Young Flyers lead Team North America in World Cup
When the World Cup of Hockey starts next week, Team North America is not expected to make much of an impact.
When the World Cup of Hockey starts next week, Team North America is not expected to make much of an impact.
Only two of the eight teams have worse odds than North America.
Flyers center Sean Couturier likes it that way.
"There's not a whole lot of pressure on us, but at the same time, I think people may be underestimating us a little," said Couturier in a phone interview before starting practice Monday in Montreal. "I think we have a nice group that can surprise a lot of people."
Couturier, 23, is part of a North America team that includes Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere and Calgary left winger Johnny Gaudreau (Gloucester Catholic). The team is composed of Americans and Canadiens who are 23 and under as of Oct. 1.
North America has a strong group of centers, led by Edmonton's Connor McDavid and Buffalo's Jack Eichel. Calgary's Sean Monahan, who had 27 goals last season, will miss the tourney because of a back injury and has been replaced by Florida's Vincent Trocheck (25 goals).
Couturier might center the fourth line, which could include Auston Matthews, selected by Toronto as the No. 1 pick in the June draft.
North America may have the fastest team in the tournament, which will be held Sept. 17 to Oct. 1 in Toronto.
"I feel people don't really know what to expect from our team," Couturier said. "We're a bunch of young guys coming together and trying to beat the more experienced guys and the biggest stars in our game, but we're pretty excited about our group. It's a really talented group, a really fast group, and skill-wise, I think we're up there with anybody."
Couturier says North America doesn't consider itself an underdog.
"In a tournament like this, you just need to be ready one game at a time," he said. "It's not like a long season, where [a lack of] experience may catch up with you."
Gostisbehere said the young team, which hopes its energy will help it overcome its inexperience, would bring a "different dynamic" to the tournament. "I think we're pretty darn good."
North America's defense will be anchored by Florida's Aaron Ekblad, and its goaltending is in the capable hands of Matt Murray and John Gibson. Murray led the Penguins to the Stanley Cup, and Gibson, a Pittsburgh native, is coming off an outstanding season with Anaheim (2.07 goals-against average, .920 save percentage).
Couturier, who should be one of the team's top penalty-killers, and Gostisbehere have both healed from injuries. Couturier suffered a shoulder sprain in Game 1 of the playoffs against Washington, and Gostisbehere's late-season effectiveness was hindered by hip and abdominal injuries that required offseason surgery.
The Flyers have seven players competing in the World Cup. The others: Claude Giroux with Canada; Michal Neuvirth and Jake Voracek with the Czech Republic; and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Mark Streit with Team Europe.
Those seven players - Radko Gudas was removed from the Czech team because of a wrist injury - will miss the first part of the Flyers' training camp, which begins Sept. 23 in Voorhees. But playing in a high-level tournament, Couturier said, will help the World Cup players start the NHL's regular season "on a faster pace" when the Flyers open the year in Los Angeles on Oct. 14.
Breakaways. The oddsmaker Bovada lists Canada as the World Cup favorite at 10/11, followed by Russia (9/2), Sweden (5/1), the United States (13/2), Finland (14/1), North America (16/1), Czech Republic (22/1), and Europe (33/1). . . . North America will face Russia, Finland, and Sweden in the preliminary round.
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