Here’s a look at what’s happening at the World Cup of Hockey today.
• Teams play their second games of the World Cup of Hockey on Monday, with crucial points on the line.
• Team Europe and Team North America look to build off their successful tournament debuts when they battle Team Czech Republic and Team Russia, respectively.
• All four matchups over the next two days feature 1-0-0 teams facing clubs that lost their tournament openers in regulation – on Tuesday, Team Finland meets Team Sweden, while Team Canada plays Team USA.
• Goal differentials could come into play as the tournament’s first tie-breaker. Team Canada leads Group A in that category at +6, while North America tops Group B with +3.
ESSENTIAL INFO: Europe vs. Czech Republic, 3 p.m. ET
• Europe’s Jaroslav Halak stopped all 35 shots he faced, including 17 in the third period, to guide Team Europe in an “unexpected” upset of Team USA in its World Cup of Hockey debut.
• Halak, who missed the final month of the 2015-16 NHL season (as well as the playoffs) due to injury, recorded the most saves in a shutout win in World Cup of Hockey history. The previous high was 29, set by Miikka Kiprusoff of Finland in a 3-0 win over Germany on Sept. 2, 2004, in Cologne.
• Marian Gaborik (Slovakia), Leon Draisaitl (Germany) and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare (France) accounted for Team Europe’s three goals. Draisaitl’s father, Peter, led Germany with 1-4—5 in four games during the 1996 World Cup.
• Canada shutout and outshot Czech Republic 50-27 on Saturday, the second-most shots on goal by one team in one game in World Cup history.
ESSENTIAL INFO: Russia vs. North America, 8 p.m. ET
• Three of Team North America’s four scorers were top three draft picks: Jack Eichel (No. 2 in 2015), Drouin (No. 3 in 2013) and MacKinnon (No. 1 in 2013). The other – Gaudreau – was selected 104th overall in 2011.
• North America’s Matt Murray made 24 saves, but fell 4:07 shy of the shutout Sunday night. He registered 15 of Pittsburgh’s 16 playoff wins en route to its Stanley Cup victory in June (2.08 GAA, .923 SV%, 1 SO).
• Artemi Panarin, the reigning Calder Trophy champ, paced Team Russia with 2-2—4 in three exhibition contests.
• Alex Ovechkin scored the Russians’ first goal in the tournament, but had another one called back in Sunday’s loss. The ref cam caught his displeasure.
In case you missed it, here’s what happened yesterday:
SWEDEN 2, RUSSIA 1
NORTH AMERICA 4, FINLAND 1
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