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Who says that the practice of tanking to insure a high draft choice is painful?
Connor McDavid, the first overall pick at the 2015 NHL Draft posterized future first ballot Hall Of Famer Pavel Datsyuk on a routine wall play. McDavid 's speed and strength allowed him to blow past Datsyuk and to serve a zesty sauce to 2016 first overall pick Auston Matthews.
Highlight reel goal!
They're so sick. #WCH2016 pic.twitter.com/2FpkD3p8rt
— #WCH2016 (@NHL) September 20, 2016
Holy crap! What a goal!
McDavid to Matthews magic. #TeamNA #WCH2016 pic.twitter.com/LhSLqhtrTJ
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) September 20, 2016
1-0 Young Bucks!
Tank you very much!
Russia dominates the second period where they scored four goals and chased Matt Murray from the Team NA cage. Russia goal scorers: Namestnikov, Kucherov, and Kucherov.
It was a WILD 2nd between @russiahockey_en and @TeamNA_WCH. Here's what happened. #WCH2016 pic.twitter.com/0Rc3QtDOE3
— #WCH2016 (@NHL) September 20, 2016
Tarasenko awoke from his slumber to score the goal that made the score 4-1.
The difference right now is @tara9191's tally. #WCH2016 pic.twitter.com/JlBIA51ar4
— #WCH2016 (@NHL) September 20, 2016
Dude's pretty good. #91 #WCH2016 https://t.co/zTWbbkXQM8
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) September 20, 2016
Russia scored 4 goals in 5:30 minutes.
Morgan Reilly made it a two goal game.
Not comfortable trailing by three goals, MacKinnon and Nugent-Hopkins combined on a goal mouth scramble to make the score 4-3 Russia.
Three won't do it for @TeamNA_WCH. #WCH2016 pic.twitter.com/sZBhzaIDHY
— #WCH2016 (@NHL) September 20, 2016
This game had all of the tension of an NHL playoff game. It was electric!
The game ended with Team North America on a 6 on 4 PP and John Gibson on the bench.
In the dying moments, Shane Ghostisbehere banged this bomb of BOB's post! This was the game tying goal! This is how close this game really was.
ghost post pic.twitter.com/aZ9ixhTVwB
— Stephanie (@myregularface) September 20, 2016
Johnny Hockey missed an open net. Ditto Mark Scheifele.
Maybe next time, boys.
Jack Eichel, a member of Team North America's #1 PP unit, was not on the ice for the 6 on 4 PP. Moments before, he was smashed with this high hit from Russian D Alexei Emelin. Eichel finished his shift after the hit and appeared to be favoring his left side as he skated to the bench.
Eichel gets destroyed by Emelin https://t.co/EP7PCDY4We
— Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) September 20, 2016
I hate this hit. Emelin finished high on Eichel. No penalty was called in the hit.
Emelin is a Montreal Canadien. I'm thinking that Eichel's Buffalo Sabres teammates will take the time to remind Emelin of his transgression on Eichel when the two teams meet this season. Emelin and the Montreal Canadiens visit Buffalo in October 13.
Credit to the kids for not quitting when the score was 4-1 Russia.
***
Jack Eichel is a stone cold beauty!
The kid chirps a mile a minute. You have to love his sense of humor and creativity. Listen to him diagram plays for his teammates. He's 19 but he acts and plays like he's 25.
Thanks, World Cup
Again, Tank You Very Much!
***
Uh oh. Potential bad news for Team North America.
Their best defenseman will have to sit out the match with Russia tonight due to injury.
Aaron Ekblad was injured in the 4-1 win over Team Finland on Sunday.
I'm only speculating, however, I think Ekblad was injured on this monster collision with gritty Finn energy forward Leo Komarov.
Here's the Komarov-Ekblad crash!
ref cam view of Komarov hit on Ekblad pic.twitter.com/EIdlpMYEn9
— Stephanie (@myregularface) September 19, 2016
Komarov hit on Ekblad pic.twitter.com/WGYRVE5cxF
— Stephanie (@myregularface) September 19, 2016
Thanks @myregularface
Ekblad skated 23:53 TOI on Sunday night vs. The Finns. His presence will be missed against Alex Ovechkin and the Russians, who are face a do or die scenario after losing their tourney opener to Sweden on Saturday afternoon.
In 3 pre-tourney games, Ekblad averaged 22 minutes TOI and he collected three points.
Ekblad will be replaced by Jacob Trouba, who was a scratch in Sunday's win over the Finns. Trouba was also a scratch in two of the three Team North America exhibition games.
Nothing like a little pressure, eh, Trouba?
**
Count me among that one percenters who prefers Lenny Kravitz over Green Day.
It's no contest. I choose Kravitz over Green Day in a landslide.
On Sunday night, Green Day went all punk rock and bailed out on their scheduled performance at the World Cup of Hockey. The punters turned Broadway and pop culture darlings actually cancelled the first three shows of their upcoming tour quickly was supposed to open in Toronto.
Can you tell that I can't stand Green Day? Never have and never will.
The "World Cup of Hockey Celebration of Champions" will happen on Friday, September 23 and will go on as planned with blues rocker Lenny Kravitz as the new, improved headliner. I wanted to see either RUSH or The Tragically Hip take the place of Green Day. If I can't have one of the two iconic Ontario-originated bands, I can surely live with Kravitz, who can bring down the house like nobody's business. The Friday night concert at the World Cup of Hockey Fan Village in Toronto's historic Distillery District will close the "World Cup of Hockey Celebration of Champions" event, which also will include a salute to 2016 Olympians.