World Cup of Hockey: Canada def. Europe 4-1 recap, full highlights

Even in a subpar performance by their standards, Canada overwhelmed Team Europe 4-1 to top Group A in the World Cup of Hockey.

The final game of Group A saw powerhouse Team Canada take on the surprise of the World Cup, Team Europe. Even though this game was important to the final group standings, Canada rested a lot of their best players. Corey Crawford started in place of Carey Price while Jake Muzzin and Claude Giroux played for the first time ahead of Ryan Getzlaf and Shea Weber.

But Canada was still the overwhelming favorite, and they dominated from start to finish. They outshot Europe 15-4 in the first period, with Sidney Crosby and Jonathan Toews getting the two goals. Were it not for some spectacular saves by Jaroslav Halak, Europe would’ve been down by even more.

In the second period, Corey Crawford demonstrated why Price is usually the starter. All Marian Hossa had to do was throw the puck toward the net and it snuck in between Crawford’s pads. Later, Canada got a two-on-one, Roman Josi broke his stick and was helpless to stop Toews, who scored his second of the game.

It was hardly Canada’s best performance, but they didn’t need their best to control the tempo. They are clearly saving their best efforts for the semifinal, for which they have now earned an extra day of rest. Europe, meanwhile, should be glad that they stayed in the game for as long as they did, and will advance to the next round with their heads held high.

Highlights

Players of the Game

Jaroslav Halak did everything to keep his team in the game. If it wasn’t for him, they might have been trailing by a lot more after two. While Europe was clearly overmatched, you can’t hang this loss on the goalie.

For Canada, meanwhile, the first star had to be Jonathan Toews. He’s one of the better two-way centers in the game, but he exhibited his offensive skills in this game by scoring two goals, including the game-winner.

Next: NHL's All-Time Canadian First and Second Teams

What’s Next

Both of these teams made it through to the semifinals before the game started, so that’s what’s next for them. As the Group A winners, Canada will take on the second place team in Group B, which will either be Team North America or Russia. The former would be a phenomenal match-up, and the crowd would have a hard time picking who to root for, while the latter is a classic hockey rivalry.

Team Europe will face Sweden on Saturday, September 24 at 7. That should be an exciting contest, and having made it farther than most expected, Europe will like their chances.

Canada’s style of play may not be the most aesthetically pleasing, at least compared to their younger counterparts, but the semifinals should be a treat to watch. While the hosts are the favorites to win the World Cup, they will get their first true test in the knockout rounds.