TORONTO -- Blink and you missed it.
The 23-and-under bunch from North America announced themselves as contenders in this World Cup of Hockey on Sunday night, dazzling the Air Canada Centre crowd with their breathtaking speed and skill in a 4-1 pounding of Finland.
The Finns, it should be noted, are the second-youngest team in the tourney. But still, to see the Sochi bronze medalists torn apart by the North American kids is the kind of real proof one finally needed to see to truly believe they had a real shot in this tournament.
Jack Eichel, Johnny Gaudreau, Jonathan Drouin and Nathan MacKinnon scored goals while Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews both shined as well with impact nights, North America's natural ability to get up and down the ice faster than any other team in the tournament on full display. The Finns were just unable to keep up play after play, a step behind in coverage and in getting to rebounds and loose pucks.
Can the North American kids truly beat powerhouse favorites Sweden or Canada to win this tournament? Their odds improved after this performance. They're for real.
Sure, North America impressed in a pair of pretournament wins over Team Europe, but this was a real tournament game with a Finland squad intent on making a run.
Now, I still think at times in this tournament the North American kids will show their lack of experience when it comes to defensive awareness. But if you have the ability to outskate your opponents all night long, maybe defending is overrated. Let these thoroughbreds fly, baby.
And if you're the NHL and you're dreaming up the first-ever goal in World Cup of Hockey history by the North America entry, the first- and second-overall picks from the 2015 draft combining with the first-overall pick in 2016 is a pretty good way to go, Eichel potting the opener 5 minutes, 3 seconds into the game on a power play from Matthews and McDavid. Perfect.
The second-overall pick in the 2016 draft, Finland's Patrik Laine, wasn't as much of a factor on this night -- other than crushing Dylan Larkin with a check in the third period -- although it's tough to make a bigger impression when your team can't get the puck.
And Matt Murray made 24 saves in a relatively sweat-free effort Valtteri Filppula the only Finn to score.
Three Stars
1. Auston Matthews, LW, Team North America. The Toronto Maple Leafs franchise savior looked poised and confident in his Air Canada Centre debut before his NHL fans. His rush on the opening goal by Eichel was a thing of beauty.
2. Connor McDavid, C, Team North America. Oh, my goodness, is it possible he's a step faster than he was in his rookie NHL season?
3. Johnny Gaudreau, LW, Team North America. What a set of hands on the Calgary Flames star as he showed on his tip goal in the second period. Just wow.