Team USA Completes Roster for 2016 World Cup of Hockey

Team USA completed their roster for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey on Friday, by adding the seven more players.

The World Cup will take place in Toronto from September 17 through October 1. The first 16 players were announced on March 2, with the final seven being announced on Friday rounding out the 23-man roster for the tournament. 

Four forwards and three defense were selected to round out the rosters. Two of the seven players added on Friday are teammates with each other on the Columbus Blue Jackets, defenseman Jack Johnson and forward Brandon Dubinsky.

Ryan Callahan of the Tampa Bay Lightning, James van Riemsdyk of the Toronto Maple Leafs and David Backes of the St. Louis Blues will round out the forwards. As Erik Johnson of the Colorado Avalanche and Matt Niskanen of the Washington Capitals were the other defenseman named to the roster.

Backes, the Blues captain, competed for Team USA during the 2010 and 2014 Olympics. His Blues were recently eliminated by the San Jose Sharks in the Western Conference Finals. During the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Backes scored seven goals and 14 points in 20 games. 

Jack Johnson, represented the US National Team during the 2010 games, scored six goals and eight assists through 60 National Hockey League games during the 2015-2016 season. Erik Johnson, another 2010 US Olympian, put up 11 goals and 16 assists with the Avalanche this past season.

Callahan’s Lightning team, fell short of returning to the Stanley Cup Final when the Pittsburgh Penguins beat them, Thursday night in a decisive game seven battle. He represented the US Men’s Team during the 2010 games as well.

Van Riemsdyk, represented Team USA in the 2014 Olympics, where he scored seven points in six games. Dubinsky represented the Red, White and Blue at the 2008 and 2010 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships.  

Team USA general manager, Dean Lombardi (Los Angeles Kings) and head coach, John Tortorella (Blue Jackets) had some surprise omissions to their roster, during both announcements. 

Those omissions included, Phil Kessel (Penguins), Tyler Johnson (Lightning), Kevin Shattenkirk (Blues), Cam Fowler (Anaheim Ducks), Justin Faulk (Carolina Hurricanes), Paul Martin (Sharks), Keith Yandle (New York Rangers), Kyle Palmieri (New Jersey Devils), Torey Krug (Boston Bruins) and Nick Leddy (New York Islanders). 

The entire roster for the USA World Cup Team: 

Forwards: Justin Abdelkader, Detroit Red Wings; David Backes, St. Louis Blues; Ryan Callahan, Tampa Bay Lightning; Brandon Dubinsky, Columbus Blue Jackets; Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks; Ryan Kesler, Anaheim Ducks; T.J. Oshie, Washington Capitals; Max Pacioretty, Montreal Canadiens; Zach Parise, Minnesota Wild; Joe Pavelski, San Jose Sharks; Derek Stepan, New York Rangers; James van Riemsdyk, Toronto Maple Leafs; Blake Wheeler, Winnipeg Jets. 

Defense: Dustin Byfuglien, Winnipeg Jets; John Carlson, Washington Capitals; Erik Johnson, Colorado Avalanche; Jack Johnson, Columbus Blue Jackets; Ryan McDonagh, New York Rangers; Matt Niskanen, Washington Capitals; Ryan Suter, Minnesota Wild.

Goalies: Ben Bishop, Tampa Bay Lightning; Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles Kings; Cory Schneider, New Jersey Devils.

Penguins Strike Lightning Advance to Stanley Cup Final for Fifth Time in 25 Years

The Pittsburgh Penguins hosted the Tampa Bay Lightning in a one game, winner take all, game seven at the Consol Energy Center on Thursday night. 

With a berth in the Stanley Cup Final on the line, both the Lightning and the Penguins knew they needed to find that spark that would help them become the 2016 Eastern Conference Champions. Prior to Thursday night’s game, the Penguins had lost their last three game sevens. Their last game seven victory was in the 2009 Stanley Cup Final. 

Lightning captain Steven Stamkos, made his first appearance in the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs, after missing some time due to a blood clot. Stamkos last appearance for the Bolts this season was March 31 against these same Penguins. 

Bryan Rust opened the scoring just about two minutes into the middle period, with a high wrister from the slot that beat Andrei Vasilevskiy, high glove side. Chris Kunitz and Evgeni Malkin picked up the helpers. 

Jonathan Drouin would knot the game at one, as he would light the lamp at 9:36 of the second period. Valtteri Filppula and Victor Hedman would be credited with the assists on Drouin’s tally. 

With Drouin’s tally, he became the youngest player in franchise history, at the age of 21 years and 60 days, to light the lamp in a game seven. 

Thirty seconds later, after a Ben Lovejoy slapper took a rebound of the end boards, Rust was able to poke the puck past Vasilevskiy, for his second of the game. Malkin would pick up the other assist on the tally. After two periods the Penguins outshot the Lightning 29-10. 

With Rust recording his second multiple goal game of the post season, both in series clinchers, the other in game five of the first round against the New York Rangers, he becomes the second rookie in NHL history to accomplish the feat. Jeremy Roenick became the first, when he did it for the Chicago Blackhawks in 1990.    

In his return to action, Stamkos had 20 shifts and almost 12 minutes of ice time for the Lightning. About five and a half of those coming in the third period. Late in the second, the Lightning captain had a chance to tie the game, but Murray was able to deny his snap shot, as he steered it away. 

The Penguins thought they had iced the game, scoring into the empty net late in the third, but the play was called back due the whistle being blown after the puck had hit a player on their bench. After checking the clock, the Lightning had about 10 and a half seconds left to try and strike if they wanted to get the game knotted up before the final horn.

The Penguins were able to hold off the Bolts in those final 10, sending them on their way to the 2016 Stanley Cup Final. The last time they were the Eastern Conference Champions, was in 2009, as they then were able to defeat the Detroit Red Wings in the rematch of the previous season’s Stanley Cup. 

Throughout the game Vasilevskiy, turned away 37 of the Pens 39 shots, while Matt Murray stopped 16 of 17 at his end of the ice. With the victory, Murray became the sixth rookie netminder in NHL history to win a game seven. The Carolina Hurricanes, Cam Ward was the last one to do it 10 years ago. 

As the Penguins had the better regular season record, of the last teams standing, they will host the Western Conference Champions, San Jose Sharks, in games one and two of the 2016 Stanley Cup Final beginning on Monday May 30.     

This is the fifth appearance for the Penguins in the Stanley Cup, winning hockey’s holy grail three times, their last in 2009. The Sharks will be making their first appearance in the Stanley Cup Final. 

San Jose Sharks Defeat St. Louis Blues in Six Games to Advance to the Stanley Cup

 The San Jose Sharks have had a successful franchise, but they have yet to reach hockey’s greatest spectacle. Now, that brutally long wait is finally over. The San Jose Sharks will be in the franchise’s first Stanley Cup, after defeating the St. Louis Blues in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals. 

San Jose didn’t have the home ice advantage, but they didn’t let that faze them. Game 1 was at the Scottrade Center, where goalie Brian Elliott delivered a masterful performance, and the Blues defeated the Sharks, 2-1. Game 2 was back in St. Louis, as the Sharks needed this win to avoid falling into a 0-2 hole. San Jose responded emphatically, as they defeated the Blues, 4-0, and things were all tied at 1 heading back to San Jose. 

Game 3 was to be held at the SAP Center, and the Sharks responded to the fans in the “Shark Tank”.  San Jose defeated the Blues 3-0, to take the 2-1 series lead. St. Louis head coach Ken Hitchcock decided to make a goalie change for Game 4 of this series. Hitchcock said there was nothing wrong with Elliott’s play, but the team just needed a spark. 

Clearly, the change sparked the Blues in Game 4, as they defeated San Jose 6-3, to even the series at 2 games apiece. The series shifted back to St. Louis for Game 5, as the winner would take the decisive series lead. San Jose shocked the Blues, as they defeated St. Louis 6-3, and Jake Allen was benched in favor of Elliott for Game 6. The series shifted back to San Jose for Game 6, as San Jose looked to close out the series. 

As the Sharks have done in all close-out games these playoffs, they absolutely dominated. San Jose defeated the Blues 5-2, to close out St. Louis, and San Jose punched its ticket to the Stanley Cup. Sharks head coach Peter DeBoer is back in the Stanley Cup for the first time since he made it with the Devils in 2012.  

Goaltending was again crucial in this series, as Martin Jones played a huge role for the Sharks. Also playing huge roles were the Sharks’ veterans. Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski, and Patrick Marleau all were key contributors in this series, as they are all appearing in their first Stanley Cup. San Jose will play the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup Final.

2016 Stanley Cup Final Set to Faceoff Monday May 30

The National Hockey League announced the schedule for the 2016 Stanley Cup Final, on Tuesday.

The team which finished the regular season with the most points will open the fourth and final round of the 2016 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at home on Memorial Day, Monday May 30.

Stanley Cup Media Day will take place on Sunday May 29, in the host city of the team that wins the right to open the series. 

The Pittsburgh Penguins and the Tampa Bay Lightning are battling each in the Eastern Conference Finals for the right to take on either the San Jose Sharks or St. Louis Blues, who are representing the Western Conference in their championship series.

The Blues finished the regular season with 107 points, followed by the Penguins with 104, the Sharks at 98 and the Lightning who had 97. 

All games in the 2016 Stanley Cup Final will begin at 8:00 PM eastern time. NBC Sports Group has the exclusive television rights in the United States, while CBC and TVA Sports has the broadcast rights in Canada. 

Game one will take place on May 30 and Game two on Wednesday, June 1, in the home arena of the higher seeded team. Games three and four will shift venues to the team that acquired less points during the regular season, on Saturday June 4 and Monday June 6. 

If necessary, games five, six and seven will alternate back and forth until one team captures the last four wins they need to raise the Stanley Cup. Game five would be scheduled for Thursday, June 9 and game six on Sunday, June 12. 

If the Stanley Cup Final needs to go the distance, a decisive game seven would take place on Wednesday, June 15, in the barn of the higher seeded team.

The Eastern Conference Finals is currently tied at three games apiece, with a one game winner take all game seven at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania set for Thursday. 

The Sharks can wrap up their best of seven game series, at home on Wednesday, while the Blues will try to extend the series, and send the series back to the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri for another game seven, on Friday. 

2016 STANLEY CUP FINAL SCHEDULE

(all start times 8 p.m., ET)

Game 1: Monday, May 30

Game 2: Wednesday, June 1

Game 3: Saturday, June 4

Game 4: Monday, June 6

*Game 5: Thursday, June 9

*Game 6: Sunday, June 12

*Game 7: Wednesday, June 15

*if necessary