TEAM EUROPE STUN TEAM SWEDEN TO REACH World Cup of Hockey Final  – Canada v Europe

Team Sweden tied the game with 4:32 remaining in regulation, but Tomas Tatar (2-0—2) scored at 3:43 of overtime to propel Team Europe into the final of the World Cup of Hockey 2016.

Team Europe – a pan-European roster of players from birth countries outside of the Czech Republic, Finland, Russia and Sweden – features players from eight countries: Germany and Slovakia (6 apiece); Switzerland (4); Denmark (3); and Austria, France, Norway and Slovenia (1 apiece). The combined record of those countries in 17 World Cup of Hockey/Canada Cup games before this tournament was 1-15-1 (West Germany/Germany: 1-9-1, Slovakia: 0-6-0).

Team Europe defeated Team USA, Team Czech Republic and Team Sweden to reach the final of the World Cup of Hockey 2016. Those countries have combined to win 11 IIHF World Championships, three Olympic gold medals and one World Cup of Hockey championship over the past 25 years.

Tatar, who also gave Team Europe the lead 12 seconds into the third period, recorded his first two goals of the World Cup of Hockey 2016. He has one overtime goal in 280 career NHL games (regular season and playoffs), for the Detroit Red Wings on Nov. 16, 2015 at OTT.

SUNDAY’S RESULT
Home Team in Caps
Team Europe 3, TEAM SWEDEN 2 (OT)

SNEAK PEEK AT WORLD CUP OF HOCKEY 2016 FINAL
All Times Eastern

Game 1 – Tuesday, Sept. 27
Team Europe @ Team Canada
8 p.m.

Game 2 – Thursday, Sept. 29
Team Canada @ Team Europe
8 p.m.

Game 3 – Saturday, Oct. 1*
Team Europe @ Team Canada
7 p.m.* If necessary

TEAM CANADA MEETS TEAM EUROPE FOR CHAMPIONSHIP

Team Canada and Team Europe, the top two finishers in Group A during round-robin play, face off in the final of the World Cup of Hockey 2016, which begins Tuesday at Air Canada Centre. Team Canada is appearing in the final of the World Cup of Hockey/Canada Cup for the eighth time in as many such tournaments (with wins in 1976, 1984, 1987, 1991 and 2004). Team Europe, meanwhile, is looking to cap its World Cup of Hockey debut with a victory in the final.

These clubs met in their last preliminary round game on Sept. 21, when Jonathan Toews scored twice – including the winning goal – to power Team Canada to a 4-1 victory and first place in the Group A standings.

The expected starting goaltenders for this matchup are former Montreal Canadiens teammates Jaroslav Halak (EUR) and Carey Price (CAN). The duo has combined for 80% of Montreal’s regular-season wins over the past eight NHL campaigns (253 of 318).

Team Canada ranks first among clubs participating in the World Cup of Hockey 2016 with a combined 14 Stanley Cup victories. Team Europe places second in that category with a collective eight wins.