WORLD CUP OF HOCKEY RECAP SEPT 18, TEAM NORTH AMERICA SHINES IN WORLD CUP OF HOCKEY DEBUT

Team North America scored three goals in the second period, including strikes by Johnny Gaudreau and Jonathan Drouin two minutes apart, to cruise past Team Finland in its World Cup of Hockey debut.

Team North America is comprised of a pool of the best young hockey players from Canada and the United States age 23 or younger as of Oct. 1, 2016. It includes five of the past six No. 1 overall picks in the NHL Draft (Auston Matthews, Connor McDavid, Aaron Ekblad, Nathan MacKinnon and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins) as well as the goaltender of the reigning Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins (Matt Murray).

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.

Murray made 24 saves, but fell 4:07 shy of the shutout. 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).

A look at where all eight teams stand following their first games in the World Cup of Hockey 2016:

 

SUNDAY’S RESULTS
Home Team in Caps
Team Sweden 2, TEAM RUSSIA 1
Team North America 4, TEAM FINLAND 1

SNEAK PEEK AT MONDAY’S ACTION
All Times Eastern
Team Europe @ Team Czech Republic, 3 p.m.
Team Russia @ Team North America, 8 p.m.