Nathan MacKinnon
Scoring Winning Goal in Overtime
I am a fan of the North America Hockey Team in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey
! In a unique concept a wild card team was formed of NHL players 23 years of
age and younger from the United States and Canada. They are exciting.
Some of the familiar names on the North America Team are Auston Matthews, #1 pick in
the 2016 NHL Draft who will be playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs;
Massachusetts native Jack Eichel who played one year with Boston University and
was the 2nd pick in the 2015 NHL Draft. He had 56 points for the Buffalo Sabres
in his first NHL season, not bad! Then there is Connor McDavid who was the #1
pick in 2015 and is playing for the Edmonton Oilers. One of my favorites and a
solid player is Shayne Gostisbehere who played for the South Kent Prep Selects
Academy and then he led Union College to a National Championship. There are many
more.
Talk about excitement and speed the North America Team shot down the ice
like bullets and scored 2 goals in the first minute and 35 seconds of the 1st
period for a stunning 2-0 lead. The first goal was scored by Eichel within the
first 15 seconds of the game! Sweden, a seasoned older team, with a 2-0 record
in the World Cup of Hockey games was too good to let that last. First they tried
to get physical with the younger players, but to their credit the North America Team stood
up to them and fought back. Sweden scored 2 goals and it ended up at 3-2 with
the North American Team in the lead at the end of the 1st. Sweden scored a goal
in the 2nd period for a 3-3 tie and that is how the game ended in regulation.
Overtime was exciting with a 3 on 3 player format and sudden death at stake
for the win. Both teams had opportunities, but the puck broke loose to Nathan
MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche) for a break-a-way. He faked to the right, then
came back on the left side and punched the puck in for the win. An exciting
ending to an exciting game.
For anyone who loves hockey the World Cup of Hockey games represent a very
good and fun to watch brand of hockey with familiar NHL names sprinkled across
various national teams, representing their country. My favorite, however, is the
North American Team. I love watching those young guys play and they are
exciting.
Alfredo DiLascia
Image News Service
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