You've heard of Bucci's Overtime Challenge? Well, this is Bucci's Hat Trick Challenge. What's the challenge part? Regularly coming up with three hits about the World Cup of Hockey. Sunday's games are Team Russia vs. Team Sweden (3 p.m. ET, ESPN) and Team Finland vs. Team North America (8 p.m. ET, ESPN2).
1. Starting strong: For the first time in my broadcasting career, I got to say "Crosby scores!" Canada vs. the Czech Republic was my first non-#cawlidgehawkey play-by-play broadcast outside of the times I turned down the sound on the TV and broadcasted hockey games into my Panasonic tape recorder. (Girls LOVED me in my teenage years.) For my first broadcast of NHL players to be a Saturday night in Toronto describing the movements of 29-year-old Sidney Crosby, who has now entered his true prime intersection of mind, body and soul, well, it was exhilarating. Team Canada was a unit of energy, concentration and confidence against the Czechs in a 6-0 win. The Mike Babcock-Crosby-Carey Price triumvirate has no peer here at the World Cup of Hockey.
2. On the other hand: Team USA's collective slog through oatmeal against Europe (a 3-0 loss) was surprising. It was a rainy, humid (90-plus-percent) day in Toronto on Saturday, and that did make ice quality a challenge, as humidity always does. Humidity is the enemy of fast, firm ice. Humidity is still high Sunday. It was surprising to see Kyle Palmieri and Dustin Byfuglien sit as healthy scratches. Coaches know their players better than we do, but Byfuglien is such a special, versatile force, I can't ever imagine not playing him. If Bill Belichick were a hockey coach, he would love using versatile players such as Byfuglien. I would think Palmieri and Byfuglien would be in versus Canada on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET, ESPN) and Jonathan Quick will return in net for the U.S.
3. Marchand will cash in: Brad Marchand's next contract will be something to watch for Boston Bruins and NHL fans of teams that want him. Marchand will become an unrestricted free agent next summer. For a seven-year deal, a team would be paying for Marchand's age 29-35 seasons. An eight-year deal by the Bruins obviously makes the contract for ages 29-36. Marchand is in great shape and loves to train. In fact, a Bruins player told me last season that the Bruins have to slow Marchand down sometimes from overtraining. He should age well, and Mark Recchi, I think, is a good comparable to Marchand. Recchi continued to produce and be durable in his 29-36-year-old years. I think it's going to take eight years at about $7 million per to sign Marchand, and I'm surprised that it hasn't already been done by the Bruins. Teams will be lining up next summer if he becomes a UFA.