TORONTO -- Team Russias World Cup of Hockey hopes were on the line in this game against Team North America. In some ways, so too was its reputation as a hockey power. Another early exit during best-on-best play, and Alex Ovechkin, along with his teammates, would have to answer more questions about their place in the world.As one Russian player put it the morning of the game: There were 154 million people back home who wanted a positive outcome, perhaps demanded it.At one point in Russias 4-3 victory Monday night over North America, Connor McDavid had a breakaway on Russian goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, and Bobrovsky made the save.That was the most important shot of my life, said Bobrovsky, the 2013 Vezina Trophy winner.The game meant everything to the Russians.For North America, theres no homeland. No hockey history that strings back decades. No millions of lifelong fans desperate for success.Its just a group of players loaded with talent and clearly playing for each other, a group that seems to be learning lessons in this tournament at breakneck speed. They learned another one Monday.Lose your way against the best teams in the world, even for a few minutes, and games are lost. Entire tournament hopes can be wiped out.North America came out flying. And it finished with an amazing flurry in the third period, providing action at the end of the game that this tournament previously hadnt seen.It was the in-between that was troubling.At the halfway point in the game, we got away from our game plan, said North American defenseman Morgan Rielly. Thats when they hit their stride. Looking back at the game, that was the difference.It doesnt take much in the World Cup for things to turn.But this much we know about the kids on Team North America, which is made up of players from the United States and Canada ages 23 and under. They learn fast. Theyve quickly grasped how the coaching staff wants them to play and for the most part have embraced it.When the game went sideways, with Russia going on a second-period spree of four unanswered goals, the North American coaching staff didnt like how the players responded in the moment. They noticed that for the first time all tournament, players looked unsure of themselves. There wasnt a veteran line to turn to that might settle things down.And they got away from the style of play in which they are most successful.Off the rush, they werent putting the puck on net and creating rebounds as frequently as they had when the offense was clicking.That starts our O-zone play, explained?Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.To get the message across that expectations werent being met, coach Todd McLellan shortened the bench. Forwards Jonathan Drouin and Dylan Larkin were used sparingly as North America mounted its comeback.Theyll learn, just like the rest of the group will learn. And McLellan saw it happening in real time. During the second intermission, with his team trailing 4-2, he didnt like some of the body language he saw in the dressing room. He saw players sitting in their stalls looking down.It didnt last.What could have happened to our belief system is it could have completely crumbled. It didnt, McLellan said. It cracked a little bit. We lost a few little segments of bricks, but we were able to put it back together in the third period.In doing so, we learned just how resilient the North American players are. There was Nathan MacKinnon taking multiple cross-checks to the back in front of the goal and then heading right back to the crease the next moment the opportunity presented itself.It was that willingness to take on a beating that set up a great pass from MacKinnon to Nugent-Hopkins for the third-period goal that pulled North America within 4-3.Earlier in the game, you saw 19-year-old Auston Matthews picking Ovechkins pocket to erase a first-period Russian scoring threat, revealing just how well-rounded his game already is.You saw these extra efforts on both ends of the ice mixed in with glimpses of the otherworldly skill that the next generation of NHL stars possesses.Moments after Matthews poked the puck away from Ovechkin, McDavid blew by Pavel Datsyuk to set up a Matthews goal to give North America a 1-0 lead. You could go years during Datsyuks prime without him looking that bad defensively.He put on the turbos, Matthews said of McDavid. He just absolutely took off.They were making Ovechkin and Datsyuk -- two of the best of their generation -- look mortal.If this version of the World Cup gives us nothing else, it is giving us Matthews and McDavid playing on a line together. It might never happen in another meaningful game again after this wraps up.And it could wrap up soon for the North Americans, now 1-1 in pool play, which would be a shame. Theyve entertained. Theyve battled. And now, with a gutsy loss to the Russians, theyve showed that they wont go down without at least one more swing.They get another chance, perhaps their last, Wednesday afternoon against Sweden, the best team theyll face in group play.We need a little rest, but well be ready for it, McLellan said. Theyre young guys. Theyre going to come and play. Theyre going to have fun doing it. Buy Cheap Falcons Jerseys . 10 Texas A&Ms offence dominated as usual against SMU. Wholesale Falcons Jerseys . Self was acquired from the Buffalo Bandits in a trade for Alex Hill midway through last season, and made his debut in Rochester on March 16, 2013. http://www.cheapfalconsjerseyschina.com/ . -- Whether Jeremy Hill deserves a prominent role in LSUs offence this early in the season is a matter for debate. Womens Falcons Jerseys .com) - Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Roger Federer were easy first-round winners Tuesday at the Australian Open. Falcons Jerseys From China . The injury bothered Bledsoe in the Suns victory over the Clippers on Monday and he sat out the teams home loss to Memphis on Thursday night.They had two chances on Saturday night, but the Winnipeg Goldeyes couldnt find a way to get a victory. After holding their opponent scoreless through the first four innings, the Goldeyes allowed the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks to score in multiples the rest of the way in a 9-1, seven inning loss in Game 1 of a doubleheader. Game 2 went better for the Goldeyes, who came back and threatened in the seventh. They were able to put the game-tying run on base, but were unable to cash him in and fell in a 4-3 final. "We look flat. Were not getting on base and running bases, doing things that create excitement," said Goldeyes manager Rick Forney. "We have a young offensive team and two-and-a-half days away from the field and their routines are too much." In the first game, Casey Haerther gave Winnipeg an early lead with a solo home run to the opposite field. However, a trio of two-out hits in the fifth would prove to be the difference for the RedHawks. Zach Penprase tied it with an RBI double off the left-centerfield wall then the next two batters each collected run-scoring hits to give Fargo-Moorhead the 3-1 lead. Fargo-Moorhead added to the lead in the next inning. With two outs, Nate Samson made a costly error on a groundout that allowed the RedHawks to load the bases. Penprase followed that with a sharp two-run single into center, putting the Goldeyes in a four run hole with six outs left, a tally they could not overcome. Taylor Stanton picked up the win for the RedHawks to move to 2-1. He threw a seven inning complete game, allowing only one run on four hits and striking out five. Matt Rusch worked five innings but got tagged with his first loss of the season. He allowed three runs on six hits while striking out six. Haerther, respponsible for Winnipegs lone run in the game, also pitched 1/3 of an inning for the Goldeyes and got the lone batter he faced to fly out.dddddddddddd Unlike the first game, the RedHawks got on the board first in the second contest. They grabbed a 3-0 lead in the second inning thanks in part to four straight hits through the right side of the infield. A leadoff home run by Ronnie Bourquin in the fourth made it 4-0. The Goldeyes cut the lead in half in their turn in the fourth. Josh Mazzola hit a solo home run to dead center, his third of the season, to highlight the two-run inning. The home run extended Mazzolas hitting streak to 10 games, the best by a Goldeyes player this season. In the ninth, the Goldeyes put their first two men on base after back-to-back walks from Chase Johnson. Samson attempted to move the runners over 90 feet, but popped up the sacrifice attempt. The next batter, Fehlandt Lentini, hit what looked to be a potential double play ball, but the throw to first was off the mark. As a result, a run scored and Lentini stood at second ,but Nick Liles ended the threat and ballgame with a swinging strikeout. Alex Capaul took the loss to fall to 1-2. Alex Caldera went five innings for his third win of the season while despite a rocky seventh, Johnson earned his third save. Over the two games on Saturday, the Goldeyes were outhit by the RedHawks, 19-8. "We are not having quality at-bats or stringing them back-to-back, so its hard to sustain any quality offence," said Rick Forney. The Goldeyes and RedHawks finish their three game series tomorrow afternoon at Shaw Park. First pitch is set for 1:30 p.m. Goldeyes lefthander Mark Hardy will take to the mound looking for his fourth consecutive victory tomorrow. Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '