Get ready as the world descends on Toronto.
The World Cup of Hockey begins today with two games and we have a lot to get excited about. The United States takes on Team Europe first at 3:00 p.m. ET and then the Czech Republic and Canada go at it at 7:30.
There’s not much room for error in such a short tournament, so it’s important to get off to a fast start. Here is a reason for each of these four teams to be optimistic heading into the first day of games.
TEAM CANADA
• Carey Price looks ready to have another dominant tournament. After a slow start against the Americans in pre-tournament action, allowing two goals in the first period, Price has seemingly turned it around. He stopped 24 of 26 shots in a 3-2 overtime win against the Russians. All told, he has allowed three goals in his last five periods and stopped 30 of 33 shots in that span for a .909 save percentage.
TEAM USA
• How can you not be optimistic after a 2-1-0 pre-tournament record that includes a win against rival Canada? For all the worry that the Americans don’t have enough scoring on the roster, they still managed to notch nine goals in three pre-tournament games. With proven big-game goalie Jonathan Quick in net, that should be enough to go a long way in this tournament.
TEAM CZECH REPUBLIC
• This is a team that, for the most part, has been an afterthought among prognosticators. How could this lineup hang with Canada or the United States in Group A? Well, it’s time to reconsider after three pre-tournament games. The Czechs went 2-1-0 with a win and a loss over the Russians and a win over the very quick North American team that romped over Team Europe, another Group A squad. Even more promising for the Czechs is that they outshot their opponents in each of the three pre-tournament games, suggesting they carried the play more often than not.
TEAM EUROPE
• There’s something to be said about veteran leadership in this tournament, and Europe has it in spades as they come in with the oldest average age. But they have some exciting youngsters to look forward to as well, specifically Leon Draisaitl. The young Oiler didn’t have a good showing against Team North America in the first two pre-tournament games, so head coach Ralph Krueger benched him for a good portion of the second one. Draisaitl answered with a hat trick against Henrik Lundqvist and Sweden in Europe’s only pre-tournament win. If Krueger can get that kind of response from his players, Europe will surprise.
