World Cup of Hockey Preview: Team USA vs. Team Europe

The World Cup of Hockey is finally here. After multiple preliminary matches and plenty of intrigue, the time to play is now. Team USA faces off against Team Europe and with it comes the first match for John Tortorella and company. Will they get off to a fast start? Do his scratches leave a lot to be desired? Does Team Europe have enough fire power?

The big news here is Dustin Byfuglien is not going to dress tonight. That is going to raise some eyebrows since Byfuglien is one of the highest scorers on the team. Who is going to put up points from the back end?

This is the projected lineup for Team Europe as they hadn’t released the game lineups as of this writing. The defense is an obvious issue, while the offense should be able to put a scare in some teams. The two teams could end up in a shootout of a game. Who do you predict wins that? Tough to call.

Team Europe is going to give Team USA some trouble and leave Team USA wondering if they made the right line up decisions. Jonathan Quick lets in a howler of a goal and makes it too close for comfort. The questions begin to mount early for the red, white and blue.