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World Cup lessons learned from worlds
- Updated: May 24, 2016
2:47 PM ET
Canada took home another gold in the world championships. Next up is the World Cup of Hockey.
As the page is turned from one world competition to the next, here’s a look at five things we learned at the world championships in Russia that could have an impact on the World Cup in Toronto in September.
Tough decisions for Canada: Canada’s players were motivated to win another gold at the world championships, of course, but there was something else on the line. As with the other teams in the World Cup, Canada will be filling its remaining roster spots at the end of the week. A number of Canadian players built cases throughout the world championships that they are good enough to be included in the World Cup. Taylor Hall led Canada with six goals in 10 games. Matt Duchene and Mark Stone tied for second on the team and finished in the top 10 in scoring with 10 points each. Corey Perry, Brad Marchand and Ryan O’Reilly produced throughout the tournament as well.
“Duchene is a hell of a player,” one World Cup team adviser said following the tournament. “I thought he had a great tournament. He showed himself well.”
Patrik Laine established himself as a legit star with his play at the Worlds. Sergei Savostyanov\TASS/Getty Images
Finland is a legit contender with a legit star: Finland fell short of the hat trick of championships. The Finns had won the under-18 and world junior titles and were looking to complete their season with a world championships title. After going undefeated in pool play, which included a 4-0 win over Canada, and then decisively beating Denmark and host Russia in the quarterfinals and semifinals, Finland’s run ended with a 2-0 loss to Canada in the gold-medal game. Throughout the tournament, Finland proved it’s for real. The Finns outscored their opponents 37-10 and had a 9-1 record. Their lineup also included six of the 16 players named to the World Cup roster.
On top of that, 18-year-old winger Patrik Laine, who wasn’t one of the first 16 players named to the World Cup team, was named the MVP of the tournament. He scored seven goals and had 12 points in 10 games.
“Again, every time the puck is on his stick, he’s a threat …
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