WCH Preview: United States v. Canada

[Red Squirrel]

We beat the US 2 to 1. :B


http://wch2004.com/scores/previews/103_6_preview.html


WCH Preview: United States v. Canada
Tuesday, Aug. 31, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2, CBC

MONTREAL (CP) - A young Team Canada will look to build confidence Tuesday when it meets the U.S. for its first round-robin game in the World Cup of Hockey tournament.

"It's a very important game," team executive director Wayne Gretzky said Monday. "The first game is not the most important - the last one is - but to get some momentum and confidence for this young team, the game is very important."

The 21,273-seat Bell Centre, where the Americans beat Canada 5-2 in the final of the 1996 World Cup, is sold out for the Tuesday match (ESPN2, CBC, 7p.m., EDT). It pits and aging but talented U.S. squad and a Canadian team featuring 38-year-old star Mario Lemieux and a mostly young supporting cast.

Canada plays its second game on Wednesday night against Slovakia, also at the Bell Centre, before moving to Toronto to wind up round-robin play Saturday night against Russia.

Since all teams qualify for the quarter-finals, when single-game knockout play begins, winning the round robin opener would be nice, but not crucial, said veteran centre Joe Sakic.

"You want to win the first three games, but mostly, you just want to keep getting better," he said. "It's not the end of the world if you don't win all three.

"It's what you do come the quarter-finals that counts, and everything has to build toward that."

Still, intensity promises to be high, as it was even when the two teams split a pair of pre-tournament exhibition matches last week.

"For us, this is the match-up we want," said U.S. defenceman Eric Weinrich. "It puts the pressure on Canada and it's an exciting game right off the bat. You don't want to play your best game in the first game. It's important just to play really well as a team. But for this type of game, it's the greatest atmosphere to be in."

After practice, U.S. coach Ron Wilson announced that 42-year-old Chris Chelios would be team captain and six players would share duties as alternate captains.

The game will be a first real test for Lemieux, who was limited to only 10 games last season due to hip surgery, and for a group of newcomers to top-flight international hockey, such as Martin St. Louis, Vincent Lecavalier, Robyn Regehr and Dany Heatley.

"It's always special to play for your country," said Lemieux, who once rivalled Gretzky as the sport's greatest player. "You never know when the next chance will come. I don't know if I'll be able to do it again."

Starting line-ups won't be known until Tuesday, but Martin Brodeur, who led Canada to a gold medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics, will start in goal. Robert Esche of the Philadelphia Flyers will be in the U.S. net.

With 26 players on each roster, six must sit out each game. Based on line combinations used in Monday's practice, it appeared that centre Joe Thornton may be one of the odd men out, along with forwards Brenden Morrow and Shane Doan, defencemen Jay Bouwmeester and Scott Hannan and goalie Jose Theodore.

However, Thornton may yet dress. He practised on the second power-play unit and head coach Pat Quinn disagreed with critics who suggested Thornton had a weak training camp.

"Joe got stronger each game," said Quinn. "Like the rest of us, we were a little rusty, the timing wasn't there, our team play wasn't good, the Americans played a different style than we expected.

"Some people didn't handle it as well. But each day, he improved. I think he's going to be fine."

Thornton, who battled a severe rib injury during the NHL playoffs, said he wouldn't be crushed if he has to watch from the press box.

"I think everybody started slow," he said. "But I felt good the last game (a 2-2 tie with Slovakia) and our line played well.

"There's so many good players, you could put another Team Canada out there. Whoever's line has to sit, maybe they'll get into other games."

One who looks to have played himself into the starting line-up is Lecavalier, the Tampa Bay centre who was a late injury replacement.

Lecavalier centred a line with the gifted Heatley and banger Ryan Smyth in practice and was on the first power-play unit with Lemieux and Jarome Iginla (with Sakic and defenceman Wade Redden on the points).

Gretzky said Lecavalier may have been on the original roster if the team hadn't been required to name its players before the end of the NHL playoffs - which ended with Lecavalier having helped the Lightning win the Stanley Cup.

"Vinny got better every game and every series and he earned his way onto this team," said Gretzky.

He hopes Lecavalier has the same experience as Iginla, who was a late call-up for the 2002 Olympics and became a key member of the gold medal winning team.

"I feel really good," said Lecavalier, 24. "The first couple of days, I was a little nervous and didn't feel that comfortable on the ice. But I've had three pretty good games and hopefully, I'll be in the starting line-up."

There was also doubt at the start of camp that Smyth would start, but his energy and physical play were strong.

"You have to find yourself a role on a team," he said.

The other lines in practice were: Sakic at centre with Lemieux on left wing and Iginla on the right side; Brad Richards with Simon Gagne and St. Louis; Kris Draper with Patrick Marleau and Kirk Maltby; and Thornton with Morrow and Doan.

The American lines were: Mike Modano with Keith Tkachuk and Brett Hull; Doug Weight with Brian Rolston and Chris Drury; Scott Gomez with Tony Amonte and Bill Guerin; Brian Smolinski with Jason Blake and Jamie Langenbrunner; and Craig Conroy with Steve Konowalchuk and Jeff Halpern.



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