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.