Columbus Blue Jackets has played 286 regular season games in four seasons, but also has 67 playoff games under his belt and won a pair of Stanley Cups while with the Chicago Blackhawks.

“There are times in games and in lockerrooms where we’ll have to settle down a bit,” McLellan said Wednesday. “We may get running around. Not panicking, but a little nervous.

“That’s where being young comes in. But we have some players — (Nathan) MacKinnon, Nugent-Hopkins, Couturier — who have played a long time in the league now. They should be relied on as the guys that can settle things down and say, ‘OK let’s get back to our structure and play as a team and we’ll be fine.’”

The North American team includes players from Canada and the United States who are 23 or younger.

Couturier, who has a team-high 350 NHL games on his resume, is centring the checking line with Vincent Trocheck of the Florida Panthers (146 games) and J.T. Miller of the New York Rangers (196) and is expected to be a top penalty killer.

“I was lucky enough to have him at the world championships in 2015,” said McLellan. “He played a huge role in our success there.

“Very good at penalty killing and in the faceoff circle. Responsible all over the rink. It’s nice to have that type of player on your team.”

Others with significant experience include Mark Scheifele of the Winnipeg Jets with 227 games, MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche with 218 and three defencemen: Seth Jones of the Nashville Predators with 240, Morgan Reilly of the Toronto Maple Leafs with 236 and Jacob Trouba of the Jets with 211.

Nugent-Hopkins is aware that the older youngsters will be looked to for leadership.

“I’ve been around,” the 23-year-old said. “I’m going into my sixth season now, which is kind of crazy when you think about it.

“But I have experience at the pro level. I need to lead by example, not just on the ice. It’s away from the rink a lot. Doing things right. Taking care of myself. Hopefully, the young guys see that and learn from that. There’s a lot of other older guys too. We’ve got a good mix.”

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Goalie Matt Murray has made only 13 regular-season appearances, but he did backstop the Pittsburgh Penguins to a Stanley Cup. He is among eight players with less than 100 NHL games. That includes Matthews, the 2016 first overall draft pick who has yet to play in the NHL but got valuable experience last season playing against professionals in the Swiss league.

An injury limited 2015 first overall pick McDavid to only 45 games in his rookie season, but he is the favourite to be named captain.

The coaches look to have made an effort to surround younger players with veterans in the dressing room. Matthews is seated between Couturier and Saad, who is next to McDavid and Scheifele.

“There will be those ‘settle down’ moments, and that’s where that young experience has to step up and say, ‘We’re fine, some of us have been here before. Let’s relax, rely on each other and our structure and go from there,” said McLellan.

After three days of workouts at the Bell Centre, Team North America sees its first game action Thursday night in a pre-tournament game against Team Europe in Quebec City. The two teams meet again Sunday in Montreal.

McLellan said he has yet to decide who will start in goal.

Murray is the front-runner for the job, but John Gibson of the Anaheim Ducks and Connor Hellebuyck of Winnipeg are in the hunt. McLellan wants to identify a starter and a backup, while the third netminder will likely see little — if any — ice time.

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http://bluejacketsxtra.dispatch.com/content/stories/2016/09/10/world-cup-of-hockey--an-exhibition-in-name-only-u-s--tops-canada-in-fast-paced-physical-game.html

Columbus Dispatch / World Cup of Hockey | U.S. tops Canada in fast-paced, physical game By Aaron Portzline – September 10, 2016

When the biggest rivals in international hockey get together, the word “exhibition” carries no weight. There is something about those jerseys being pulled on that cranks up the intensity.

At Nationwide Arena on Friday night, Team USA beat Team Canada 4-2 in a World Cup of Hockey tune-up that carried no points but held immense meaning for both countries.

“It was one of the quickest games … probably the top three quickest games I’ve ever played in, maybe the top,” said Team USA center David Backes, who, by the way, has played in 49 career Stanley Cup playoff games with the St. Louis Blues.

“Maybe it’s the perspective of coming off the summer jumping right into a game like that, but was fast and furious. It was really fun, actually.”

Team USA chased the play at the start and for most of the third period — the only shot on goal in the third was Derek Stepan’s empty-net goal with 1:21 to play to cap the scoring. But the Americans were spared a long night by goaltender Jonathan Quick (32 saves in two periods) and Ben Bishop (nine saves in the third).

Joe Pavelski, Patrick Kane and Stepan each had a goal and an assist for Team USA, but other players — Justin Abdelkader, Brandon Dubinsky, Ryan Kesler, to name a few — made their marks in other ways.

It was intensely physical, with scrums forming every few minutes and several flare-ups that made this game feel like a tinderbox.

“I don’t think we want to cross a line out there, but we want to set a tone,” Dubinsky said.

Canada had two players — forward Logan Couture and Alexander Giroux — limp to the dressing room because of injuries, but both returned.

Kesler, a former Ohio State player now with Anaheim, was given a major penalty and a game misconduct at 17:05 of the second period for running Canada defenseman Shea Weber into the end boards. After a moment on the ice, Weber jumped to his feet, tossed aside his gloves and tried to rearrange Kesler’s infamous smirk.

“There isn’t any secret how we play,” Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson said. “We’re going to try to make it a long night for every team we play.”

The crowd started chanting “USA! USA! USA!” as soon as the national anthems were sung, but the building quieted a bit when Canada came out of the gate taking 12 of the first 13 shots. The roars and chats returned later in the period though, about the time the United States stopped chasing the play.

Team USA scored twice in a 1:05 second span late in the first period, the first a redirection by Zach Parise (16:56) and the second a put-back off his own shot by Patrick Kane (18:01).

Canada pulled to 2-1 at 13:24 of the second when Patrice Bergeron buried a loose puck from the slot, but the United States pushed the lead back to two goals just 2½ minutes later.

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Johnson put through a “why not?” shot on net from just inside the blue line, and Joe Pavelski was there to convert a sloppy rebound by Canada’s Carey Price.

It turned out to be a huge goal.

The two teams play again tonight in Ottawa.

“It’s a pretty good rivalry,” Team USA coach John Tortorella said. “It lights itself up.”

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https://www.wch2016.com/news/goaltending-physical-play-key-for-team-usa/c-281675802

NHL.com / Team USA finds formula for success By Nicholas J. Cotsonika - September 10, 2016

COLUMBUS -- The first four days of training camp for the World Cup of Hockey 2016, Team USA coach John Tortorella talked about the honor of playing for your country, of being inspired by the military and playing for the people who do "the real stuff."

He talked about establishing an identity as a fast, physical, straight-ahead hockey team, about imposing your will on your opponent.

In the first pretournament game at Nationwide Arena on Friday, Tortorella had a special guest standing next to him in a suit behind the bench: an unidentified member of the Army who had spoken to the team earlier in the week.

Team USA and Team Canada went at it as if it were a playoff game instead of an exhibition, and Team USA established enough of its identity in a 4-2 victory to show it could compete with its big rival and the heavy favorite at the World Cup, which begins in Toronto on Sept. 17.

It weathered an early storm thanks to great goaltending by Jonathan Quick, surged to take the lead and held on in the end, while throwing hit after hit and engaging in scrum after scrum.

Team USA defenseman Jack Johnson said he couldn't think of another exhibition that was even close. Forward David Backes said it was one of the quicker games he had ever played, including the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the Olympics.

"It's a pretty good rivalry, U.S.-Canada," Tortorella said. "It kind of just lights itself up. It was a little bit different game than the games I watched last night on TV, and I think tomorrow night's game is going to be the same thing."

Team USA and Team Canada play again Saturday at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa (7 p.m. ET; ESPN3, SN, TVA Sports).

"Can you just imagine they got to play tomorrow?" Team Canada coach Mike Babcock said.

Can you just imagine what it will be like when they play in the preliminary round at Air Canada Centre on Sept. 20 (8 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN, TVA Sports)?

Can you just imagine if they play in the best-of-3 final?

Team USA can. The last time it won a best-on-best tournament was the World Cup of Hockey 1996, when Keith Tkachuk got tossed for swinging his stick, Mike Richter was incredible in goal and the final game came down to a dramatic third-period rally in a 5-2 win for the United States on Canadian soil in Montreal.

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The management group sent the players USB drives with the TV broadcast of the final game in July, hoping for a repeat performance. The players seem to have studied it well.

T.J. Oshie drilled Logan Couture into the side boards, sending Couture off for a while. Ryan Kesler drilled Shea Weber from behind into the end boards, sparking a scrum and drawing a major for boarding and a game misconduct. Joe Pavelski hit Claude Giroux into the end boards, sending Giroux off for a while. Those were just the big ones.

Quick did his Richter impression, allowing one goal on 33 shots through two periods -- with help from Kesler, who dropped to his knees to block a shot in the crease -- before Ben Bishop came in for the third.

Team USA found a way to win, taking a 2-0 lead on goals by Zach Parise and Patrick Kane in a span of 1:05 late in the first period and playing from ahead the rest of the game.

"It was funny," Kane said. "I was talking before about the '96 game, how there were a bunch of scrums after the whistles and everything, and it was kind of reminiscent of that game. They probably had more chances and dictated the pace of play a little bit more, but we hung in there, got a good lead there and ended up winning the hockey game. That's what it's all about.

"It's important for us to play physical, especially given not only the roster we have in here but the roster we're playing against. Try to make it hard on them."

The good news for Team USA: This can be a formula for success.

The World Cup is not an 82-game regular season or a four-round playoffs of seven-game series. This is a short tournament. Team USA needs to finish in the top two of a group that includes Team Canada, Team Czech Republic and Team Europe, a team of Europeans from outside the Czech Republic, Finland, Sweden and Russia. Then it needs to win a single-elimination semifinal and the best-of-3 final.

Be physical, be opportunistic, get great goaltending over two weeks, and you can win.

The bad news: You can read only so much into this pretournament game because it meant so much more to Team USA than it did to Team Canada. Team USA was inspired and looking to establish something. Team Canada still outshot Team USA 43-25.

"I thought we had lots of play in their zone and on top of their [defense] and around their net, lots of jams," Babcock said. "I thought they scored some goals and got on our D for five minutes there, six minutes, in that first period.

"Other than that, it was an exhibition game."

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https://www.wch2016.com/news/team-north-america-has-rooting-interest-in-world-cup/c-281684494

NHL.com / Team North America has rooting interest in World Cup By Amalie Benjamin - September 10, 2016

QUEBEC CITY-- Jack Eichel was unapologetic. He was rooting for Team USA. He wasn't going to shy away from acknowledging that.

Even though Team USA might eventually be an opponent for Team North America, a team comprised of the best 23-and-under players from both the United States and Canada, he couldn't help it. Even though it's not his team - at least not right now - the Massachusetts-born Eichel was all in when Team USA took on Team Canada in its World Cup of Hockey 2016 pretournament opener on Friday.

"I was still rooting for America," Eichel said. "I played for the US enough that I always root for US. The only time I wouldn't root for them was if they were playing against our team. It was a good game. Quite the pace for the first week of September. It looked like Game 7 of the playoffs."

He wasn't alone, both in his rooting interests and in his surprise at the pace and physicality of a pretournament game. Johnny Gaudreau, too, found himself cheering for his country. Morgan Rielly said that although he might not have exactly been cheering for Team Canada, he was certainly cheering against Team USA.

"There's no bets, but we were all kind of laughing at each other," Rielly said. "It was actually pretty funny. It was a pretty clean divide between Canadians and Americans. I don't know if we were cheering for a team, but we were cheering against the other team."

Added Gaudreau, "It's tough to cheer for a team you're going to be playing against, at the same time if you're American or Canadian, it's hard not to cheer. I caught myself as the US scored, I was cheering, got up a little bit. It's tough when you see USA and they score, it's tough not to get excited. It's a weird situation, but it was a fun time."

But the mixed group of Canadians and Americans who went out for dinner on Friday night and caught the game together could at least agree on one thing: The game was an eye-opener.

"It was definitely intense," Rielly said. "On one hand, you think about how good those teams are and how hard they were going. On the other, you think about how we can play with them and we believe we can. But definitely watching that game gives you an idea of how intense this tournament is going to get once these games start to count."

He wasn't the only one who hadn't anticipated that, at least not yet.

"I was surprised," Eichel said. "I think we all were. We were all a little taken aback at the pace of the play, the grit level and how hard they were competing. It's great. It's great to see it. People who watched the game and haven't watched hockey before will want to watch it again.

"It's good for our league to see that. I think it says a little bit about the tournament that you see an exhibition game like that."

It was notable within that that the defining feature of that game - physicality - is not a defining feature of Team North America. It is a team built on skill and speed and not on the bumping and grinding that is far more a province of, say, Team USA. So that was something that, in the future, Team North America might have to take into account. But they have answers.

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"We use our speed to our advantage, I think," Gaudreau said. "It's tough to hit someone you can't catch."

Team North America will play Team Europe in a pretournament game on Sunday (6 p.m., ET; ESPN3, SN, TVA Sports). The tournament begins Sept. 17 at Air Canada Centre in Toronto.

"I think that's going to be important," Eichel said referring to team speed. "I said that Day One, it's important to stick to our identity as a player and as a team. We're a skilled team. If we play one of those teams we'll just have to use our speed to try and put them on their heels that way."

In addition to seeing how physical and how brutal and how ready Team USA and Team Canada were to kick off the World Cup, there was an additional realization for Team North America, the group of upstarts that would like to make some noise in the tournament.

"I think we definitely realize how hard it's going to be to win it," Eichel said. "I think you also realize what has to be done. You also understand what can be done."

And this, from Rielly, "We were sitting there and getting goosebumps just thinking about playing them."

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http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/world-cup-of-hockey-a-place-for-youngsters-to-learn-new-tricks/article31811895/

The Globe and Mail / World Cup of Hockey a place for youngsters to learn new tricks By Sean Gordon – September 10, 2016

The budding superstars of Team North American are taking advantage of being around the best players in the world

The polite phrasing is "knowledge transfer," but the simple truth is international hockey tournaments are a prime pilfering opportunity.

Everyone is there to win, but to some degree it's also about personal betterment, which means tapping all sources of artistic and technical inspiration.

Think of it as a benign form of industrial espionage.

Everyone does it. Ask around Team North America, the World Cup of Hockey's 23-and-under entry, and players will confirm they are watching and wondering and asking.

"You think about it all the time," Winnipeg Jets centre Mark Scheifele said in an interview this week. "You see a guy do something that's kind of cool, you ask him, 'Hey, what did you there, how did that work?' We pick each other's brains, I know I pick each and every one that I can, if you do that you're going to get better, it's a cool thing about these tournaments."

It might be pumping a coach from a rival team for information about defensive-zone positioning in his system; it could be chatting up a teammate about the way he reads the options on a given breakout play.

The specifics range from the nuances such as stick positioning, to equipment tweaks – hockey players at every level are relentless customizers – and off-ice strategies for conditioning and nutrition.

There's also an element of learning by osmosis – the environment itself is an education.

"I think you come here with the goal of learning certain things," Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly said. "Each guy knows what they need to improve on. ... Part of it happens naturally. When you get really good players together you'll see how well something works and try to adopt it a little bit."

Like most of his teammates Rielly has had the benefit of playing in multiple single-elimination events at the international level – the world under-17 hockey challenge, the under-18 world championship, the Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament and the world junior championship.

His approach hasn't really changed.

"Any time you get the experience of playing with the best you're going to try and learn from them and compare notes with one another," Rielly said.

Wringing specifics out of any given player is a challenge. Presumably it's uncouth to talk publicly about deconstructing an aspect of a teammate's game for one's own purposes.

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The fact remains hockey, as with most pro sports, is a copycat game. The proof that an innovation is worthwhile generally lies in how quickly it is imitated.

Elite young hockey players generally have large reserves of confidence, but that's not to say they're above emulating others.

Why wouldn't Rielly, for example, study the way Philadelphia Flyers defenceman Shayne Gostisbehere runs the point on the power-play?

It would be eminently sensible for Leafs prospect Auston Matthews to seek inspiration from the way Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon barnstorms the net. Why not?

North America captain Connor McDavid is spectacularly talented, but not to the point where he can't pick up a tip or two from Philly centre Sean Couturier's work in the faceoff circle.

As ever, some secrets are tougher to crack than others.

It takes more than a month-long tournament to figure out the mechanics of Jack Eichel's wrist-shot release. Or take McDavid's preternatural ability to speed up seemingly without moving his feet – his propensity to suddenly create separation with players.

Scheifele, who has known McDavid for years and works out with him in the off-season, said it's a frequent topic of discussion among the members of the training group.

"We talk about it every day in the gym. We don't know how he glides faster than all of us skate," he laughed.

When it was put to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, a teammate of McDavid in Edmonton, that the 19-year-old phenom leaves the most hard-bitten of old hockey hands shaking their heads at the way he gets around the ice, he said "they're not the only ones."

"Nobody knows how he does it," Nugent-Hopkins said. "It seems like he's got the perfect angles."

Some mysteries are fated to endure.

In truth, each player on the Team North America roster can lay claim to a skill all his own, or at least one aspect of the game he can execute to the envy of his teammates.

"You come out every day and it's 'oh my God, these guys are really all on the same team?' It's amazing to see the skill level among these guys," Scheifele marvelled.

He's not wrong.

And the players would be crazy not to seek ways to benefit from the situation.

World Cup: The intriguing talent from each of the eight teams competing in Toronto

Connor McDavid North America

McDavid, 19, is already a real threat to win the Art Ross Trophy next season as the league's top scorer after posting 48 points in 45 games as a rookie. Before that though comes the two-week tournament in Toronto where the Oilers star will show off his considerable skills against hockey's elite. Maybe most alluring is the prospect of the star from Newmarket, Ont., teaming up with other top youngsters such as Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel, Nathan MacKinnon and Johnny Gaudreau. North America might be the team to watch for that reason alone.

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Vladimir Tarasenko Russia

Tarasenko hasn't quite reached the Alex Ovechkin stratosphere of goal-scoring, but he's rapidly moving in that direction for the St. Louis Blues. The 24-year-old hit a career-high with 40 goals last season and his 77 goals over the past two campaigns trail only Ovechkin (103) and Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos (79). Tarasenko draws attention every time he steps on the ice. Like Ovechkin, he's an explosive scorer capable of creating something from nothing in an instant. Almost unnoticed as a member of Russia's disappointing 2014 Olympic squad (zero goals), Tarasenko is unlikely to go quietly on the big stage in Toronto.

Patrik Laine Finland

Laine thought that he and not Matthews should've been the No. 1 overall pick of the 2016 draft, and at the World Cup he'll get his first chance to demonstrate why. An exuberant performer, Laine is coming off an unbelievable year that saw him thrive everywhere: from a championship-winning squad in the Finnish league, where he was playoff MVP, to a gold medal winner on home soil at the world junior championships, to the world championship in Russia, where Finland won silver. Laine only turned 18 in April, but he's already exceptionally confident, on and off the ice, and that makes him an especially enticing figure to watch.

Erik Karlsson Sweden

No other defenceman in hockey today is quite like the captain of the Ottawa Senators. Karlsson can be mesmerizing to watch for his ability to dish the puck, move with it across the ice and scout possibilities before they emerge as obvious. Over the past five NHL seasons Karlsson has rung up 314 points, 76 more than the next closest defender, Nashville's P.K. Subban. Karlsson put up eight points in six games for Sweden at the 2014 Olympics. When good things are happening for the Swedes it's likely Karlsson is involved and that makes him a focal point for a squad that's a real threat to win.

Leon Draisaitl Europe

One of only a handful of German players in the NHL, Draisaitl is easily the brightest young star suiting up for a veteran-laden Europe squad. His first full season for the Oilers was hugely promising, as the 20-year-old former No. 3 overall pick rung up 19 goals and 51 points, mostly in McDavid's shadow. Skilled with a sturdy six-foot-one frame, Draisaitl and has been compared to Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar and the two will get a chance to play alongside one another at the World Cup. The Europeans are rich with veterans such as Kopitar, Zdeno Chara and Marian Hossa, but short on excitable young talent. Draisaitl brings that element.

Tyler Seguin Canada

Seguin has only represented Canada once before on the international stage and that was at the worlds in 2015 when he scored nine goals in 10 games for the gold-medal winning squad. Coming off a frustrating end to the 2015-16 NHL season, which saw him injured for all but one game of the playoffs, Seguin is healthy now and ready to bring a flashy scoring element to the Canadian roster. His 107 goals over past three seasons tops even stars such as Crosby and Stamkos. Only injured Stars teammate Jamie Benn and Ducks winger Corey Perry (both at 110) have scored more among Canadian players.

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T.J. Oshie United States

Oshie took a star turn at the Olympics in Sochi when in the shootout he beat Russian goalie Sergei Bobrovsky four times on six shots in the U.S.'s 3-2 preliminary round win. The Mount Vernon, Wash., native is a rambunctious sort prone to drawing the ire of opponents and he has a knack for the back of the net, hitting a career-high with 26 goals for Washington last season. Oshie is a perfect representative of the Americans hard-nosed roster.

Petr Mrazek Czech Republic

Save for the Flyers' Jakub Voracek, the Czech roster is lacking in excitable talent. Mrazek, the Red Wings No. 1 netminder, has the skills to change that. The 24-year-old was maybe the top goalie in the world over the first half of last season, compiling three shutouts and a .932 save percentage before stumbling in the second half. Goaltenders can drastically alter short tournaments such as the World Cup, with a single elimination semi-final, and Mrazek is just the type who could propel his country to unexpected heights.

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http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/world-cup-of-hockey/canada-usa-rivalry-full-display-gritty-world-cup-debut/

Sportsnet.ca / Canada-USA rivalry on full display in gritty World Cup debut By Luke Fox – September 10, 2016

COLUMBUS, OHIO – They told you so.

Jonathan Toews said this World Cup would be the closest thing you can get to playoff hockey in September.

Brandon Dubinsky promised this wouldn’t be your typical exhibition game.

T.J. Oshie asked us to imagine the most heated NHL rivalries—say, St. Louis vs. Chicago or Pittsburgh vs. Washington, “then multiply that by three or four or five.

“It’s going to be a good one tonight,” he vowed. “Back-to-back, it always gets a little nasty out there, but we love that in here. It’s going to be fun.”

For a pre-tournament game, the Americans’ 4-2 “meaningless” victory over Canada Friday night in Columbus was a hoot.

Anyone who thought a tune-up game between the bordering nations, peppered with club teammates on either side, would be friendly or safe or boring wasn’t listening.

Maybe because the players’ salaries are longer or our memories are shorter, many assumed this would be hockey lite.

“It was probably in the top three quickest games I’ve ever played. Maybe the top,” said U.S. checking centre David Backes. “It seemed like pinball at times. From summer hockey where you’re not concentrating on defensive principles to getting your legs, I think I may have fallen five times in the first period just trying to reach for checks being out of position.

“Everyone was flyin’ out there.”

As he spoke, a small bloody gash on the bridge of Backes’s nose was starting to clot. Defenceman Dustin Byfuglien walked by with an ice pack strapped to his elbow.

In the visitors’ room, superstars Logan Couture, Tyler Seguin and Claude Giroux must have felt the sting of summer’s end, too. All three Canadian forwards left the ice (and returned) at various points in the most reckless and unpredictable “exhibition” game of this generation.

Ryan Kesler hammered Shea Weber into the boards from behind on a forecheck and was given five and a game.

The Kesler hit, which Toews called “borderline” after he jumped the Ducks’ agitator, led to two retaliation minors for Canada, who ended up shorthanded on a 4-on-3.

“I like to come out with a power play, not shorthanded on that baby. Usually when a guy gets run, you do, but that’s the way life is,” Team Canada coach Mike Babcock said.

This bit of nastiness arrived after Sidney Crosby crosschecked Kyle Palmieri from behind and raised the benches’ temperature.

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“It was a little bit of a different game than the ones I watched last night on TV,” the U.S.’s identity-installing coach, John Tortorella, quipped afterward. “It’s a pretty good rivalry, U.S.-Canada. It kinda just lights itself up.”

Let’s be frank. The U.S. needed this one more. They wanted to set the tone after being shut out by Carey Price (hello again!) and Team Canada in the 2014 Olympic semifinal, where the Red and White played keep-away and executed Babcock’s structured game to golden perfection.

The Americans—all sandpaper and highlight-reel saves—were on home soil. This was about national pride as much as it was about shot blocking and quick D-zone exits. Hulk Hogan’s entrance music, “Real American,” was blasting the ears of Nationwide Arena’s 17,791 patriots if the Blue Jackets’ despised goal cannon wasn’t.

“U-S-A!” chants swelled.

Yet the home squad came out flat, failing to register a shot on Price until 7:54 of the first period.

“We were nervous,” Tortorella admitted. “The adrenaline gets going, [Jonathan Quick] was outstanding, and then we found ourselves.”

A Zach Parise tip and a batted Patrick Kane rebound in tight gave the severely out-Corsi’d U.S. a sudden 2-0 lead in the first frame, and they clung to a 3-2 lead for the bulk of the third, getting outshot 43-25 but sealing the W with a Derek Stepan empty-netter.

Both Kesler and Ryan McDonagh hit the ice in their own crease to make incredible saves and bail out their goalies. Blake Wheeler dove like the Blue Jays’ Kevin Pillar to poke a puck out of his zone.

Yes, the U.S. was outplayed by a younger, faster, more talented roster—the Brad Marchand-Crosby-Patrice Bergeron line looked particularly in sync—but in a one-game elimination scenario, that may not matter.

The American team was designed to kill penalties, score dirty goals in close, impose their physical will, and have world-class goaltenders bail them out. On this night, the plan was a success.

“We’re certainly not looking to parade to the penalty box,” Tortorella said. “We’re going to play an honest, hard game. At times I thought we did tonight; at other times we didn’t.”

Backes believes Saturday night’s equally “meaningless” encore in Ottawa will be even quicker and sharper.

Now the U.S. has confidence and Canada has a loss. Fans are guaranteed another two of these tilts, and we could see as many as five more. The bell for Round 2 dings in just a few hours.

“We can make some noise and get it done,” said U.S. captain Joe Pavelski, who scored the winner. “We had that feeling in ’10. We had that feeling in ’14.”

Canada’s coach, however, knows better than anybody how those two tourneys shook out for the Americans.

“Just imagine,” Babcock said, a wry Babcockian smile on his face. “They gotta play tomorrow.”

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http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/world-cup-of-hockey/world-cup-takeways-usa-4-canada-2/

Sportsnet.ca / World Cup Takeways: USA 4, Canada 2 By Chris Johnston – September 10, 2016

You just don’t know for sure what it’s going to be like until you see it.

We had all studied the rosters and watched closely as the world’s top players practised together throughout the week. We’d heard talk that the rivalry would be evident even in pre-tournament games.

But, man, who thought it would look so real so soon?

Team Canada played pretty well despite dropping Friday’s game 4-2 to Team USA. There are no moral victories, especially in short international tournaments, but wins and losses don’t count just yet. And the Canadians owned the puck.

The final shots counter read 43-25 and the play felt more lopsided than that.

The teams are back at it in Ottawa on Saturday night and play again in the preliminary round once the World Cup begins.

Here are some takeaways from Team Canada’s first game together:

Price is right

It was a moment nearly 10 months in the making and Carey Price got what he needed.

Facing 18 shots in the first period is not something Team Canada coach Mike Babcock would have wanted, but it was a good test for a goalie who hadn’t played a game since Nov. 25.

Sure, Price allowed three goals. The second one to Patrick Kane wasn’t the sort of shot that would normally get past him.

But there’s no reason to believe that he won’t be better the next time out and this was a big hurdle to cross after recovering from a strained MCL in his right knee. He made some nice saves and got comfortable.

The comeback is complete.

Crosby’s crew

It’s early, yes.

But maybe – just maybe – this will be the one best-on-best event where we don’t spend the whole tournament discussing Sidney Crosby’s linemates.

Brad Marchand had an incredibly strong night on the left side. Patrice Bergeron, a frequent Crosby partner at these events over the years, was his reliable self on the right. Crosby registered four shots on goal in the first period alone and could easily have had a couple goals.

Remember, this was the first time the trio ever played together in live game action and they were in sync.

They also got Team Canada on the board in the second period after Marchand stripped Zach Parise of the puck. Crosby took a hit while making a nice pass and Bergeron beat Jonathan Quick after a toe drag.

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When all was said and done, the Marchand-Crosby-Bergeron line accounted for 18 shots on net. They were the best on either side.

Blue-line blues

Alex Pietrangelo has an unenviable job after being moved to the left side despite being a right-hand shot.

He didn’t look like himself at any point. He bobbled the puck at the blue-line and struggled to contain Kane in the corner before Team USA’s second goal. He was on the ice for the third one as well.

It may not be Pietrangelo’s fault, but it’s an issue worth following for Team Canada.

Ever since Duncan Keith had to pull himself out of the event a couple weeks back, it’s created an issue for Babcock. They are dressing four righties and two lefties, so somebody has to be out of position.

Pietrangelo is the guy so far and it’s clearly a work in progress.

Intensity

No one who watched this game will question if the participants cared.

Wow! It’s only Sept. 9 and that was real hockey.

Crosby cross-checked Kyle Palmieri in the first period and a scrum ensued.

Jonathan Toews went after Ryan Kesler after seeing him drive Shea Weber into the end boards.

Team USA forward David Backes ran over Pietrangelo, his former St. Louis Blues teammate.

There was much more than that.

Three different Team Canada players spent time in the training room and each returned to the game. Tyler Seguin went feet first into the boards, Logan Couture looked woozy after a questionable hit from T.J. Oshie and Claude Giroux was hobbled by a late, unnecessary check from Joe Pavelski.

It’s on now.

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http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/nhl-concussion-spotters-new-powers-2016-17/

Sportsnet.ca / NHL concussion spotters to have new powers for 2016-17 By Elliott Friedman – September 10, 2016

As the National Football League takes heat for how Cam Newton’s medical situation was handled during its opening game of the season Thursday night, news is leaking about changes to the National Hockey League’s own concussion protocol.

For the 2016-17 season, four independent trainers (called “Central Spotters”) will be monitoring all NHL games via television. If they see “visible signs” of a concussion, they will send word to the team that their affected player must be removed from the game.

According to one source, the league plans to release full details shortly before the start of the regular season. From what I understand, all four independent spotters have hockey backgrounds but none are currently affiliated with an NHL club.

There will still also be team-affiliated spotters in every building.

There is no question this move is in response to the fallout from the Dennis Wideman suspension. Wideman was punished for cross-checking linesman Don Henderson in January, less than 10 seconds after receiving a huge hit from Nashville’s Miikka Salomaki.

Evidence in the various hearings indicated the in-arena spotter had asked for Wideman to be removed from the game, but Wideman declined when approached by Calgary trainers. Later, Wideman admitted he did suffer a concussion, which led to a reduction in his penalty.

The full scope will be known once the entire protocol is revealed, but the act of removing players from games will be a fascinating procedure. Newton, the NFL’s reigning MVP, took a couple of hard shots to the head during Thursday’s night’s loss to Denver, but did not leave the game.

There was one penalty called by the on-field officials. On Friday morning, the NFL released a statement saying an unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant and two independent spotters “concluded there were no indications of a concussion that would require further evaluation and (Newton’s) removal.”

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http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/las-vegas-owner-confirms-team-will-knights-name/

Sportsnet.ca / Las Vegas owner confirms team will have ‘Knights’ in name By Staff – September 10, 2016

Bill Foley, owner of the NHL’s Las Vegas expansion franchise, confirmed that his new team will have “Knights” in its nickname.

Foley admitted as much in a Sportsbook Radio appearance on Friday, while also mentioning that he has already chosen a logo for his team, which will begin play in the 2017-18 season.

“We have our colours picked, we have our basic logo picked, it needs some refinement,” he said. “We have moved some color schemes around, and the team will be something Knights. K-n-i-g-h-t-s. We have the name. The name is trademarked, we have the domain name. That’s all I can say right now.”

The 71-year-old businessman originally has his heart set on naming his franchise the Black Knights, due to his connections with the United States Army. He is the chairman of Black Knight Financial Services, and he heads Black Knights Sports and Entertainment, the management group which owns the Vegas franchise.

There was an immediate backlash from fans who were hoping for something a little more creative, which played a part in Foley going for something else.

"There was a little too much push back and frankly Army got worried about us using the name Black Knights and I didn’t want to fight that battle" said Foley.

The Nighthawks, Red Hawks, Desert Hawks, Golden Knights, Silver Knights and Desert Knights were all registered by BKSE in order to keep the final decision a secret.

The team will reveal its final nickname in October.

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http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/world-cup-of-hockey/world-cup-hockey-numbers/

Sportsnet.ca / The World Cup of Hockey: By the numbers By Scott Lewis – September 10, 2016

The puck drops on tournament play at the World Cup of Hockey on Saturday, September 17.

The 2016 instalment of the World Cup will see 184 of the best players from across the globe descend on Toronto for a two week tournament that is shaping up to showcase more speed and skill than any international contest that’s come before.

From the number of Stanley Cup rings represented on World Cup rosters to the career totals that remind us Joe Thornton has been doing this for a long, long time, here is a look at the World Cup by the numbers.

0 – The combined NHL games played by Team North America’s Auston Matthews and Team Finland’s Patrik Laine, the No. 1 and No. 2 overall picks in the 2016 NHL Draft.

1 – The total number of Ottawa Senators named to World Cup rosters. Erik Karlsson represents Sweden.

6’1.5” – The average height of players participating in the tournament.

8 – Both the number of teams participating in the World Cup and the number of countries represented on Team Europe.

11 – 11 of the 184 players in this year’s tournament competed at the 2004 World Cup.

D Jay Bouwmeester and F Joe Thornton (Team Canada); F Mikko Koivu (Team Finland); D Zdeno Chara, D Christian Ehrhoff, F Marian Gaborik, F Marian Hossa and D Dennis Seidenberg (Team Europe); and F Pavel Datsyuk, D Andrei Markov and F Alex Ovechkin (Team Russia). Henrik Lundqvist was named to Sweden’s roster but did not play.

12 – The Tampa Bay Lightning lead all NHL teams with 12 players competing in the World Cup.

14 – The number of officials who will work the tournament, seven referees and seven linesmen.

15 – Team Canada boasts 15 Stanley Cup rings among its players, the most of any squad.

21 – The most points by a player in a single Canada Cup/World Cup tournament. Wayne Gretzky totalled three goals and 18 assists in nine games in the 1987 Canada Cup.

22.2 – The average age of Team North America’s under-23 squad, the youngest team in the tournament.

27.6 – The average age of all players participating in the World Cup.

30.3 – The average age Team Europe, the oldest bunch in the tournament.

48 – The total number of Stanley Cup rings among World Cup participants.

59 – Henrik Lundqvist’s career NHL shutout total, the most among participating goaltenders.

184 – The grand total of players participating.

374 – Lundqvist’s career NHL wins, also the most among World Cup netminders.

525 – Alex Ovechkin’s career NHL goals total, the most among players participating in the World Cup.

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654 – The combined total of NHL goals scored by Team North America skaters.

1,341 – Joe Thornton’s career point total, the most among players who will skate in the World Cup.

1,367 – Joe Thornton’s career NHL games total, also the most among World Cup skaters.

1996 – The first World Cup of Hockey was held in August and September of 1996. The United States defeated Canada 2-1 in a best-of-three series.

2004 – The second World Cup was staged in 2004, with Canada dropping Finland 3-2 in a one-game final in Toronto.

3,662 – The combined total of NHL goals scored by members of Team Canada.

15,877 – The total career games of NHL experience by officials working the World Cup.

72,837 – The total career games played by all players representing their countries in the 2016 World Cup.

!!!!! – The speed at which Team North America appeared to reach in its 4-0 win over Team Europe in its pre-tournament opener Thursday.

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http://www.tsn.ca/canada-no-1-in-world-cup-of-hockey-power-rankings-1.564085

TSN.CA / Canada No. 1 in World Cup of Hockey Power Rankings By Scott Cullen – September 10, 2016

1. CANADA

As usual, Canada’s depth of high-end talent is difficult to match, and it’s that impressive array of skilled players that allows them to get away with making lineup decisions that appear to be less than optimal (like, say, replacing an injured Duncan Keith with Jay Bouwmeester on the blueline). But, with the now-healthy world’s best goaltender behind the best lineup, Canada is the clear favourite. In a short tournament, that may not amount to much, but that’s the baseline for tournament expectations.

2. SWEDEN

Sweden’s defence is absurd, just incredibly talented with Erik Karlsson, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Victor Hedman, Anton Stralman, Hampus Lindholm, Niklas Hjalmarsson and Mattias Ekholm on the roster, and that is the clear strength of the club. Sweden has some talent up front, but not nearly to the same degree and with the Sedins getting on in years, they will need some younger forwards like Filip Forsberg and Gabriel Landeskog to deliver a strong performance.

3. NORTH AMERICA

Connor McDavid is a big reason to like North America's chances.

It may very well be aggressive to place the Under-23 squad this high in the rankings, but the talent is here and they have elite skill players like Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel and Johnny Gaudreau who could make a difference. The young defence and goaltending doesn’t have the same track record as Canada and Sweden, so that is a challenge, but the likes of Aaron Ekblad, Shayne Gostisbehere and Colton Parayko more than held their own in the NHL last season. The notion that these kids aren’t going to be able to compete against the best may run into problems when these brilliant young players pick up the pace.

4. USA

A team that focuses its efforts on maximum grit is clearly aiming for a contrasting style to other highly-skilled teams in the tournament and while the U.S. team isn’t void of talent – Patrick Kane, Joe Pavelski and Max Pacioretty are premier offensive players – they are aiming to play smash-mouth hockey. That doesn’t figure to be enough against teams of this calibre, but the U.S. team may have strong enough goaltending (Jonathan Quick, Ben Bishop, Cory Schneider), that they might be able to generate better results than the rest of the roster might suggest.

5. RUSSIA

Alex Ovechkin leads a spectacular group of Russian forwards that may need to score a lot to overcome their defence and goaltending.

Just as Sweden’s defence has an embarrassment of riches, the Russian forward group is scary. Alex Ovechkin, Vladimir Tarasenko, Evgeni Malkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Nikita Kucherov, Artemi Panarin, Pavel Datsyuk – look at that collection of talent! On the other hand, the defence (Andrei Markov, Dmitri Kulikov, Dmitry Orlov, Nikita Zaitsev, Alexei Marchenko and Alexei Emelin) figures to have trouble when tasked with checking the top players on other teams. The wildcard for Russia is goaltending, where

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Sergei Bobrovsky or Semyon Varlamov could be great or, based on the past NHL season, maybe not so much.

6. FINLAND

On raw talent, Finland doesn’t seem to have enough to compete with the best teams in the tournament, but this isn’t unusual, and the Finns still manage to acquit themselves just fine when it comes to international play, with the total often equaling more than the sum of their individual parts. Without a lot of high-end scoring, Finland’s best chance may be for a goaltender, either Tuukka Rask or Pekka Rinne, to play well in the short tournament.

7. CZECH REPUBLIC

Think back to previous generations when the Czechs were one of the top teams on the international scene, but this version doesn’t live up to that, and a roster without Jaromir Jagr, David Krejci and Jiri Hudler leaves the Czech team fighting uphill. Their defence is not nearly at the level of teams in this tournament either. Roman Polak, Zbynek Michalek and Andrej Sustr are the three blueliners with the most NHL experience and that’s going to be a problem when they run into good teams.

The collection of talent 8. EUROPE

on the European team isn’t bad, with Slovenia’s Anze Kopitar, Norway’s Mats Zuccarello, Denmark’s Frans Nielsen, Slovakian wingers Tomas Tatar, Marian Gaborik and Marian Hossa as well as rising young German centre Leon Draisaitl, but while they have some talent, Kopitar doesn’t have enough premier players around him. The defence, beyond Switzerland’s Roman Josi and Slovakia’s Zdeno Chara, has major holes, and that’s likely what’s going to be their undoing.

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http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nhl/columnist/allen/2016/09/09/usa-canada-world-cup-of-hockey-exhibition-game/90154304/

USA TODAY / Team USA tops Canada in World Cup of Hockey exhibition game By Kevin Allen – September 10, 2016

COLUMBUS — Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane talked earlier this week about watching a video of Team USA’s 1996 World Cup-clinching win over Canada and being wowed by all of the scrums and lawlessness that occurred after the whistle.

Then on Friday, Kane found himself playing an exhibition game that had a similar level of animosity and intensity.

“It was kind of reminiscent of that game. (Canada) probably had more chances and dictated the pace of play a little, but we hung in there,” Kane said after Team USA downed Canada 4-2 in a surprisingly prickly World Cup of Hockey pre-tournament game.

While the game meant nothing in the standings, the Americans did show that their ability to play a relentless, physical, attacking style could serve them well when the tournament starts Sept. 17 in Toronto.

“It was probably in the top three quickest games I’ve ever played,” U.S. forward David Backes said. “Maybe it’s perspective, coming right off the summer, and jumping into an intense game against a lot of skill. But it was fast and furious.”

U.S. forward Brandon Dubinsky also said the speed of play was dialed up “Some of that is preparation,” Dubinsky said. “No matter how hard you skate or prepare in the offseason, nothing prepares you for this best-on-best scenario.”

U.S. general manager Dean Lombardi built his World Cup roster with the idea that the Americans needed to play with an edge to be effective. Coach John Tortorella talked this week about the Americans’ need to establish their identity early in the tournament.

“The identity part? I thought there were times we did a real good job and other times when it was clear we have some things to straighten out,” Tortorella said.

The game seemed more like a playoff game than an exhibition, and the Americans out-hit the Canadians 29-23. U.S. center Ryan Kesler, one the players the Americans need to play an aggressive style, picked up a five-minute major and a game misconduct for boarding Canadian defenseman Shea Weber.

Animosity boiled over several times, like in the first period when Canada’s Sidney Crosby cross-checked U.S. forward Kyle Palmieri.

“The bottom line tonight was there were lots of scrums,” said Canada coach Mike Babcock. “To me, those were generated by the players, but the referees can clean them up in two seconds. They just have to send someone to the box and there’s no more scrums."

It was the kind of physical game the Americans probably needed to reinforce the notion that they have to put pressure on the puck to be successful.

“Our grind has to be a big part of our game, but certainly not to go to the penalty box,” Tortorella said.

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Tortorella wasn’t surprised that the intensity spiked early in the exhibition. “It’s U.S.-Canada. It just lights itself up,” he said.

The most important aspect of the Americans’ performance had nothing to do with how physical they played. The biggest news was that goalie Jonathan Quick stopped 32 of 33 shots over the two periods he played to establish himself as the favorite to be the Americans' No. 1 goalie.

“He was outstanding early,” Babcock said.

Tortorella said that it’s an open competition to win the job, and he is expected use both Ben Bishop and Cory Schneider in Game 2 against Canada on Saturday. However, it will be challenging for them to top Quick’s performance.

“Amazing start for him,” Kane said. “We have all the confidence in the world in all three goalies, but he was on top of his game tonight. He made a lot of saves where there was chaos and traffic in front of his net.”

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https://www.wch2016.com/news/usa-canada-world-cup-of-hockey-game-recap/c-281691718

NHL.com / Team Canada responds against Team USA By Chris Stevenson - September 11, 2016

OTTAWA -- John Tavares scored twice, and Corey Perry, Drew Doughty and Steven Stamkos each had two assists for Team Canada in a 5-2 win against Team USA in a World Cup of Hockey 2016 pretournament game at Canadian Tire Centre on Saturday.

Logan Couture, Jay Bouwmeester and Matt Duchene scored to give Team Canada a split of back-to-back games. Team USA won 4-2 in Columbus on Friday.

Goaltenders Braden Holtby and Corey Crawford split the game for Team Canada. Holtby faced 13 shots and gave up two goals, and Crawford made 10 saves, including a spectacular glove save on Team USA forward James van Riemsdyk.

Team Canada captain Sidney Crosby was a healthy scratch. Perry took his place.

Ryan McDonagh and John Carlson scored for Team USA. Goaltender Cory Schneider played the first two periods and gave up four goals on 24 shots. Ben Bishop played the third period and surrendered one goal on 14 shots.

Duchene scored at 12:11 of the second period to put Team Canada ahead 4-2.

Carlson scored 38 seconds into the second period on a 5-on-3 power play when he took a pass from forward Patrick Kane and one-timed a shot by Holtby.

Team Canada led 3-1 after a penalty-filled first period. It scored power-play goals by Couture and Tavares.

Team Canada coach Mike Babcock said he thought his team was guilty of overpassing the puck before the power play started to click.

"I mentioned that a couple of times," Babcock said. "That's what happens every time. When you get to this level, you're trying to give it to your teammate instead of just shooting it and getting to the net. That's how you score, shooting it and getting to the net and finding seconds.

"These are skilled players and they're used to scoring and they want their touches. When they score a little bit, they start to relax and make better plays and see things better. When you don't score, you press. At every level you play at, you've got to find your confidence. I think that was a positive thing for us tonight."

Bouwmeester gave Team Canada a 3-0 lead when he took a sharp pass from behind the net from Ryan Getzlaf and scored with a wrist shot at 15:38.

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McDonagh scored at 16:35 to make it 3-1 on a shot that looked like it deflected off Team Canada defenseman Brent Burns, who was jostling with van Riemsdyk and Team USA forward Blake Wheeler in front of Holtby.

Tavares scored his second goal on the power play at 8:01 of the third period when he put a loose puck into the open side of the net to Bishop's left.

The tournament begins Sept. 17 in Toronto.

Goal of the game: Team Canada forward Tyler Seguin refused to be checked by Team USA forward T.J. Oshie to set up Duchene for the goal to make it 4-2. Seguin fought off Oshie's strong backcheck and passed the puck to Duchene in the slot.

Save of the game: Less than two minutes after Duchene scored, Crawford made a great glove save on a hard shot by van Riemsdyk from the left wing.

Unsung moment of the game: Babcock moved Seguin between Duchene and wing Joe Thornton in Claude Giroux's spot and that resulted in Seguin combining with Duchene for that fourth goal. "I thought that was important putting Seguin back in the middle tonight," Babcock said. "I thought it helped give him a little tempo, a little speed. That was positive."

Highlight moment of the game: Thirty-eight seconds into the second period, Carlson scored on a perfectly executed one-timer with Team USA on a two-man advantage, making it 3-2. Carlson's hard shot off Kane's perfect setup beat Holtby to the stick side.

They said it

"(Playing back-to-back games) is never easy, especially with all the penalties and power plays, it kind of kills the flow of the game. But we did a good job of staying patient, staying focused, and got some good goaltending when we needed it as well." -- Team Canada forward Matt Duchene

"One of the reasons we took [Sidney Crosby] out tonight is just because we really feel that we have a good line there (with Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron). We don't have to worry about it as much. What we're trying to find is other groups, obviously. I thought [Ryan Getzlaf] and Tavares were really strong tonight." -- Team Canada coach Mike Babcock

"It was kind of a different game. The first period we were killing the whole time. The second we were on the power play for a while. There was never a lot of flow. They got on us early and we never fully got back, but our game in certain areas was a little better at times." -- Team USA forward Joe Pavelski

"We knew it would be a high-paced game; that's just like a playoff game out there. It's very intense, good battles. It's lots of fun." -- Team Canada forward Brad Marchand

"Quite honestly, we played better minutes tonight than we did [Friday] night. We'll look at the video and just keep on trying to work on our game." -- Team USA coach John Tortorella

Need to know: Team USA forward Max Pacioretty started the pretournament games on the top line with Joe Pavelski and Patrick Kane but was on the fourth line in the third period Saturday. Pacioretty played 10:05, the second fewest minutes on Team USA.

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"He's OK, but I need more out of him," Team USA coach John Tortorella said. "I know how he can play. This is what happens in this type of tournament and the team makeup. You're not going to get your 20 minutes. If other people are going, they tend to take some ice time. All the top players, you look at even Canada's team, your minutes are going to be down. Max hasn't … he's got to give me a reason to give him more minutes here. We'll see where it goes. We know he's a really good player, great kid, but we've just got to get a little bit more out of him."

Pacioretty was asked if this was a lost, great opportunity to be on Team USA's top line.

"Maybe it is. But we'll see," he said. "There's a lot of time to make a new impression. I probably didn't give the best first impression and maybe that's why I got dropped down. This is a team sport, and in this tournament you have to put egos to the side and do what's best for the team and I'm willing to do that."

What's next

Team USA: A pretournament game Tuesday against Team Finland in Washington (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN1, TVA Sports).

Team Canada: A pretournament game Wednesday against Team Russia in Pittsburgh (7:30 p.m. ET; ESPN2, SN, TVA Sports).

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https://www.wch2016.com/news/team-usa-world-cup-of-hockey-preview/c-281694026

NHL.com / Team USA following John Tortorella's lead By Nicholas J. Cotsonika - September 12, 2016

"It's no secret."

You hear that over and over in the Team USA dressing room. It's no secret the way this team is built. It's no secret the way this team plans to play. It's no secret what it will take for this team to win the World Cup of Hockey 2016.

General manager Dean Lombardi built this roster with a deliberate mix of skill and grit. Coach John Tortorella wants his players to skate straight ahead and impose their will on the opposition. Team USA will have to be physical and fast, getting in faces, getting the puck, getting the puck down the ice, getting the puck to the net, and it will need great goaltending.

"That's going to be our identity," Team USA defenseman Jack Johnson said. "We're going to try to make it a long night for a lot of teams."

Team USA fears no one, not even Team Canada, the heavy favorite at home at Air Canada Centre in Toronto when the tournament starts Saturday.

"We're going to play our game, and I think if we play that as well as we can, I think it's going to be tough for them to stick with it," Team USA forward T.J. Oshie said. "We've got some nasty players in here, some guys that I definitely don't like playing against in the regular season. …

"I don't know if I've ever been on a team with so much skill and so much grit at the same time."

Forwards

Patrick Kane is the reigning winner of the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's scoring champion and the Hart Trophy as the League's most valuable player.

Tortorella will lean on him. He said he would use him as "kind of a rover," not only as the right wing on the top line and on the half wall on the power play, but in other situations where he can boost other players.

"I'm going to stay out of his way," Tortorella said. "I want him to be as creative and as free as he can be offensively. I'm not going to look for a lot of great defensive plays from him in this short tournament."

Team USA's skill goes deeper than people might think, even though some talented American forwards are playing for Team North America -- made up of 23-and-under players from Canada and the United States -- and others weren't selected.

This roster has three of the top eight scorers in the NHL last season: Kane (106 points), Joe Pavelski (78) and Blake Wheeler (78).

Ten of the 13 forwards scored at least 21 goals in the League last season: Kane (46), Pavelski (38), Max Pacioretty (30), Kyle Palmieri (30), Wheeler (26), Oshie (26), Zach Parise (25), Derek Stepan (22), Ryan Kesler (21) and David Backes (21). James van Riemsdyk scored 14 in 40 games after scoring 30 and 27 the previous two seasons, respectively.

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"I think we've got guys that can score the pretty goals, and we've got guys that can score the ugly goals as well," Oshie said. "And a lot of those guys can do both."

But grit will be a hallmark with Backes, Kesler, Justin Abdelkader and Brandon Dubinsky, and the hope is that will help make up for the most glaring weakness relative to Team Canada: center depth.

Kesler, an abrasive, hard-working, versatile center who has won the Selke Trophy as the NHL's best defensive forward, drew a telling compliment from Tortorella, who once coached him with the Vancouver Canucks.

"I think he's miserable," Tortorella said. "I like the way he plays."

Defense

Team USA assembled a big, mobile group. Tortorella is emphasizing playing hard below the hash marks and getting the puck going the other way.

"Everyone talks about possession, but a lot of that is how quickly you get the puck back," Team USA defenseman Matt Niskanen said. "If it takes you 30 seconds of defensive zone time to get it back, you don't have the juice to have a sustained attack then."

The decision to include Jack Johnson, when some talented defensemen were not selected, says a lot about what Team USA wants from its defense.

"The thing I love about him, he'll make a mistake through aggression," Tortorella said. "I'd rather have a guy that way than just testing the waters.

"The biggest thing in the discussions on Jack Johnson in being involved in making this team was his play underneath the hash marks. We know Jack can get up the ice. I still like to see that more out of him. But [it's] what he can do underneath the hash marks against big players, his physical play, his willingness to play in the corners, his willingness to use his body."

Expect Ryan Suter to log lots of minutes against top competition in all situations as he always does. But watch for Dustin Byfuglien to play a big role at even strength and on the power play, thanks to his 6-5, 260-pound frame, his booming shot and his attitude.

"I want his personality, foremost his personality," Tortorella said. "He loves playing. He's a bit of a renegade. I want that on our team."

This is the strength of Team USA. Ben Bishop, Jonathan Quick and Cory Schneider each allow Team USA to take chances and give it a chance to win, on any given night, in the tournament as a whole.

Remember: This isn't an 82-game season or a four-round playoffs of seven-game series. Team USA needs to finish in the top two of its four-team group after three preliminary-round games. It needs to win a single-elimination semifinal and a best-of-3 final. A goalie could make even more of a difference than usual.

Goaltenders

Quick appears to have the edge to be the No. 1 goalie. He had a .918 save percentage last season, 21st in the NHL, but was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy for the second time. He has won the Stanley Cup twice with the Los Angeles Kings and was the No. 1 goaltender at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. Canada outplayed the United States in the semifinal, but thanks to 36 saves by Quick, it was a 1-0 game.

Neither Bishop nor Schneider has played in a best-on-best tournament before.

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But Bishop ranked second in the League in save percentage at .926 last season and also was a Vezina Trophy finalist for the second time. He has been outstanding in pressure situations for the Tampa Bay Lightning the past two years. Four times, twice in Game 7, he has clinched a series with a shutout in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Schneider had a .924 save percentage last season with the New Jersey Devils and has a .925 save percentage over his NHL career, better than Bishop (.920) or Quick (.916).

Special teams

For a team that wants to be physical, the first key is discipline.

"We're certainly not looking to parade to the penalty box," Tortorella said. "We're going to try to play an honest, hard game."

The second key is penalty killing. Team USA has to be prepared for when it crosses the line. Kesler is one of the best penalty killers in the League. Abdelkader, Backes, Dubinsky, Stepan and Wheeler all should see time on the PK up front. All of the defenseman can play on the PK.

The power play has great potential. Kane led the NHL in power-play points with 37 and was tied for second in power-play goals with 17 last season; he will handle the half wall on the top unit. Pavelski ranked sixth in power-play points with 28 and tied for eighth in power-play goals with 12; he is the best in the League at deflecting pucks in front.

Byfuglien and Suter will man the points on the top unit. Byfuglien should take sweet feeds from Suter, fire hard shots on net and generate chances.

"He may not score, but it's probably the best pass," Tortorella said. "Him shooting, how hard he shoots, something good's going to happen if it doesn't go in the net. There's going to be some rebounds. There's going to be puck retrievals."

Coaching

Lombardi picked Tortorella to fit the players and the players to fit Tortorella. He's an in-your-face coach. This is an in-your-face team.

"We're going to be an aggressive team, try to play fast," Parise said. "I think that's kind of the way a Tortorella-coached team plays."

Tortorella has set the tone, appealing to the players' patriotism and sense of duty to the country by bringing in a member of the Army to speak to the team in training camp and stand behind the bench for the first pretournament game against Team Canada in Columbus on Friday, a 4-2 Team USA victory, which preceded a 5-2 Team Canada win in the rematch in Ottawa on Saturday.

With Tortorella, it isn't about X's and O's as much as it is about attitude in a short tournament.

"I just want to give them a foundation and not really beat them up with all the details, because you can really get lost a little bit and you forget about how you need to let them play," Tortorella said. "These are some of the best players in the world on all teams. I just want to give them a foundation, have them believe in it. We'll discuss it, and then get out of their way. Let them play."

As long as they play his way.

"We have a way we want to play," Tortorella said, "and we're going to play that way."

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http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/world-cup-of-hockey/team-north-america-can-score-will-enough/

Sportsnet.ca / Team North America can score, but will that be enough? By Mark Spector – September 12, 2016

MONTREAL — Team North America officially became the sexiest element of this World Cup of Hockey, if it wasn’t already, by ripping in five goals in the first 16 minutes of a game against Team Europe Sunday evening at the Bell Centre.

But there’s this little issue.

It’s not 1986 anymore, and sexy doesn’t win big games against veteran teams in 2016. I know – I don’t like it either. But facts are facts, and head coach Todd McLellan, in the wake of a 5-1 lead that ended up as a 7-4 victory, dropped this little nugget of truth in his post-game analysis.

“We’re going to have to win a game 2-1 at some point,” he said. “More importantly, I don’t think we (can) win five or six games in this tournament by scoring five every night.”

Damn. He’s right.

North America dazzled a Montreal crowd that came to see Connor McDavid and the boys fill Europe’s nets. Four of their first eight shots evaded Thomas Greiss, and that was it for the Euro goalie before his team pressed back to push the score to 5-4.

Our conclusion after consecutive pre-tournament wins over Europe (4-0 and 7-4) is two-fold:

1. Team Europe is in trouble here. They’re old, slow, and to these eyes won’t have a prayer of getting past either Canada or the United States in Group A, let alone the Czech Republic.

2. The Under-24 team is fabulous, can skate with any club in this tournament, but has not shown us for a second that they are ready to buckle down beat Sweden or Finland in the inevitable 3-2 game that awaits them next week in Toronto.

“We’re not,” agreed McLellan, who quickly added that his team will be ready to accomplish that feat after two more days of practice and Wednesday’s game against the Czechs in Pittsburgh.

His players, to a man agreed.

“We play like that against the other teams in the tournament, I don’t think we’ll have the same outcome,” said Jack Eichel, who has two assists in the tournament but didn’t particularly click on a line with McDavid on Sunday. “We don’t think we’ve even scratched the surface of how good we can be. I guess you can look at that as a positive, if we’re able to win games when we’re not playing our game.”

The question becomes however, what is Team North America’s game?

Their speed and skill is truly something to behold. They come in waves and can pin a team in its own zone for minutes on end. But when the momentum shifts and it is time to play sound defence, well, how would you imagine a team full of 23-and-unders would fare in their own end of the rink?

“That’s the start we’re looking for, but ultimately we have to put a full 60 minutes in. It’s happened twice now. We’ve got to figure it out,” said team captain McDavid, who wouldn’t cut any deeper on that front. “It’s two games into the [tournament], and we won one of the games 4-0. We had a shutout, so, which way you want to look at it?”

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That’s fair. So were his comments when asked what we should think about the fact that McDavid remains pointless despite the fact his team has scored 11 times in two games.

“Ultimately it doesn’t matter. We’ve won twice. That’s all that matters,” he said pointedly. “Personally it’s not the kind of start I want to get off to, but it’s two games into the year. Why would I worry?”

For those who wonder why McDavid would be named captain in Edmonton, or wear the C on this team, there is your answer. Where people (read: journalists and fans) may want to begin drawing conclusions, McDavid will be reminding his teammates that these two games are meaningless; that they’ve clearly proved their offensive worth and now it’s time to shore things up defensively.

And if you think he’s truly worried about his pointless pre-tournament, we’ve no doubt that when the 3-2 games occur, McDavid’s name will feature prominently on the scoresheet. He’s still the best player here, and somehow at age 19 lends a veteran presence to a young team.

Around the Team North America roster, Auston Matthews continues to show that he is ready to play at this level. There are no remaining questions about his NHL readiness, and his game would have to fall off markedly for him to drop out of the top nine forwards here.

On defence, Colton Parayko made things difficult with a spirited game Sunday, his first of the tournament. The six-foot-five St. Louis Blues defenceman replaced Jacob Trouba, and with the games destined to get more physical, Parayko’s size, shot and overall game will secure his spot in the top six, it appears.

John Gibson was OK in goal, but won’t threaten Matt Murray for the No. 1 job. Murray will almost certainly get the start in Pitttsburgh Wednesday in his home rink, with perhaps a period saved for Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck, who looks like netminder No. 3 here.