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Canada vs. Europe: 5 keys to World Cup of Hockey final

TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 21: Sidney Crosby #87 of Team Canada stickhandles the puck with pressure from Mats Zuccarello #63 of Team Europe during the World Cup of Hockey 2016 at Air Canada Centre on September 21, 2016 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/World Cup of Hockey via Getty Images)
Sidney Crosby #87 of Team Canada stickhandles the puck with pressure from Mats Zuccarello #63 of Team Europe during the World Cup of Hockey 2016 at Air Canada Centre on September 21, 2016 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Getty Images)

TORONTO – When professionals play one another in a ‘best-on-best’ tournament, one team beating the other shouldn’t be considered a big upset.

But at the World Cup, if Europe figures out a way to down Canada in their best two-of-three series, it would be considered an unexpected result.

The European team is made of players from countries that aren’t Sweden, Finland, the Czech Republic or Russia. They only started to play together early in the month of September.

Meanwhile, Team Canada has several players who have been teammates in big international tournaments before. They have all taken lesser roles with this group in a selfless approach to try to win the World Cup.

Canada has also been the most dominant team in this tournament, outscoring their opponent by a total of 19-6. The two teams played each other once before with Canada winning 4-1. In that game they outshot Europe 46-20. The only goal Team Europe scored was a bad angle shot by Marian Hossa on Corey Crawford.

“I think it definitely helps that we have a large group of leaders on our team who obviously push for everybody to buy in,” goaltender Carey Price said. “It seems like whenever the Canadian hockey players come together they’re willing to do whatever it takes or play whatever role it needed to be successful.”

Team Europe has gotten this far with a strong defensive effort, and a carefree attitude pushed by coach Ralph Krueger. Is this enough to beat the Canadians?

“Obviously the games are going to be very hard and we have to play our very best to beat them,” Europe captain Anze Kopitar said. “Do we think it’s doable? Yeah, for sure. But it’s going to take a lot from us. We’re excited for the challenge. That’s why we’re here. That’s why we’re playing hard and playing for each other and it has been very fun so far.”

Here are five keys to Game 1 of the World Cup final between Europe and Canada.

Halak vs. Price

The two goaltenders who used to play with each other with the Montreal Canadiens will go up against one another. Through three games, Price has held a 1.67 goal-against average and .948 save percentage. Halak has notched a 1.96 goal-against average and .947 save percentage.

“I think there’s going to be a personal … I don’t want to say rivalry, but both guys know who’s at the other end, and we’re very comfortable with our goalie, and I know they’re very comfortable with their goalie, so it should be very interesting,” Team Canada general manager Doug Armstrong said. “(Halak) is very calm. He’s very quiet. He sort of stays to himself, and I think in something like this, he doesn’t get rattled. He doesn’t look for the limelight. He probably stays away from it. So he just comes in and does his business and goes home.”

With the Canadiens in 2010, Halak helped push the team all the way to the Eastern Conference Final. If he steals this game against Canada, it would put a lot of pressure on the hometown team to win at the Air Canada Centre on Thursday in a do-or-die game.

Sidney Crosby’s line

In tight checking games at important moments, Crosby’s line has found open ice to score big goals. Against Russia, Crosby, Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron scored the first goal of the game, the goal that tied the contest at 2-2 and then the goal that gave Team Canada a 3-2 lead.

“I think we’ve gotten better. If you look at last game and the situation we were in, (we were) really forced to stay patient,” Crosby said. “It was a different challenge for us in that game and I thought we handled it really well. I just think you look to continue to improve. This will be a different opponent, a much more patient opponent. Defensively they’re very patient and very responsible, so we have to make sure we’re aware of that.”

In his last big international event – the 2014 Olympic Games – Crosby wasn’t that dynamic with three points in six games played. But he has been the top forward in the World Cup with seven points through four games. If this game is a tight checking affair, Team Canada will need Crosby’s trio to figure out a way to step up and put the puck in the net to give them a boost.

Anze Kopitar, Marian Hossa and Zdeno Chara

Team Europe’s ‘big three’ has six Stanley Cups between them and lots of big game experience.

Krueger has continued to heap praise on his veteran players as the reasons for why Europe has gotten this far. Kopitar has been especially important for this group, playing over 20 minutes per-night while notching three assists in four games. Chara has just one assist, but he has played steady defense. Hossa has been his typical two-way self and providing savvy veteran leadership.

“We are happy where we are and definitely pleased,” Hossa said. ”I think nobody would guess we could be in the final. It was 33-to-1 odds against us. So it just feels good to be where we’re at. I think everybody here is really happy.”

If Europe wants to beat Canada, all three players will need to perform at their best.

Vlasic and Weber

The Team Canada shutdown defensive pair of Shea Weber and Marc-Edouard Vlasic has been one of the more underrated storylines of the tournament.

While Crosby’s line has received most of the headlines, Weber and Vlasic’s steady play has enabled Team Canada to stop plays on defense and transition up to offense.

“They’re both defensive shutdown guys in the NHL too so they’re used to having that job,” Canada defenseman Drew Doughty said. “When you put two elite ones together, they’re going to do an even better job. They’re used to doing that with their club teams and they’re going to continue to do that with us too.”

If some of Team Europe’s offensive stars want to score, they’ll have to figure out a way to beat a pair that has allowed one goal all tournament.

TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 24: Artem Anisimov #42 of Team Russia controls the puck behind the net as Marc-Edouard Vlasic #44 of Team Canada watches at the semifinal game during the World Cup of Hockey 2016 at Air Canada Centre on September 24, 2016 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Dave Sandford/World Cup of Hockey via Getty Images)
Artem Anisimov of Team Russia controls the puck behind the net as Marc-Edouard Vlasic of Team Canada watches at the semifinal game during the World Cup of Hockey 2016 at Air Canada Centre on September 24, 2016 in Toronto, Canada. (Getty Images)

The Krueger Effect

Team Europe coach Ralph Krueger has a history of taking down Canada in big international tournaments. At the 2006 Olympics Krueger’s Team Switzerland beat Canada in a shutout – a moment that has been referenced a lot since this match up was cemented.

So far this event, he has known which buttons to push and got his team to buy in quickly. In two exhibition games they were beat 11-4 by Team North America. Since then they’ve rebounded in a big way and a lot of that is how Krueger has gotten through to his players.

He has them believing that they can win this tournament and beat the odds. This attitude has been vital to their success.

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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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