Team Europe to rely heavily on best players in Game 2

TEAM CANADA vs. TEAM EUROPE

Team Canada

Coach Mike Babcock did not commit to using the same lineup that played in the first game of the series. Asked Wednesday about any potential changes, Babcock said, "Not at this time." That is a departure from his usual practice of addressing the lineup the day before a game. Forward Claude Giroux and defenseman Jake Muzzin were the skaters who were scratched Tuesday. Each saw his only action of the tournament in the preliminary-round game against Team Europe. Goaltender Carey Price is 15-0 in his past 15 appearances with the national team: four at this World Cup, five at the 2014 Sochi Olympics and six at the 2007 IIHF World Junior Championship. He has a 1.05 goals-against average and .961 save percentage in those 15 starts. Team Canada's top line of Sidney Crosby, Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand has 22 points in five games. Crosby leads the tournament with nine points.

Team Europe

In a must-win game, expect coach Ralph Krueger to rely even more heavily on his best players. No. 1 center Anze Kopitar played 22:45 Tuesday, the most among the 24 forwards dressed. He also took 31 of the 66 faceoffs; Jonathan Toews led Team Canada with 23. Roman Josi played 24:52 and was one of only two defensemen to play more than 24 minutes; Team Canada's Marc-Eduoard Vlasic (24:04) was the other. Forward Tomas Tatar has scored each of Team Europe's past three goals, including the overtime winner in the semifinal against Team Sweden on Sunday. Goaltender Jaroslav Halak made 35 saves in Game 1 and has stopped 177 of 188 shots in the tournament.

Keep your eye on

The start by Team Canada. By its own admission, Team Canada was flat for the first period of Game 1, saved by the goaltending of Price and the quick-strike ability that turned two turnovers into two goals. Kopitar said after Game 1 that the goals by Marchand and Steven Stamkos in the first period were "freebies" because of Team Europe turnovers on each. Team Europe controlled much of the play in the first period in the opener. If that happens again Thursday, it should put Team Canada under some strain.

They said it

"We believe. We played yesterday and hung in there and had some good chances, but at the end they were just better at using their chances I think. We do believe and we do think we are great team and a team that has a lot of fun, so there is no reason not to believe." -- Team Europe defenseman Dennis Seidenberg on its mindset for Game 2