Team Canada defeats Team Europe to win World Cup

TORONTO -- It was more difficult than many imagined, but Team Canada is champion of the World Cup of Hockey 2016. 

Brad Marchand scored a shorthanded goal with 43.1 seconds left, after Patrice Bergeron tied the game with 2:53 to go, to give Team Canada a 2-1 win against Team Europe at Air Canada Centre on Thursday.

"They were tough to play against and they tested us big time," said Team Canada captain Sidney Crosby, who was named MVP and led the tournament with 10 points. 

Marchand was one of Crosby's wings, and Bergeron was the other. They combined for 25 points in six games. 

"In the biggest moments, they're better," Team Canada coach Mike Babcock said of the line. "They can't help themselves. They're addicted to winning." 

Marchand won this game with his fifth goal of the tournament, but teammate Jonathan Toews did much of the work to make it possible. 

"[Toews] made a great play to open up a lot of space, and when I came in, I just wanted to get a shot on net ... and luckily the puck went in the net," Marchand said. 

Toews said it was all Marchand on the game-winner. 

"It was kind of a momentary thing where you take a chance," Toews said. "I dropped him the puck and he made a [heck] of a play." 

Bergeron scored on a power play with a spectacular deflection to foil a brilliant display by Team Europe goaltender Jaroslav Halak, who made 32 saves. 

"World-class hand-eye coordination," said Team Europe coach Ralph Krueger, discussing the torso-high knockdown of the puck by Bergeron, who was standing between the faceoff circles. 

Canada has won 16 straight games in best-on-best competition. Its last loss was to the United States during pool play at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. 

Defenseman Zdeno Chara scored for Team Europe, but the goal could not get it to the finish line and force Game 3 on Saturday. 

PLAYER & PUCK TRACKING INSIGHTS from SAP
Team Europe captain Anze Kopitar led all players in distance traveled with 6,460 meters (4.01 miles)

"It's a tough loss because we were able to push them all the way to the limits and it was a really close game," Chara said. 

Team Canada won Game 1 of the best-of-3 final 3-1 on Tuesday. 

Price, who has won 16 straight games for Canada, dating to the 2007 IIHF World Junior Championship, made 32 saves Thursday. He allowed seven goals in six World Cup games. 

Goal of the game

With overtime looming, Marchand exploited some defensive uncertainty for the winning goal. Three Team Europe players were back, but Toews drew two to him and then launched a deft backhand pass onto the stick of onrushing Marchand that caught the defenders flat-footed. From there, Marchand took over, snapping a quick shot Halak could not react to in time. 

Saves of the game

In a back-to-back sequence during a Team Canada power play, Price turned aside shorthanded breakaways by Tobias Rieder and Marian Hossa to prevent Team Europe from extending its 1-0 lead. 

Unsung moment of the game

Marchand was in position to score the game-winning goal because Price made his best save of the game 25 seconds earlier, denying Hossa from the slot on a dangerous one-timer during the Team Europe power play. 

Highlight of the game

Chara gave Team Europe its first lead of the final at 6:26 of the first period with a beautiful goal. Taking a pass from Frans Nielsen, Chara drifted into the faceoff circle before taking a wrist shot that found a hole between Price's shoulder and the post. 

They said it 

"It was always one shot away. It's always, 'Who wants to be that guy?' And there's so many guys in this dressing room that want to be in that position. We have so much talent in this dressing room that we knew all we needed was one bounce to go our way." -- Team Canada forward Bergeron on its mindset in the third period 

"We had a lot of fun. It was a special group, and it's something that is one thing that I am for certain, that this is going to stay with us for a long, long time." -- Team Europe captain Anze Kopitar 

"It's tough to describe when you're standing on the blue line, you're looking around, you see your family in the crowd and how proud everybody is in the whole arena. When you watch that flag go up and all these emotions are going through your head and you're representing your country and your team just had success and won for your country, you know, that's something that you can't describe. It's an incredible feeling. Again, I'm a bit lost for words right now." -- Team Canada forward Brad Marchand  

Need to know 

It took Team Canada until 5:59 of the first period to get its first shot on goal, its longest stretch to start a game in the tournament. Team Canada went 3:06 without a shot to start the game against Team USA in the preliminary round. … The first intermission was the first time in the tournament Team Canada ended a period trailing a game. … Team Europe was the first team to hold a team from Canada without a goal for two periods since Russia shut it out in the quarterfinals of the 2006 Torino Olympics.

via WCH2016.com.

Brandon Pirri scores twice, Rangers beat Devils 3-1

New York Rangers left wing Jimmy Vesey (26) collides
into the net trying to score past New Jersey Devils
defenseman Andrew MacWilliam (45), goalie Scott
Wedgewood (31) and defenseman Yohann Auvitu (33)
in the third period of a preseason NHL hockey game
in New York., Thursday, Sept. 29,
2016. (AP Photo/Kathy Kmonicek)

NEW YORK (AP) — Brandon Pirri scored two goals in the New York Rangers' 3-1 exhibition victory over the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night.

John Gilmour added a power-play goal for New York. Antti Raanta and Mackenzie Skapski split time in goal, with Raanta starting and making 15 saves, and Skapski stopping all 13 shots he faced.

Miles Wood scored for New Jersey, and Scott Wedgewood made 31 saves.

The game marked Jimmy Vesey's NHL exhibition debut. Vesey, the Hobey Baker winner last season for Harvard, signed a free-agent contract with the Rangers on Aug. 19. Skating on a line with Kevin Hayes and Rick Nash, Vesey had three shots on goal in 16:33 of ice time.

DUBINSKY LIFTS BLUE JACKETS PAST PREDATORS

In Columbus, Ohio, Brandon Dubinsky scored at 2:49 of overtime to give the Columbus Blue Jackets a 3-2 victory over the Nashville Predators.

Dubinsky also had the primary assist on Paul Bittner's tying goal with 4:04 left in regulation. Ryan Craig also scored for the Blue Jackets.

Curtis McElhinney made 15 saves for the victory. Starter Joonas Korpisalo stopped all 10 shots he faced in 27:57 of game action.

Anthony Bitetto and Yannick Weber scored for the Predators. Nashville's Juuse Saros allowed two goals on 25 shots and took the loss. Starter Marek Mazanec made 14 saves.

SABRES' MOULSON SCORES SHOOTOUT WINNER

At St. Catherines, Ontario, Matt Moulson scored the only goal in a shootout in the Buffalo Sabres' 1-0 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Meridian Centre.

Moulson was Buffalo's fourth shooter and the eighth overall. Anders Nilsson earned the shutout, stopping 23 shots through regulation and overtime and all four Toronto shooters in the tiebreaker.

The 5,000-seat arena is home to the Ontario Hockey League's Niagara Ice Dogs, and sits between Toronto and Buffalo.

Garret Sparks and Kasimir Kaskisuo split time in goal for the Maple Leafs, with Sparks stopping all 17 shots he faced in the first a period and half. Toronto's Auston Matthews, the first-overall draft pick, is expected to make his debut Friday night in Buffalo.

HOFFMAN SCORES IN OVERTIME FOR SENATORS

At Montreal, Mike Hoffman scored his second goal of the game 19 seconds into overtime to give the Ottawa Senators a 4-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens.

Hoffman beat goalie Mike Condon high after a giveaway by Alex Galchenyuk deep in his own zone.

Matt Puempel and Bobby Ryan also scored for Ottawa. Chris Driedger stopped 18 of 21 shots before being replaced midway through the second period. Matt O'Connor stopped all 19 shots he faced in relief.

Michael McCarron, Brendan Gallagher and Zach Redmond scored for Montreal, and Condon made 16 saves.

GUDLEVSKIS, LIGHTNING BLANK PANTHERS

In Tampa, Florida, Kristers Gudlevskis made 21 saves in the Tampa Bay Lightning's 2-0 victory over the Florida Panthers.

Jeremy Morin had a goal and helped set up Brayden Point's goal.

James Reimer took the loss for Florida, making 18 saves in the first two periods. Reto Berra allowed a goal on nine shots in the third.

PERREAULT HELPS JETS BEAT WILD

At Winnipeg, Manitoba, Mathieu Perreault scored on the power play and added an assist to help the Winnipeg Jets beat the Minnesota Wild 4-1.

Perreault left the game midway through the third period after a hit by Wild winger Kurtis Gabriel put him to the ice.

Kyle Connor, Nikolaj Ehlers and Andrew Copp also scored for Winnipeg, and Connor Hellebuyck made 27 saves. Matt Dumba scored for Minnesota, and Darcy Kuemper stopped 24 shots.

Andrew Shaw suspended three preseason games

NEW YORK - Montreal Canadiens forward Andrew Shaw has been suspended for three preseason games for boarding Washington Capitals defenseman Connor Hobbs during NHL Preseason Game No. 21 in Montreal on Tuesday, Sept. 27, the National Hockey League's Department of Player Safety announced today.

The incident occurred at 17:50 of the second period. Shaw was assessed a major penalty for boarding and a game misconduct.

- National Hockey League

Kunitz scores twice in third, Penguins beat Blackhawks 2-0

CHICAGO (AP) — Chris Kunitz scored two third-period goals in the defending Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins' 2-0 exhibition victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night.

Kunitz scored on a power play 2:31 into the third, and added his second 6:48 later.

Tristan Jarry made 30 saves for Pittsburgh for the shutout.

Chicago's Scott Darling stopped 33 shots.

GLENDENING, OTT HELP RED WINGS BEAT BRUINS

At Boston, Luke Glendening and Steve Ott each had a goal and an assist to help the Detroit Red Wings beat the Boston Bruins 5-1.

Drew Miller, Anthony Manta and Kyle Criscuolo also scored for Detroit, and Jared Coreau made 35 saves.

Austin Czarina scored for Boston.

Malcolm Subban started for the Bruins and allowed four goals on 34 shots in two periods. Dan Vladar stopped seven of eight shots in the third.

KONECY LEADS FLYERS PAST DEVILS

In Allentown, Pennsylvania, Travis Konecy had a goal and an assist in the second period in the Philadelphia Flyers' 2-0 victory over the New Jersey Devils.

Konecy deflected Andrew MacDonald's point shot past Keith Kinkaid 4:30 into the second period to open the scoring. Four minutes and 34 seconds later, Philadelphia's 2015 first-round pick set up Michael Raffl's goal.

Anthony Stolarz and Alex Lyon split time in goal for the Flyers. Stolarz made 11 saves, and Lyon stopped seven shots. Kinkaid played the entire game in net for New Jersey, finishing with 22 saves.

AVALANCHE RALLY PAST STARS

In Denver, Francois Beauchemin, Ben Smith and Patrick Wiercioch scored third-period goals in the Colorado Avalanche's 4-2 comeback victory over the Dallas Stars.

Joe Whitney had a first-period goal for the Avalanche.

Radek Faksa scored twice in the second for Dallas.

Colorado's Kent Simpson stopped all seven shots he faced in the third period to get the win. Calvin Pickard started for the Avalanche and allowed both goals on 24 shots.

Stars goalie Philippe Desrosiers allowed two third-period goals on four shots and took the loss. Starter Antti Niemi made 14 saves on 15 shots in the first two periods.

RODIN BREAKS TIE, CANUCKS TOP OILERS

In Vancouver, British Columbia, Anton Rodin broke a tie on a power play with 4:07 left and Vancouver Canucks beat the Edmonton Oilers 5-3.

Joseph LaBate, Troy Stecher, Brendan Gaunce, and Erik Gudbranson also scored for Vancouver.

Drake Caggiula scored twice and Griffin Reinhart had a goal for Edmonton.

With Benoit Pouliot off for tripping, Rodin one-timed a pass from Stecher for the go-ahead goal.

KINGS CROWN DUCKS

In Los Angeles, California, Devin Setoguchi, Tom Gilbert, Dustin Brown, Nic Dowd and Justin Auger recorded two points each to lead the Los Angeles Kings to a 6-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks.

Eleven Kings recorded a point in the win.

Dowd scored two goals, while Setoguchi, Brown, Auger and Andy Andreoff added one apiece.

Peter Budaj and Thomas McCollum split time in goal for Los Angeles. Budaj stopped all 14 shots he faced, while McCollum made 12 saves.

Brandon Montour scored Anaheim's only goal.

The Anaheim tandem of Dustin Tokarski and Yann Danis each allowed three goals. Tokarski started the game and finished with 25 saves. Danis, who came into the game in the second period, had 17 stops.

Panthers, Predators split split-squad doubleheader

Greg McKegg scored 11 seconds into the third period to help the Florida Panthers beat the Nashville Predators 4-1 in a split-squad game on Tuesday night.

Dryden Hunt, Jonathan Ang, and Jonathan Marchessault also scored for the Panthers in Sunrise, Florida.

James Neal's power-play goal at 9:35 of the third accounted for Nashville's scoring.

James Reimer and Sam Brittain split time in goal for Florida. Reimer, who signed with Florida as a free agent, stopped all 12 shots he faced. Brittain allowed only Neal's goal on the 25 shots he saw.

While Marek Mazanec turned away 15 of 16 shots for Nashville, his replacement, Jonas Gunnarsson allowed three goals on seven shots in 16:53.

In the second game, also at the BB&T Center, Juuse Saros made 13 saves in the first two periods to lead the Predators to a 2-1 win over the Panthers.

Mark Visentin added five third-period saves for Nashville.

Miikka Salomaki and Pontus Alberg scored in the first period for Nashville, while Paul Thompson's second-period goal accounted for Florida's scoring.

Roberto Luongo allowed both Nashville goals on 14 shots to take the loss.

RED WINGS TOP PENGUINS

In Detroit, Evgeny Svechnikov's power-play goal with 5:19 left in the second helped the Red Wings to a 4-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Mitch Callahan scored twice, and Riley Sheahan added a goal for the Red Wings.

Garrett Wilson scored second- and third-period goals for Pittsburgh.

Jimmy Howard and Jared Coreau split time in net for Detroit. Howard allowed one goal on 15 shots, and Coreau stopped 17 of 18 shots.

Pittsburgh's Marc-Andre Fleury allowed three goals on 19 shots in two periods, before being replaced by Casey Desmith, who made four saves in 18:10.

COLORADO'S LIEUWEN, SMITH BEAT WILD

In St. Paul, Minnesota, Nathan Lieuwen and Jeremy Smith combined for 27 saves to lead the Colorado Avalanche to a 4-1 win over the Minnesota Wild.

Smith stopped 16 of 17 shots in the first two periods before being replaced by Lieuwen, who stopped all 11 shots he faced in the third.

Mike Sislo, Rene Bourque, Mikhail Grigorenko and Ben Smith scored for the Avalanche.

Devan Dubnyk allowed three goals on 29 shots, and Victor Bartley scored for Minnesota.

COYOTES CLAW PAST DUCKS

In Anaheim, California, Adin Hill made 16 saves to lead the Arizona Coyotes to a 2-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks.

Hill replaced Justin Peters, who allowed a goal on 11 shots in 30:49.

The Anaheim goaltending duo of Matt Hackett and Kevin Boyle each allowed a goal. Hackett made 16 saves in 30:49, while Boyle stopped 18 of 19 shots in 27:18.

Henrik Samuelsson's goal 8:50 into the third period was the game-winner. Chris Mueller and Antoine Laganiere traded goals in the second.

NEW-LOOK RANGERS DOUBLE UP ISLANDERS

In New York, Chris Kreider, Mike Zibanejad and Brandon Pirri combined for seven points to lead the New York Rangers to a 5-2 win over a New York Islanders split-squad.

Pirri had a goal and two assists, while Krieder and Zibanejad had a goal and an assist apiece.

Dylan McIlrath and Dan Girardi added third-period goals for the Rangers. Girardi's goal was a short-handed empty netter with 2:13 left.

Magnus Hellberg made 12 saves in 29 1/2 minutes before giving way to Mackenzie Skapski, who had 17 stops.

Jason Chimera and Nick Leddy scored for the Islanders.

Jean-Francois Berube played the entire game in goal for the Islanders and finished with 26 saves.

FLYERS SOAR OVER ISLANDERS

In Philadelphia, Wayne Simmonds scored twice to lead the Flyers to a 4-0 win over an Islanders split-squad.

Dale Weise and Andy Miele also scored for the Flyers, and Steve Mason made 23 saves.

New York's Christopher Gibson allowed all four Philadelphia goals before being replaced by Eamon McAdam, who stopped five shots in 15:55.

SABRES EDGE SENATORS IN OT

In Buffalo, New York, Jake McCabe's goal 1:32 into overtime lifted the Sabres to a 3-2 win over the Ottawa Senators.

McCabe's goal accounted for the only lead for the Sabres. Nicholas Baptiste and Derek Grant also scored for Buffalo.

Chris Neil and Derick Brassard scored for Ottawa. Robin Lehner made 37 saves.

Andrew Hammond started for Ottawa and made 20 stops. He was replaced by Matthew O'Connor, who allowed two goals on 11 shots.

HURRICANES SLIP PAST LIGHTNING

In Tampa, Florida, Cam Ward made 16 saves in the first two periods to help the Carolina Hurricanes to a 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Ward was replaced by Daniel Altshuller in the third, and he allowed both Lightning goals on 12 shots.

Brody Sutter, Lucas Hallmark and Jeff Skinner scored for the Hurricanes.

Brayden Point and Bokondji Imama had Tampa Bay's goals.

Adam Wilcox was charged with the loss, despite making 14 saves on 15 shots. Kristers Gudlevskis allowed two goals on 23 shots in the opening 30 minutes, 26 seconds.

SHARKS LATE GOALS TAKE BITE OUT OF CANUCKS

In San Jose, California, Kevin Labanc's goal 1:05 into overtime lifted the San Jose Sharks to a 3-2, come-from-behind win over the Vancouver Canucks.

Tommy Wingels set the stage for Labanc's winner by scoring the tying goal with 23 seconds left. Barclay Goodrow also scored for the Sharks.

Bo Horvat and Sven Baertschi scored for Vancouver.

The San Jose goaltending tandem of Troy Grosenick and Mantas Armalis did not have to work especially hard during their game action. Grosenick made seven saves in the first two periods, and Armalis stopped six shots in the second, third and overtime.

Vancouver's Michael Garteig took the loss after allowing three goals on 13 shots in the second, third and overtime periods. Richard Bachman started for the Canucks, and stopped all 20 shots he faced.

MITCHELL SCORES TWICE, LIFTS CANADIENS OVER CAPS

In Montreal, Torrey Mitchell scored twice and the Montreal Canadiens beat the Washington Capitals 5-2 in a penalty-filled game.

New Hab Alexander Radulov, Paul Byron and Nathan Beaulieu also scored for Montreal. Beaulieu and Greg Pateryn each had three assists.

Goalie Al Montoya, also making his first appearance with Montreal, made seven saves on eight shots. His replacement Zachary Fucale turned away eight shots in relief.

Marcus Johansson and Zachary Sanford scored for Washington while Vitek Vanecek stopped 24 of 29 shots.

KULAK SCORES TWICE, FLAMES BLANK JETS

In Winnipeg, Manitoba, Brett Kulak scored a pair of goals and added an assist, helping the Calgary Flames beat the Winnipeg Jets 3-0.

Goalie Chad Johnson played the first two periods for the Flames, stopping 21 shots. David Rittich had his turn in net for the final period and made six saves.

Eric Comrie played the full game in net for Winnipeg's first exhibition game, stopping 24 of 27 shots.

Isles goalies Berube, Gibson combine in 3-0 win vs Flyers

via AP.

Jean-Francois Berube and Christopher Gibson combined for 28 saves to lead the New York Islanders over a Philadelphia Flyers split-squad team 3-0 on Monday night in New York.

Berube and Gibson made 14 saves each. Berube played 30:41, while Gibson was in net for 29:08.

Shane Prince, Joshua Ho-Sang and Michael Dal Colle scored third-period goals for New York.

Anthony Stolarz allowed all three goals on 35 shots.
___

BIG FIRST IMPRESSION FROM DEVILS ROOKIE VS FLYERS

In Newark, New Jersey, rookie Nick Lappin scored twice, including an empty netter, to spark a New Jersey Devils split-squad team over a Philadelphia Flyers split-squad 2-0.

Lappin signed a two-year entry-level contract in March after earning All-Ivy League first-team honors at Brown.

Keith Kinkaid and Anders Lindback split time in net for New Jersey. Kinkaid made six saves in 29:38, while Lindback stopped 15 shots in 30:22.

Alex Lyon stopped 28 shots for Philadelphia.

____

HENRIQUE LIFTS DEVILS IN MONTREAL

In Montreal, Adam Henrique scored two power-play goals to lead a New Jersey Devils split-squad over the Montreal Canadiens 3-2.

Michael McLeod scored in the third period for the Devils.

Scott Wedgewood made 26 saves in 40 minutes for New Jersey, and Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 13 of 14 shots in 20 minutes.

Markus Eisenschmid and Zach Redmond scored in the first and third periods, respectively, for the Canadiens.

Mike Condon made eight saves on 10 shots in 30:52 for Montreal, and Charlie Lindgren stopped 16 shots in 27:39.

___

FAULK LIFTS HURRICANES OVER CAPITALS IN OT

In Washington D.C., Justin Faulk's power-play goal with 8 seconds left in overtime lifted the Carolina Hurricanes to a 2-1 win over the Washington Capitals.

Patrick Brown also scored for the Hurricanes, who got 16 saves from Eddie Lack in 40 minutes. Alex Nedeljkovic played the third period and overtime, making nine saves in 24:53.

Madison Bowey scored Washington's lone goal.

Vital Vance made 12 saves in 28:04 for Washington before giving way to Drew MacIntyre. MacIntyre stopped 14 shots in 36:26.

___

GAGNER SCORES IN SHOOTOUT, JACKETS BEAT BRUINS

In Boston, Sam Gagner's shootout goal powered the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 3-2 win over the Bruins.

Sonny Milano and Daniel Zaar scored first-period goals for the Blue Jackets, who played their third preseason game in two days.

Curtis McElhinney made 29 saves on 31 shots in 64:30.

Jimmy Hayes and Danton Heinen scored for Boston. Heinen's goal in the third period tied it 2-2.

Anton Khudobin made 11 saves on 13 shots in 39:55 for the Bruins before being replaced by Zane McIntyre. McIntyre stopped eight shots in the third period and overtime.

___

WILD BEAT SABRES AT PENN STATE

In State College, Pennsylvania, Jason Zucker's third power-play goal lifted the Minnesota Wild over the Buffalo Sabres 2-1.

Kurtis Gabriel also scored for Buffalo, which started Alex Stalock.

Zemgus Girgensons' first-period goal accounted for all of Buffalo's scoring. Anders Nilsson was in net for the Sabres.

_____

STARS RISE OVER THE BLUES ON HUDLER'S POWER PLAY GOAL

In Dallas, Jiri Hudler's power-play goal late in the second period powered the Dallas Stars to a 3-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues.

Patrik Nemeth and Patrick Eaves also scored for the Stars. Nemeth opened the game with a goal in the first period, while Eaves' third-period goal ended the scoring.

St. Louis' Kevin Shattenkirk's power-play goal tied the game 1-1 in the second.

Carter Hutton made 21 saves on 23 shots over 40 minutes for the Blues. Ville Husso added seven saves for St. Louis in 17:26.

Dallas' Kari Lehtonen turned away nine of 10 shots in 40 minutes, while Maxime Lagace stopped all 14 shots he faced in 17:26.

____

KINGS, COYOTES SPLIT HOME-AND-HOME

In Glendale, Arizona, Stefan Fournier's goal late in the second period lifted an Arizona Coyotes split-squad team to a 5-3 win over a Los Angeles Kings split-squad.

Luke Schenn, Ryan White, Max Domi and Michael Bunting also scored for the Coyotes, which received 11 saves from Mike Smith. Smith split time with Louis Domingue, who made 20 saves for Arizona.

Los Angeles' Peter Budaj allowed four goals on 14 shots before being replaced by Thomas McCollum, who stopped two of the three shots he faced.

Teddy Purcell, Trevor Lewis and Kyle Clifford scored for the Kings.

In Los Angeles, Tanner Pearson's power-play goal late in the second period gave the Kings' other team a lead they would not relinquish in a 4-2 win over another Arizona split-squad.

Lucas Lessio, Tyler Toffoli and Brent Sutter also scored for the Kings.

Los Angeles' Jeff Zatkoff made 18 saves on 19 shots in two periods before being replaced by Jack Campbell in the third. Campbell stopped 10 of 12 shots in the third.

Connor Murphy, Henrik Samuelson and Dylan Strome scored for the Coyotes.

The Arizona goaltending tandem of Justin Peters and Marek Langhamer each allowed two goals on 16 shots faced.

Tatar scores in OT to lift Team Europe into final

TORONTO -- Team Europe wasn't ready for its surprising run at the World Cup of Hockey 2016 to end. 

Tomas Tatar scored 3:43 into overtime to give Team Europe a 3-2 semifinal victory against Team Sweden at Air Canada Centre on Sunday, securing a spot in the best-of-3 final against Team Canada, which begins on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET; ESPN, CBC, TVA Sports).

"One of the best tournaments in the world, best players from the NHL in one spot and we have a chance to play in the final, which is great," Tatar said. "The story continues." 

After Team Sweden goaltender Henrik Lundqvist made a left pad save on Tatar's initial shot the rebound caromed into the net off Tatar's left skate. It was Tatar's second goal of the game after he had no points in three preliminary-round games.

"I was hoping I'm going to get an opportunity to sway one game and I'm lucky it happened today," Tatar said.

Although few expected Team Europe, an amalgamation of players not from Sweden, Finland, the Czech Republic or Russia, to get this far, Team Sweden had aspirations of reaching the final and getting a chance to avenge a loss to Canada in the gold medal game at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. 

"We all wanted to play in the finals against Canada," Team Sweden left wing Daniel Sedin said. "That was our goal and today's effort wasn't enough," "We played a patient game and they were the ones who scored." 

Team Sweden took the lead 2:31 into the second period when Nicklas Backstrom went to the net to put in an Anton Stralman rebound. Marian Gaborik pulled Team Europe even at 1-1 with 3:33 left in the second by finishing a centering feed from defenseman Christian Ehrhoff. 

Tatar backhanded home his own rebound 12 seconds into the third period to put Team Europe ahead 2-1. Erik Karlsson scored the goal that forced overtime when his right point shot appeared to deflect off Team Europe defenseman Roman Josi before floating in past goaltender Jarolsav Halak with 4:32 remaining in regulation.

Goal of the Game:

After Lundqvist failed to stop the puck when Anze Kopitar threw it behind the net, Team Europe forward Mats Zuccarello tracked it down long the left wing boards and fed Tatar, who was driving to the right post. Lundqvist made a left pad save on Tatar's initial shot, but the rebound deflected into the net off Tatar's left skate. A video review by officials in the NHL Situation Room confirmed that the goal was legal because Tatar did not make a distinct kicking motion with his foot. "It's always stressful when there's a review," Tatar said. "You never know which way it's going to go. I knew I didn't do a kicking motion, so I was hoping they were going to see it on the replay."

Save of the Game:  

Backstrom had a chance to win the game for Team Sweden on a 2-on-1 rush 3:17 into overtime, but Halak made a right pad save on his wrist shot from the right circle. Tatar scored the winning goal 26 seconds later. "I was trying to shoot low blocker, but he made a good save and unfortunately they won it after that," Backstrom said. "That's hockey."

Unsung moment of the Game:

Clinging to a 2-1 lead, Team Europe had to kill off a hooking penalty by Zuccarello 4:14 into the third period. It got two saves from Halak and blocked shots from Kopitar and Andrej Sekera to survive the two minutes. 

Highlight of the Game:

Team Europe came close to going up by two goals 9:31 into the third period when Tomas Vanek's breakaway shot went off Lundqvist's right pad and was headed for the goal line. Stralman raced back in time to clear the puck away before it went in.

They Said It:

"We are happy where we are and definitely pleased. I think nobody would guess we could be in the final. It was 33-to-1 odds against us. So it just feels good to be where we're at. I think everybody here is really happy." -- Team Europe right wing Marian Hossa

"It's important we don't get giddy. We want to give Canada and the world a really good final." --Team Europe coach Ralph Krueger

"Everything other than a gold medal is a failure in our eyes, and I think that's what everybody in our dressing room believes. We had one goal in mind and we didn't manage to accomplish that. This one definitely stings." -- Team Sweden left wing Gabriel Landeskog

"There are things you want to go back and change, but right now I'm content we're top four. But I'm obviously disappointed we're not top two." - Team Sweden coach Rikard Gronborg

Need to Know:

Halak made 37 saves and has stopped 142 of 150 shots he's faced in the tournament for a .947 save percentage. … Josi played a game-high 29:00. Karlsson led Team Sweden in playing 22:52. … Team Canada defeated Team Europe 4-1 in the preliminary round on Wednesday.

PLAYER & PUCK TRACKING INSIGHTS from SAP
Puck time spent in offensive zone on power play: 37% for Team Europe and 54% for Team Sweden


What's Next:

Team Sweden: Finishes the tournament with consecutive overtime losses and falls one win short of reaching the final.

Team Europe: Advances to the best-of-3 final against Team Canada, beginning on Tuesday.

via WCH2016.com.

Team Russia defeats Team Finland to reach semifinals

TORONTO -- Team Russia qualified for the semifinals of the World Cup of Hockey 2016 with a 3-0 win against Team Finland at Air Canada Centre on Thursday.

Team Russia will play Team Canada here on Saturday.

"It's going to be a fun game," Team Russia captain Alex Ovechkin said. "It's nice to be a part of obviously. Two teams with a great history. Again, it's going to be tough. It's going to be hard because we play here in Canada. But it's going to be fun, fun game."

Vladimir Tarasenko, Ivan Telegin and Evgeni Malkin scored for Team Russia. Sergei Bobrovsky made 21 saves.

Team Russia (2-1-0, 4 points) finished second in Group B and plays the winner of Group A, Team Canada, in the first semifinal (7 p.m. ET; ESPN2, CBC, TVA Sports).

Team Sweden, the Group B winner, plays Team Europe in the other semifinal on Sunday (1 p.m. ET; ESPN, CBC, TVA Sports).

Team Russia had to win Thursday against already eliminated Team Finland (0-3-0, 0 points) in order to advance. Team North America (2-1-0), the other team in Group B, also had four points, but Team Russia won the tiebreaker because of its head-to-head 4-3 win on Monday.

Team Russia scored 3:42 into the second period when Tarasenko took a nifty pass from Ovechkin and tucked a shot past goaltender Tuukka Rask.

Tarasenko's goal came one minute after Team Finland was denied one by the post behind Bobrovsky after Mikael Granlund put a one-timer past him.

"We started off well and played [a] pretty good first period," Team Finland coach Lauri Marjamaki said. "We created so many good scoring chances, but we didn't score. After penalty killing [to start the] second period, we have a good scoring chance, for example, Granlund, but he only [hit the] post, and then [a] goal against.

"Everybody understands that if you score, you get so much energy and positive thinking in your team. But now, we didn't score."

PLAYER & PUCK TRACKING INSIGHTS from SAP
The fastest shot in the game came from Alex Ovechkin, who hit 99 mph, but missed the net

Telegin made it 2-0 at 5:01 of the second.

Ovechkin said the post hit by Team Finland may have been the turning point.

"Right after that, we score two goals right away," he said. "It kind of give us a breath, and we just play simple and don't give them nothing."

Malkin made it 3-0 at 3:39 of the third period.

As was the case throughout the tournament, Team Finland struggled to find offense. In three games, it scored one goal and it went its final 124:07 without scoring.

"In the last two games, against Sweden and Russia, we played good as a team and we battled hard, I think we did our best, we just couldn't get pucks in," Team Finland center Aleksander Barkov said. "It was great defending by the opposite team, but of course if you don't score you can't win the games, and I think it's the biggest thing in hockey. You have to score."

Goal of the game:

Tarasenko took a nifty pass from Ovechkin, who stickhandled past two players, and tucked a shot past Rask, who could not get across in time, for a 1-0 lead. Team Russia caught a break on the play when a clearing attempt hit Tarasenko and stayed inside the zone.

Save of the game:

Rask played well but faced a number of high-quality chances. One came at 18:54 of the second period, when the game was 2-0. Nikita Kucherov put a hard shot into Rask from the faceoff circle and the puck squeezed through his leg pads and started dribbling toward the goal line. Rask reached back with his stick and cleared the puck away before Kucherov could reach it. The puck went right to Kuznetsov, who slammed it off the right post and it skittered away.

Unsung moment of the game:

With the score 0-0 late in the first period, Russia was on the penalty kill after Ovechkin took a neutral-zone penalty at 17:23. Twice, Team Russia defensemen Alexei Emelin went to one knee to block slap shots from Patrik Laine to defuse scoring opportunities.

Highlight of the game:

Telegin showed impressive offensive skills on his goal, coming out of the corner to take a pass from Vadim Shipachev and then cutting across the goal mouth with a bit of patience before sliding a shot past Rask, who could not get to the far post.

They said it

"It's always nice to play against Canada. The whole world knows that the best players play here. They're always the favorite in every tournament. We have to accept the challenge. Show those guys what we've got." -- Team Russia forward Evgeny Kuznetsov

"Yeah, we just couldn't find the net. I think we created a lot of good chances, but it just didn't bounce this tournament for us. We just need to get the one ugly one, maybe, and we can get more goals. But it's a short tournament and sometimes you can't find the net." -- Team Finland forward Teuvo Teravainen

"I am proud of my team, but it is not so easy to come to this game and play like that, and dedication to our style of play was great. But if you didn't score, you can't win. That's the way. Of course it would be interesting to see the exact same [Team Finland], for example, in the Olympics in 2018. The future seems bright, nevertheless, for Team Finland." -- Team Finland coach Lauri Marjamaki

Need to know

Team Russia center Pavel Datsyuk did not play because of a lower-body injury sustained during practice Wednesday. His status for the semifinal is unknown. He was replaced by Vadim Shipachev, who had an assist. Defenseman Nikita Nesterov and goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy were the other scratches for Team Russia. … Team Finland scratched forward Erik Haula, defenseman Esa Lindell and goalie Mikko Koskinen. … Team Finland forward Mikko Koivu injured his foot blocking a shot in the second period and missed some time before returning in the third. "I think he is OK," Marjamaki said.

What's next

Team Russia: A semifinal game against Team Canada at Air Canada Center on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; ESPN2, CBC, TVA Sports).

Team Finland: The tournament is finished for the team which lost three games by a combined score of 9-1.

via WCH2016.com.

Team USA loses finale to Team Czech Republic

TORONTO -- Team USA is leaving the World Cup of Hockey 2016 without a victory after losing to Team Czech Republic 4-3 in the final preliminary-round game at Air Canada Centre on Thursday.

"None of us with the U.S. team here from head to toe is happy with what's happened here," Team USA coach John Tortorella said. "But I thought our guys rallied together here a little bit, and that's what we talked about, as far as all the things going around the team and the organization of USA Hockey, let's just try to play a game for ourselves.

"We come up short, but I think some guys gave some really true efforts. We just didn't find a way to win the hockey game."

Joe Pavelski, Justin Abdelkader and Ryan McDonagh scored, and Ben Bishop made 16 saves on 20 shots for Team USA before being replaced to start the third period by Cory Schneider, who made seven saves.

"It's important any time you wear your jersey," Abdelkader said. "Putting on the USA sweater, there's a lot of pride in it. I think this [loss] kind of exemplified the way we played the tournament. We just had too many mistakes and they were magnified, teams took advantage of them. There are good players in this tournament, it's best on best, so they're going to make you pay."

'Milan Michalek scored twice and his brother Zbynek Michalek scored for Team Czech Republic. Andrej Sustr scored, and Petr Mrazek made 36 saves.

PLAYER & PUCK TRACKING INSIGHTS from SAP
The puck spent 46% in Team USA's offensive zone at even strength (5-on-5). The puck spent 36% in Team Czech Republic's offensive zone at even strength (5-on-5).

Milan Michalek said he believed it was the first time he and his brother scored in the same game for the same team.

"It's special to do it in the World Cup and with our parents here, it's nice," he said. "It's always special to play for the national team when we're playing together."

Team Czech Republic (1-2-0) and Team USA (0-3-0) finished third and fourth in Group A behind Team Canada (3-0-0) and Team Europe (2-1-0).

With the game tied 2-2 late in the second period, Team Czech Republic scored two goals in 39 seconds.

Sustr scored at 16:50 when his shot from the side found a hole between Bishop and the post. Michalek scored his second goal at 17:29 when Ales Hemsky set him up for a one-timer in the slot.

Team USA pulled within 4-3 at 2:22 of the third period on McDonagh's second goal of the tournament, fighting off Jakub Voracek to convert a feed from Blake Wheeler while shorthanded.

Team USA buzzed the Team Czech Republic zone for most of the remainder of the third period, including a power play with 2:11 to play, but could not tie the game.

Zbynek Michalek made it 1-0 at 12:44 of the first period on a point shot. Pavelski tied it 1-1 with a power-play goal at 14:28 off a setup from Zach Parise and Patrick Kane.

Milan Michalek got credit for Team Czech Republic's second goal when Team USA defenseman Ryan Suter swept a loose puck in the crease into his net at 6:03 of the second period. Abdelkader tied the game 2-2 at 14:13 of the second, one-timing a Dustin Byfuglien pass past Mrazek.

Goal of the game: 

Hemsky skated down the right wing and found Milan Michalek skating into the high slot with a perfect pass. Michalek put his shot in the top corner past Bishop's extended glove to score what turned out to be the game-winning goal.

Save of the game: 

At 5:06 of the third period, Kane corralled a puck off the end boards, spun on a Team Czech Republic defender, and shot toward an empty net. Mrazek got across from the other side of the crease and met the puck near the goal line with his pad, maintaining the 4-3 lead.

Unsung moment of the game: 

Team Czech Republic's penalty killers allowed two shots on Mrazek during a power play that began with 2:11 to go in the third period. Team USA pulled goaltender Cory Schneider for an extra attacker halfway through the power play, but Team Czech Republic did not allow it to score the tying goal.

Highlight of the game: 

Byfuglien skated down the left wing before stopping suddenly to shake a defender and create a passing lane. He immediately saw Abdelkader alone on the far side of the net and set him up for a one-timer that beat Mrazek and tied the game.

"It was a great pass," Abdelkader said. "[Byfuglien's] got great vision, he's played forward in [the NHL] a little bit, and you can see why, because when he gets in the rush he can make plays."

They said it

"If you look at [this win] from a hockey perspective in the Czech Republic, it has a huge meaning because you go out and prove to people there that you can play. Even though the talent on the team or the talent that we have in the NHL or all over the world in the leagues is not as deep as we used to have, you still can come out with a great effort. I think the biggest thing we can take out of this is how much passion and … heart that we put out tonight." -- Team Czech Republic assistant coach Vinny Prospal

Need to know

Each team scored more goals in this game than it did in its previous two games combined. Team USA and Team Czech Republic each scored two goals in its first two games. … Kane played 23:15, second only to defenseman John Carlson, and had a game-high seven shots on goal. Tortorella said he though Kane and Derek Stepan were Team USA's best players.

via WCH2016.com.

Team Canada defeats Team Europe to win Group A

TORONTO -- Team Canada completed its undefeated roll through the preliminary round of the World Cup of Hockey 2016 with a 4-1 win against Team Europe at Air Canada Centre on Wednesday.

Jonathan Toews scored twice and had an assist for Team Canada, which clinched first place in Group A by going 3-0-0 while outscoring its opponents 14-3.

"I think tonight we got a few bounces and a couple of goals went in, but I think we're all finding our game more and more as the tournament goes along," Toews said.

Next is a semifinal game against either Alex Ovechkin and Team Russia or Connor McDavid and Team North America on Saturday or Sunday.

"On the defensive side of things, we're going to have to make sure we're ready for whoever we face," Team Canada captain Sidney Crosby said. "We need to make sure we control the puck in their end. I think we know at this point that whoever we play, we'd better be ready to move our feet."

Marian Hossa scored and Jaroslav Halak made 43 saves for Team Europe, which finished second in Group A at 2-1-0 and will play Team Sweden, the Group B winner, in the semifinals.

"We came here and it was our goal to go to the semis," Team Europe defenseman Roman Josi said. "It's definitely great for the group. We're happy, and we, obviously, want more now."

Team Canada controlled play from the drop of the puck, outshooting Team Europe 17-4 in the first period and 46-20 in the game. Crosby scored first on a wraparound 4:01 into the period.

Toews capitalized on a Halak turnover by deflecting a Matt Duchene pass to make it 2-0 with 54.4 seconds left in the first. Hossa made it 2-1 with a shot from below the left circle that slipped past Corey Crawford, his Chicago Blackhawks teammate, on the short side and went in off the far post 4:38 into the second period.

Toews made it 3-1 when he scored from the left circle on a 2-on-1 with 5:12 remaining in the second. Logan Couture scored a 4-on-4 goal with 2:27 left in the third period.

Goal of the Game:

Crosby made it 1-0 by circling behind the net with the puck and beating Halak to the right post for his second goal of the tournament.

Save of the Game:

Halak kept Team Canada's lead at 1-0 with back-to-back saves on Brad Marchand with 1:10 remaining in the first period. After the puck bounced to Marchand at the right side of the crease, Halak slid over to make a left-pad stop on the initial shot and used his left arm to stop the rebound attempt.

Unsung Moment of the Game:

Team Europe forward Tobias Rieder moved in alone against Crawford 2:36 into the game and appeared to have the goaltender beaten when he pulled the puck to his backhand. But Team Canada defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic hit Rieder with his stick from behind, causing his shot to slide wide of the right post.

"I think I felt just a little whack that kind of messed everything up," Rieder said. "If that goes in, [the game] might take a different direction."

Highlight of the Game:

Toews made it 2-0 with help from Duchene. Halak played the puck behind the net and Duchene intercepted along the left-wing boards before throwing it in front to Toews for the redirection.

They Said It:

"I was pretty nervous before the game. Wearing the jersey, being on the ice with all those guys, it got me a little nervous. It's special. I always wanted to be a part of that. To play in the game was awesome." -- Team Canada goaltender Corey Crawford

"It's not one of those games where you ever leave feeling real great because you don't play like you're supposed to. But big win for our team. We're set up good. Don't have to move dressing rooms. Life is good, man." -- Team Canada coach Mike Babcock

"Everybody could see that they were a little better than us, at least tonight. They outshot us, outchanced us. Jaro played great for us, but it's really hard to beat this team. You never know what'll happen, but it's going to be really hard to beat this team." -- Team Europe right wing Marian Hossa

Need to Know:

Crosby (two goals, two assists), Toews (three goals, one assist) and Duchene (two goals, two assists) are tied for the Team Canada and tournament lead with four points. Team North America defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere also has four points (all assists). … Center Ryan O'Reilly was the only Team Canada skater to play in three preliminary-round games and not get a point. … Forward Mats Zuccarello leads Team Europe with three points (one goal, two assists).

PLAYER & PUCK TRACKING INSIGHTS from SAP
The puck was in Team Canada's offensive zone 47% of the time at even strength

What's Next:

Team Canada: Will play either Team Russia or Team North America in a semifinal on Saturday or Sunday. It will be Team Russia if it defeats Team Finland on Thursday. It will be Team North America if Team Finland wins that game.

Team Europe: Will play Team Sweden in a semifinal on Saturday or Sunday.

via WCH2016.com.

Team North America defeats Team Sweden in overtime

TORONTO -- Team North America inched closer to the semifinals of the World Cup of Hockey 2016 with a 4-3 overtime win against Team Sweden in the last preliminary round game for each team at Air Canada Centre on Wednesday.

Team Sweden won Group B and advanced into the semifinals because of the one point it earned with the overtime loss. It will play Team Europe, which finished second in Group A after losing to Team Canada 4-1 on Wednesday.

The other semifinal berth from Group B will go to Team North America or Team Russia.

It will be Team North America if Team Finland defeats Team Russia on Thursday. A win by Team Russia would put it in the semifinals and eliminate Team North America based on the head-to-head tiebreaker (Team Russia defeated Team North America 4-3 on Monday).

"We entertained, and we'd like a chance to continue that," Team North America coach Todd McLellan said. "But it's out of our control."

Nathan MacKinnon scored the game-winning goal at 4:11 of overtime. Auston Matthews, Vincent Trocheck and Johnny Gaudreau scored in the first period, and goalie John Gibson made 35 saves.

Team Sweden goalie Henrik Lundqvist made 45 saves, and Filip Forsberg, Nicklas Backstrom and Patrik Berglund scored. Berglund's goal at 6:50 of the third period tied the game 3-3.

"They won the game, but at the end of the day we won the group and that's what we're going to be happy about," Team Sweden defenseman Erik Karlsson said.

Team North America scored twice in the first 95 seconds and held a 9-1 advantage in shots on goal through the first 4:29.

Connor McDavid's rush through all five Team Sweden skaters 20 seconds into the game created the possession that led to Matthews' second goal of the tournament 10 seconds later, giving Team North America a 1-0 lead.

PLAYER & PUCK TRACKING INSIGHTS from SAP
Team North America forwards Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel achieved the top speed (24 mph) during the game.

Gaudreau was given a penalty shot 26 seconds later after getting hooked from behind on a breakaway by Karlsson; Gaudreau shot high and wide.

Trocheck scored at 1:35 to give Team North America a 2-0 lead.

Team Sweden made it 2-1 on Forsberg's shot from the right circle that hit off of Gibson as it went into the net at 8:24. Gaudreau responded with a breakaway goal at 13:57, and Backstrom answered for Team Sweden at 16:28 to make it 3-2.

"Obviously they caught us on our heels there pretty quick, and I think it was good for us to go down right away," Karlsson said. "We had to realize we had to play a better game in order to give ourselves a chance to win. We put ourselves in that position. We evolved our game more than they did throughout the 60 minutes and that's why we won the group."

Goal of the Game:

MacKinnon's game-winner was like a play you'd see at the end of a practice. He was alone in front of Lundqvist when he got the puck and made a series of quick stickhandling moves. Lundqvist swung out his stick to try to swipe the puck away from him but missed. MacKinnon dragged the puck to his backhand, Lundqvist's stick came out of his hands, and MacKinnon roofed it into the net.

Save of the Game:

Fifteen seconds before MacKinnon scored, Gibson came up with a game-saving stop on Daniel Sedin, who was sprung for what was essentially a red-line-in breakaway. Gibson stopped Sedin's attempt with his pad.

Unsung Moment of the Game:

Team North America kept the game tied 3-3 with McDavid in the penalty box for holding Anton Stralman at 15:34 of the third period. Team Sweden had three shots on goal during the power play, but Gibson stopped them all.

Highlight of the Game:

McDavid got the puck in the defensive zone on the first shift of the game and knifed up the middle of the ice. He blew past Team Sweden's three forwards and slipped between defensemen Stralman and Victor Hedman to generate a scoring chance that led to another five seconds later and a rebound goal for Matthews.

They Said It:

"Dave Tippett has coached probably more games than probably the rest of our staff put together, and we have coaches that have been around for a while, but we became fans. I was standing on the bench, 'No, no, no,' and then 'Go, go, go.' It was just going back and forth, the energy in the building and the passion with the fans, the players. I've seen a lot of excited players, but that bench was very excited. It was a lot of fun." -- Team North America coach Todd McLellan

"Wake the [bleep] up. Those first two minutes there, that was probably the most embarrassing part that I've ever been a part of on a team. They did it all. They had three breakaways, a penalty shot, a penalty called with them against us, two goals in the net. It gave us kind of a slap in the face, and I think that even though we didn't say those words to each other, it kind of made us say them to ourselves, look ourselves in the mirror realizing we need to wake up." -- Team Sweden defenseman Erik Karlsson

Need to Know:

Team North America goalie Matt Murray was scratched because of a sore right thumb. He started the previous two games. ... Lundqvist made 81 saves in two games on back-to-back days after missing the first game of the tournament because he was ill.

What's Next:

Team North America: Will advance to the semifinals if Team Finland defeats Team Russia on Thursday, and would play Team Canada, which won Group A.

Team Sweden: Will play Team Europe in the semifinals on Saturday or Sunday.

via WCH2016.com.