Teams participating in the upcoming World Cup of Hockey held their first practices today, giving a glimpse to fans at what their projected lines might look like. For Canadiens fans, it was an opportunity to get an update on Carey Price’s recovery and with whom their players will line up with to start the tournament.
Status updates on Price have been positive all Summer long but there will be a lingering concern on how his knee will hold up all throughout the tournament. In anticipation for the World Cup, Price ramped up his training starting in August in order to be in game shape now.
Carey Price says he skated five days a week in August preparing for the tourney - which is more than he normally would. #WCH2016
— Bruce Garrioch (@SunGarrioch) September 5, 2016
By all accounts, it seems that his strategy was successful as Price looked like he hasn’t missed a beat at Team Canada’s first up-tempo practice. He will likely get into game action vs the United States September 9th for Canada’s first preliminary game.
Canada is doing 3-on-0s and Carey Price basically isn't letting anything past him. He looks fine.
— Ðrpon Basu (@ArponBasu) September 5, 2016
In other team Canada news, it looks like Shea Weber will stay on the top defence pair, even without his usual national team partner Duncan Keith. Marc-Edouard Vlasic will replace Keith on the top unit and play with Weber, at least to start the tournament. However, despite Weber’s 16 power play goals last season, it appears as though he will not get an opportunity on either of Canada’s man advantage units as they look like they will be employing a 1-3-1 strategy with 4 forwards and 1 defenceman:
Canada's PP units: Crosby-Tavares-Stamkos-Getzlaf-Doughty & Thornton-Duchene-Seguin-Giroux-Burns.
— Jonas Siegel (@jonassiegel) September 5, 2016
In a bit of a surprise, Team USA has put Canadiens captain Max Pacioretty on the top line:
US lines: Pacioretty-Pavelski-Kane; Parise-Stepan-Wheeler; Abdekader-Kesler-Oshie; van Riemsdyk-Backes-Dubinsky; Palmieri
— Terry Koshan (@koshtorontosun) September 5, 2016
That is an exciting line for hockey fans and should be one to watch out for if they are able to build quick chemistry together. It could also bode well for Pacioretty to be in fine form when the tournament is over and the regular season starts...
On Team Russia, Canadiens defencemen Andrei Markov and Alexei Emelin found paired together on the team’s third defensive unit.
#TeamRussia D pairs: Orlov - Zaitsev, Kulikov - Marchenko, Markov - Emelin, Nesterov #WCH
— Igor Eronko (@IgorEronko) September 5, 2016
These two have played together in the past in Montreal and Russia will hoping that their familiarity with each other with help in this short tournament. Emelin will be playing his off wing though and so there may be an adjustment period for him.
Finally, Tomas Plekanec will be centering the Czech Republic’s top line at the World Cup:
Czech lines #WCH2016
— Marina Molnar (@mkmolnar) September 5, 2016
Birner - Plekanec - Voracek
Palat - Hanzal - Pastrnak
Frolik - Faksa - Hemsky
Michalek - Sobotka - Jaskin
The Czech’s are going to be in tough at the tournament having lost players to injury and not having the same depth to replace them with comparable players, ie: Corey Perry for Jeff Carter compared to Michal Birner for Tomas Hertl.
PS: If you ever need someone to bake Gingerbread men, my Dad is the bestest :)
Hands down, my Dad is the coolest baker & decorator... pic.twitter.com/lRpdxHK6UB
— Jennifer B. Cutler (@Jenbcutler) September 5, 2016
Cheers & follow along! Follow @Jenbcutler