World Cup of Hockey Team Russia v. Team North America: Highlights and Review

If you missed Team Russia vs. Team North America at the World Cup of Hockey, you missed one of the most exciting games in the tournament. Feel bad, you missed a great one.

Going into this second game for group B at the World Cup of Hockey, the momentum was all on the North Americans. (Can we just agree to call them the Young Guns? Thanks)

The Young Guns, came out against Team Finland to put up an impressive 4-1 win. It was more of the same from pre-tournament. Everyone was in love with these North American kids, youth, speed, and incredible, incredible skills.

So going into this game, could these Young Guns keep the winning train going against the Russians?

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For the New York Islander Nikolai Kulemin and the Russians, this was a must win game. With only another game against Team Finland on September the 22nd, they needed the two points from this game for a chance to make it to the semi-finals.

Six Minutes of Glory

Going into the second period, the Russian’s were down a goal and just not able to generate anything of value. Errant pucks, lack of focus and just looked like they had no idea they were involved in a competitive hockey game. Until Bobrovsky denied Connor McDavid.

After that save Team Russia exploded to life, scoring four unanswered goals in just over six minutes. In just six minutes, Team Russia took control of the game and forced recent Stanley Cup champion Matt Murray from the crease.

The Russian’s were flying so high that Nikita Kucherov decided to get mouthy with Connor McDavid and his boys. After scoring what seemed to be an incredibly soft goal off a Nikolai Kulemin pass, Kucherov skated towards the Young Guns bench and utter some sort of taunt.

Don’t Poke A Sleeping Bear

To which the Young North Americans responded with two unanswered goals of the thir own. Bringing the game back to within a single goal.

If it wasn’t for Bobrovsky the Russian’s would have been long buried under wave-after-wave of North American pressure. They outshot the Russian’s 19-4 in the fourth period as clawed their way back.

Shot-after-shot the Young Guns chipped away, getting oh-so-close. But ultimately losing out in the end, thanks in no small part to a post and Bobrovsky standing on his head in the third.

Next: Halak and Team Europe Win in Overtime

The rest of Group B, Team Finland and Team Sweden, take to the ice on Tuesday, September 20th at 3pm. A win for Team Sweden will effectively knock out the Fins. But an upset from Patrik Laine would blow the group wide open.