Flyers' Bellemare aids Team Europe's stunning win; 'Ghost' helps North America

The Flyers' fourth-line center scored a goal while their top-line center was a healthy scratch on Saturday in Toronto.

Welcome to the wacky World Cup of Hockey.

Pierre-Edouard Bellemare had the goal to help Team Europe stun the United States, 3-0.

In another surprise, Canada coach Mike Babcock scratched Flyers captain Claude Giroux, who leads the NHL in points over the last five years.

Canada routed the Czech Republic, 6-0, as Sidney Crosby had three points and was plus-4.

Bellemare said he and his teammates didn't go into their game thinking they were heavy underdogs, as the oddsmakers suggested.

"Every team has unbelievable talent," he said in a phone interview from Toronto on Sunday. "We didn't question ourselves and think, 'We're not as good as Team America.' "

That said, Bellemare acknowledged that the players on Europe are not as familiar with each other as those on most other World Cup teams.

Many of the players on other teams have played together in the past, representing their countries. But Europe, on paper, is at a disadvantage because it has players from eight countries.

"We just met each other a week and a half ago," Bellemare said. "It's tough to play as a team when you haven't been together before. That was the challenge. But we all have the same goal and we're all helping the guy next to us."

Bellemare's team is composed of players from any European nation except Russia, Sweden, Finland, and the Czech Republic.

The key to the opening-round win, Bellemare said, was that "we played with a lot of patience. We didn't try to make some crazy plays. We played smart hockey, and the goals we scored were on their (Team USA's) mistakes."

On Monday, Europe will face the Czech Republic at 3 p.m. on ESPN. The Czechs dropped a 6-0 opener to Canada on Saturday. Michal Neuvirth stopped 44 of 50 shots for the losers, and his Flyers' teammate, Jake Voracek, had four shots and was minus-1.

O'Reilly replaces Giroux. Buffalo forward Ryan O'Reilly, who was added to the team three days ago to replace the injured Tyler Seguin, took Giroux's spot on the fourth line alongside Joe Thornton and Matt Duchene.

Babcock said he wanted O'Reilly in the lineup because of his penalty-killing ability.

Giroux suffered a minor injury after getting checked into the boards during a recent exhibition game, but Flyers GM Ron Hextall said he was healthy enough to play.

North America prevails. Calgary's Johnny Gaudreau, a South Jersey native, scored a goal and the Flyers' Shayne Gostisbehere contributed an assist as speedy North America defeated Finland, 4-1, n a World Cup first-round game Sunday.

North America is composed of players 23 and under.

"Just because we're younger doesn't mean we're not as good," Edmonton's Connor McDavid told reporters after North America outshot Finland, 43-25.