There's no stopping the runaway freight train that is Hockey Canada. Though a band of Europeans playing together for the first - and likely only - time gave it their best shot.

Canada began the World Cup of Hockey dominating its opponents. Three round-robin games and a semifinal displayed the gap between the host nation and the field, as the Canadians outscored opponents 19-6. It appeared Canada would walk through Team Europe.

That was far from the case.

Game 1

Canada won the opener of the World Cup final, but the pace of the game was such that it was fairly even outside of the final score. Aside from the loss, Europe was pleased with its performance - players called the game their best as a team in the tournament.

"I think we can be better but ultimately we found a way to win," Sidney Crosby said after Canada took a 3-1 decision to open the best-of-three.

Game 2

Europe opened the scoring early Thursday and held the lead for 50:41 - a lifetime when it comes to Canada playing from behind - before Patrice Bergeron tied it on the power play with under three minutes to go in the third period.

With 44 seconds to play and Europe on a power play of its own, Brad Marchand - who else? - scored shorthanded to give Canada a 2-1 lead, another win, and another tournament title.

The victory is Canada's 16th straight in best-on-best competition, dating back to the 2010 Winter Olympics. It wasn't in dominating fashion in Vancouver, but as Canada has shown time and time again, it simply gets the job done, no matter how it needs to be done.

5-on-5

"The perception is that we're miles better than everybody else," Canada head coach Mike Babcock said. "We're deeper, but you can only play five guys at a time. You can say anything you want about the game, but we delivered."

When USA's Zach Parise scored in the final minute of the third period in the gold-medal game in Vancouver to tie the score at 1-1, Canada stayed composed. The team delivered back then, in an unimaginably pressure-packed situation, and it's been delivering since.

"It's not easy, everyone wants to be here playing for Team Canada, there’s a lot of expectations," tournament MVP Crosby said. "To win here and how it all came together, it's pretty exciting."

Babcock may be on to something. Canada has the most talent at its disposal, but when the most extraordinary hockey players in the world are all in the same city for two weeks, it comes down to a little something extra. Canada's legacy is its sheer will to win and how it's implanted in every player who puts on the national jersey.

The Price Factor

When Canada wasn’t at its best, Carey Price was.

Marian Hossa had a great chance to give Europe the lead on a power play late in a 1-1 game. Despite his quick release from the right circle, Price was in position to corral the puck with his chest and keep the game tied to set up another Marchand moment.

"Pricer played a heck of a game, just like he did a few days ago. Sometimes it comes down to goaltending," Jonathan Toews said. "Their goaltender played a hell of a game, too, but Carey was there when we needed him."

Price finished the World Cup with a .957 save percentage in five games. His record representing Canada at the World Juniors, Olympics, and World Cup is a perfect 16-0-0, with five shutouts and a .962 save percentage.

Respect, Europe

Europe deserves full credit for what it achieved.

The team was put together under circumstances that allowed for maximum NHL participation, and after jokes about being it anthem-less and being pounded by Team North America in pre-tournament play, the Europeans got the last laugh as one of the last two teams standing. It was the outsiders who pushed Canada the hardest.

"I'm really, really proud of this team because everybody pretty much thought we would be the laughing joke in this tournament," captain Anze Kopitar said. "The way we came together and played and make it to the finals, I think we gave Canada a pretty good run for it."

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Anze Kopitar couldn't put it into words.

After falling to Canada in the World Cup final, Kopitar used Twitter to share his pride in representing the newly created Team Europe.

Kopitar, a native of Slovenia, led Europe on a surprise run to the silver medal.

The performance was unexpected after Europe went 1-2 in exhibition games, during which it allowed 13 goals. But the team came together in round-robin play, before defeating Sweden to meet Canada in the final, where scores were close in the best-of-3 series (3-1 and 2-1 Canadian wins).

The newly minted captain of the Los Angeles Kings, Kopitar has a history of winning, capturing Stanley Cups with the Kings in 2012 and 2014.

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Ralph Krueger lost the World Cup of Hockey final, but his performance at the tournament vaulted him back into the conversation for future NHL coaching positions.

Watch: Marchand's shorthanded goal clinches World Cup for Canada

Team Europe's unexpected run to the best-of-three championship series - during which the underdogs outplayed Canada for much of Game 2 - undoubtedly put its head coach back on the NHL radar.

"If he wants to coach in the NHL again, I'm sure there's a team out there that would love to have him," Team Canada head coach Mike Babcock said about his adversary after Thursday night's final game, according to the Toronto Sun's Terry Koshan.

The new NHL franchise in Las Vegas hasn't filled its head coaching position, but Krueger said he'll be focused exclusively on his duties as chairman of Southampton FC in the English Premier League now that the World Cup is over.

"I'm very passionate about what I'm doing in Southhampton right now," he told reporters after the game Thursday, according to Postmedia's Michael Traikos. "It's what I'm committed to."

Whether it's Las Vegas - which begins play in 2017-18 - or another NHL vacancy that arises beforehand, one would have to assume Krueger will be considered after exceeding expectations with Team Europe.

Related: Zuccarello likens Team Europe to 'Miracle on Ice' squad

The 57-year-old former Edmonton Oilers head coach brought a collection of players from eight nations together in a short tournament with very little preparation time and led them to the final, when few expected them to emerge from the preliminary round.

While his loyalties lie across the pond for now, Krueger demonstrated his coaching ability on the international stage and may have improved his chances of earning another NHL job.

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Hampus Lindholm won't come cheap.

The 22-year-old Anaheim Ducks defenseman is a restricted free agent, and it could take an eight-year contract worth more than $48 million to re-sign him, reports TSN's Bob McKenzie.

Lindholm, who made his NHL debut in 2013, recorded 10 goals and 18 assists last season - good for second among all Anaheim defenders.

Only the Ducks' Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, and Ryan Kesler account for more than his request for more than $6 million per year, with Perry being the most expensive at $8.625 million. Sami Vatanen owns the blue line's biggest cap hit at $4.875 million.

As it stands, 16 NHL defensemen carry a cap hit of $6 million or more. Two comparable deals are Colorado's Erik Johnson and the New York Islanders' Johnny Boychuk, who both signed seven-year, $42-million pacts.

Lindholm won't attend the Ducks' training camp prior to signing a new deal.

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Mike Babcock isn't done winning in Toronto.

After leading the Canadian team to victory Thursday at the World Cup, hosted at Toronto's Air Canada Centre, the Team Canada bench boss said, "This is just a sign of what's going to happen here in Toronto, just so you know."

Babcock, 53, is head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The World Cup win marks the fifth international victory for the Saskatoon native. Babcock previously led Canada to gold at the 1997 World Juniors, the 2004 World Championships, and both the 2010 and 2014 Olympics.

Babcock won the Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings in 2008.

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theScore is previewing each team leading up to the 2016-17 season.

The arrival of Connor McDavid trumped all other moves made by the Edmonton Oilers over the course of a decade-long building process.

Were it not for an injury that forced him out of the lineup for almost half of 2015-16, McDavid would almost certainly have been the NHL's Rookie of the Year, while perhaps putting the Oilers in position to contend for a playoff spot.

While McDavid is without question the most important player on the roster, others will have to step up if Edmonton is truly going to climb the standings this season.

Here are three Oilers to watch.

Adam Larsson

All eyes will be on defenseman Adam Larsson this season after general manager Peter Chiarelli deemed the Swede worth dealing Taylor Hall to the New Jersey Devils for in a blockbuster summer trade.

The addition of Larsson came at a steep price, but the Oilers feel their forward depth, which was bolstered by the addition Milan Lucic in the offseason, can absorb the loss of one of the game's top left wingers in exchange for a solid defenseman capable of munching minutes.

Drafted fourth overall in 2011, Larsson was brought along slowly by the Devils, with 2015-16 serving as his first full NHL season after several stints down in the minors. The Oilers don't expect him to be an offensive dynamo - and rightfully so, as his career high for goals in a season sits at three - but the expectation is that Larsson will serve as a much needed shutdown presence in the defensive zone.

He's not the sexiest defenseman in the NHL, but if effective, Larsson could indeed help turn things around.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

Hard as it may be to believe, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is entering his sixth NHL season.

The 23-year-old's role is somewhat in flux, having been passed on the depth chart by McDavid, and likely Leon Draisaitl as well. As a result, Nugent-Hopkins won't be deployed against the opposition's top defensive players, opening the door for increased production and the kind of secondary scoring needed on teams with playoff aspirations.

Nugent-Hopkins has seen his fair share of injuries since entering the NHL, but if he stays healthy, he could very well eclipse his career highs in goals (24) and points (56).

A true breakout by Nugent-Hopkins alongside McDavid's continued rise to superstardom would be a boon for the Oilers' chances of success.

Cam Talbot

Cam Talbot posted solid numbers in his first season with the Oilers, recording a .917 save percentage despite a losing record (21-27-5). His shot-stopping success rate speaks much more to his true value, and the efforts made by management to bolster the blue line should help improve his win-loss ratio.

Still, defense remains Edmonton's primary area of weakness, and Talbot will need to play at a high level in order to give the Oilers a fighting chance.

Anders Nilsson has been replaced by Jonas Gustavsson as Talbot's backup, meaning the starter may have to be relied upon more often as Edmonton's last line of defense.

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It's been a September to remember for Brad Marchand.

The winger, who entered the month as a hopeful positive contributor for Canada's World Cup effort, was placed on a line with Sidney Crosby and Patrice Bergeron early on and thereby given a prime opportunity by head coach Mike Babcock to thrive on the international stage.

In the end, he scored five goals in six games for the tournament winners - including a shorthanded goal late in Game 2 to clinch the whole thing - and signed a big contract extension with the Boston Bruins in the midst of it all to boot.

It's a run he won't soon forget.

"I'll treasure every second of this for the rest of my life," Marchand told reporters following the on-ice celebration.

The World Cup win is a nice addition to Marchand's already impressive trophy mantle. The 28-year-old previously won two World Junior Championships and a World Championship with Canada.

Marchand also won a Stanley Cup with the Bruins and a QMJHL Championship with the Moncton Wildcats.

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Anze Kopitar and Marian Gaborik used different platforms, but the Team Europe and Los Angeles Kings teammates were united in their dissatisfaction with the officiating in Game 2 of the World Cup of Hockey final.

With Europe up 1-0 and four minutes left in the must-win game, Kopitar was called for a questionable holding penalty on Corey Perry, which led to Patrice Bergeron's game-tying goal less than a minute later.

Kopitar was asked about it after the game, which Canada won on Brad Marchand's shorthanded goal, and said it all without even having to say anything.

"I don't know if I should speak about that out loud," Kopitar said, according to TSN's Frank Seravalli.

Gaborik, though, unavailable in the final due to a broken foot, was willing to criticize - and in real time.

The Kopitar penalty wasn't the first time Gaborik questioned the officiating. This was his reaction after Marian Hossa wasn't granted a penalty shot when Brent Burns took a hooking penalty with the Europe winger on a clear-cut breakaway.

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