Depth rules, skill tops grit, Canada not happy yet with Team Europe on deck

TORONTO — Canada breezed past the United States 4-2 on Tuesday night in the preliminary round of the World Cup of Hockey. Here are five things we learned from the victory:

1. Depth matters

Every player has registered at least a point for Canada, save for Jay Bouwmeester, Ryan O’Reilly and Shea Weber. Eight different players have scored, although not Steven Stamkos or John Tavares, who combined for 69 goals in the NHL last season.

The Canadians are so deep that Claude Giroux, the NHL’s leading scorer since 2011, is an extra forward.

The fourth line, which scored a pair of goals against the Americans, includes Matt Duchene, who scored 30 goals last season for Colorado, and Joe Thornton, who trailed only Patrick Kane, Sidney Crosby and Jamie Benn in point production a year ago.

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“You look at how deep our team is, it’s more like four first lines,” Duchene said.

2. Skill tops grit

The Americans loaded their roster with big, edgy competitors, hoping to eventually topple Canada that way. One American forward, T.J. Oshie, even suggested that the U.S. had the advantage if Tuesday’s game came down to grit. Skill, he added, favoured Canada.

“I think that kind of fired us up to be honest with you,” Duchene said of the comments. “Obviously we’re very skilled but we have a gritty team as well and we showed it tonight.”

As Duchene pointed out, Canada scored three of its four goals around the net. 

3. Canada wasn’t entirely happy with its performance

“There was times tonight that I didn’t think we were even close to being as good as we’re capable of being,” head coach Mike Babcock said after Tuesday’s win. “We weren’t as good as we’re capable of being tonight.”

Babcock thought his team was off its game early and struggled again late. There were spurts he liked and spurts he didn’t. The Americans scored the first goal before Canada quickly took control.

“Probably wasn’t our best start,” Tavares said. “Probably wasn’t our best game really.”

The 26-year-old didn’t think the Canadians generated enough scoring opportunities after racing in front in the first period.

4. Price outduels Quick

Questions about Carey Price have faded fast.

Price, who missed most of last season with a right knee injury, stopped 34 of 36 shots on Tuesday, outduelling Jonathan Quick, who yielded four goals on 34 shots. The 29-year-old has indeed risen back to pre-injury norms or something close to it, stopping 61 of 63 shots in two starts thus far.

He’ll sit out Wednesday’s game against Team Europe in favour of Corey Crawford with Braden Holtby serving as the backup.

5. Canada has barely trailed

Just one minute 29 seconds in two games so far. Ryan McDonagh gave the U.S. the early lead on Tuesday, but it was quickly erased.

Duchene grabbed Marc-Edouard Vlasic’s shot attempt off the end-boards and deposited it behind Quick for the first goal, joined 14 seconds later by Perry. The 31-year-old charged hard to the crease and inadvertently deflected a Logan Couture rebound into the cage for the 2-1 advantage.

Duchene would score again six minutes later, Bergeron adding his second of the tournament a period later.

Canada led for more than 51 minutes in their 6-0 win over the Czechs and nearly 54 minutes against the Americans.

Jonas Siegel, The Canadian Press