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World Cup of Hockey: Team Canada preview (Puck Daddy)

WCOH PREVIEW
WCOH PREVIEW

The World Cup of Hockey is back, with the NHL-backed tournament scheduled for the next few weeks in lovely Toronto. Yahoo Sports will offer on-site coverage from the event; but first, here’s a look at the six nations and the two made-up teams that will battle for the funny-looking trophy.

TEAM CANADA

Schedule

Saturday, Sept. 17 – Group A preliminary vs. Czech Republic 8 p.m. ET

Tuesday, Sept. 20 – Group A preliminary vs. USA, 8 p.m. ET

Wednesday, Sept. 21 – Group A preliminary vs. Europe, 8 p.m. ET

Vitals

Career NHL Games – 14,248
Career NHL Goals (Skaters) –3,662
Career NHL Assists (Skaters) –6,262
Career NHL Points (Skaters) –9,924
Career NHL Wins (Goaltenders) – 564
Average Age – 29.1
Average Height (Inches) – 73.7
Average Weight (Pounds) – 207.2
Stanley Cups – 15

Forwards

Team Canada is so deep at center that they have high-end pivots playing wing in their exhibition contests.

Even with Sidney Crosby out against Team USA in their second exhibition game, Team Canada beat the United States 5-2. A total of six of the top-10 goal scorers from the 2015-16 season are forwards on Team Canada. One of those players, Corey Perry, wasn’t an initial selection for the Canadians.

This group isn’t just about offense. The Canadians have two former Selke Trophy winners in Patrice Bergeron and Jonathan Toews. Forward Brad Marchand is a gritty pest who is strong on both sides of the puck.

They’ve got speedsters like Matt Duchene and finishers like Steven Stamkos. Overall it’s the most balanced, and decorated, group in the tournament and it’s hard to find a weakness with how they’re constructed.

Defense

Team Canada’s defense is built around mobile puck-movers who are as strong in their own end as they are in the offensive end. Drew Doughty won the Norris Trophy last season with a campaign that saw him notch 51 points while still averaging the most ice-time for the Los Angeles Kings on the penalty kill at 2:56 per-game. Brent Burns, a Norris finalist last year, is coming off a splendid playoffs where he was arguably the San Jose Sharks’ top all-around player with 24 points in 24 games while averaging a team-high 25:07 per-game. Sharks teammate Marc-Edouard Vlasic is one of the top positional defenders in the NHL.

The last defense spot could be rotated by Kings defenseman Jake Muzzin and Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester. Muzzin is a strong puck possession player who has turned into one of the best two-way defensemen in the NHL. Bouwmeester is a veteran Canadian defenseman going into his third major international tournament (Olympics or World Cup) with the team.

Pretty much all of Canada’s defensemen are on the top pairings of their respective teams.

Goalies

It appears that Carey Price, who won the Hart and Vezina Trophies for the 2014-15 season will start in goal. If he falters 2015-16 Vezina winner Braden Holtby can jump in and do a solid job backstopping the Canadians. Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford – a two-time Stanley Cup champion – is the probable third-string goaltender.

Price is arguably the most talented goaltender in the NHL and held a 0.59 goal-against average and .972 save percentage at the Sochi Olympics to help the Canadians to a gold medal. He played just 12 games last season as he dealt with a knee issue, which could be a problem. But even if he’s not 100 percent healthy for this tournament, Holtby and Crawford are both experienced players who can jump in and give Canada elite level goaltending.

Grade The Jerseys

Team Canada
Team Canada

B

The Maple Leaf on this jersey isn’t quite as classic looking as the crest for the Vancouver Olympics jersey or the Sochi Olympics jersey. But it’s generally hard to mess up a Canadian hockey jersey and it’s still a solid look for Canada.

Special Teams

Team Canada could have two of the best passers in the game in Joe Thornton and Crosby dishing the puck to two of the NHL’s elite power play shooters in Steven Stamkos (14 power play goals in 2015-16) and Shea Weber (14 power play goals in 2015-16). Burns tied for second in the league last year with 30 power play points.

On the penalty kill, Team Canada has two of the best two-way forwards in the NHL with Toews and Bergeron who have four Selkes between them. Marchand also averaged 2:00 on the PK last season. Vlasic is a savvy operator in his own end and several other Team Canada defensemen are top penalty killing contributors on their NHL teams.

Most of the Canadian forwards may have better offensive leanings than defensive, which could be an issue when Canada goes a man down, but it likely won’t be a major problem.

Coach

Mike Babcock has never lost a major international competition with Team Canada involving professionals. In Sochi, his ability to get his team to buckle down defensively won the Canadians a gold medal.

He generally knows all the right buttons to push and has a sense on how to handle all the egos in his dressing room during an international tournament for Canada.

OTTAWA, ON - SEPTEMBER 12: Head coach Mike Babcock talks to media during a press conference after practice in preparation for the World Cup of Hockey at Canadian Tire Centre on September 12, 2016 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/World Cup of Hockey via Getty Images)
(Photo by Andre Ringuette/World Cup of Hockey via Getty Images)

They’ll Make It Out of Group Play If …

They play at the level that’s indicative of their immense talent.

Canada’s only tough game will come against the United States on Sept. 20.

The Canadians have much more talent than Team Europe and the Czech Republic – two other teams in their group. As long as Canada shows up and lets their skill take over in each game, they should be fine.

They’ll Flop At The World Cup If …

They run into a hot goalie or a team that comes together faster. Also even a team as talented as Canada could be hurt by a bad bounce.

Canada has been prone to at least one stinker in past major international competitions. In the 2014 Olympics the Canadians squeaked by Latvia in the quarterfinals. In the 2010 Olympics against Switzerland in the preliminary round, Canada needed a shootout to win. In the 2002 Olympics Canada also struggled early on before taking gold.

Once they get out of group play, a bevy of teams could prove difficult for the Canadians. Team North America, Team Sweden and Team USA all have high-end NHL players and could challenge the Canadians in a one-game, winner-take-all scenario or a best two out of three.

There’s always such pressure on Canada, especially on home ice in Toronto. If they don’t win the whole tournament it’ll be seen as a flop for the team.

Prediction

Canada should win the World Cup. They have depth, speed, skill and grit. This is mostly the same core group from Canada’s 2010 and 2014 gold medal Olympic performances.

Babcock knows how to get these stars to check their egos at the door and play the right type of winning hockey. It’s possible that Canada could lose, but they’re the most complete team in the World Cup.

Previous World Cup previews

Czech Republic

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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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