Team USA and Team Czech Republic face one another in what will be the final day of competition for both teams at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
Today is a bittersweet day for both Team USA and Team Czech Republic. Team USA suffered a demoralizing blow when they were unceremoniously eliminated by Team Canada on Tuesday night in a stinging 4-2 loss. The final nail in the coffin of Team Czech Republic came on Monday night in a 3-2 OT loss to Team Europe.
In other words, tonight’s game is honestly nothing more than a consolation matchup for each of these teams. While each of these teams would more than likely prefer to be headed back to their respective teams to begin training camp, there is still work to be done in Toronto.
Tonight’s game may not seem like much, but in fact it is a battle for retribution. Team Czech Republic enters tonight’s game with one lone point. At the same time, Team USA enters tonight’s encounter with a big, fat goose egg. Both teams are going to be hungry to bring home at least one win before the end of the tournament.
Tampa Bay Lightning
There are plenty of questions heading into tonight’s game. While the people over at ESPN may have lauded the performance of Los Angeles Kings netminder Jonathan Quick, many Team USA fans see things very differently.
This begs the question of whether or not we’ll see Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop between the pipes tonight for Team USA. There are certainly worse goaltenders Team USA could have in their arsenal than a goalie who has been nominated for the Vezina Trophy on multiple occasions.
No matter which players we find between the pipes or the players taking the ice in front of them, this game is all about pride and who wants to ensure they walk away from the 2016 World Cup of Hockey with at least one notch in the win column. This will certainly make for some intense hockey.
While we wait for tonight’s action to kick off, let’s take a closer look at all the information you’ll need to make sure you don’t miss a moment of the action between Team USA and Team Czech Republic from the Air Canada Centre at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
Event: 2016 World Cup of Hockey
Matchup: Team USA vs. Team Czech Republic
Venue: Air Canada Centre
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Date: Thursday, September 22nd
Start Time: 8:00 p.m. EST
TV Info: ESPN2, SN, TVAS
Live Stream: WatchESPN
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Despite the exit of Team USA and Team Czech Republic, there is still plenty of hockey to be played. As the 2016 World Cup of Hockey enters the semi-final round, we will find out which team wants victory the most and watch as they leave everything out on the ice in order to achieve their goal.