TORONTO -- Most of Team USAs players were on the Ricoh Coliseum ice before the resurfacing machine had even left it.It was a sign, perhaps, that the Americans are eager to put their miserable start to the World Cup of Hockey -- a 3-0 loss to Team Europe on Saturday night -- behind them.A fresh sheet of ice presented a fresh opportunity for them to play themselves back into contention with a pivotal game against powerful Canada looming Tuesday night.Pivotal, in fact, might be an understatement.Tuesday is our championship game, head coach John Tortorella said Sunday. We knew wed have to go through Canada. That game has just come earlier for us here, and thats the way were approaching it.The questions about how this might be achieved are twofold.First, what technical or personnel issues can be changed or addressed to make the U.S. a better team than the one that staggered through the shutout loss to Team Europe, a game marked by a lack of energy through the first 40 minutes and a series of defensive breakdowns that allowed the opportunistic Europeans to steal a game most believed the Americans would win.Sundays practice lines and drills suggest that veteran David Backes, a two-time Olympian for Team USA, will be the extra forward and Kyle Palmieri will draw into the lineup to give the Americans more speed and scoring touch up front.Palmieri had 30 goals last season for New Jersey. He worked Sunday with the teams top power play unit in practice along with John Carlson, Patrick Kane, Zach Parise and captain?Joe Pavelski.?Max Pacioretty, struggling to find his way with Team USA, was dropped to a checking line with Brandon Dubinsky and Palmieri.Kane is trying to shake off a disappointing turn against Team Europe that saw him cough up the puck, leading to an embarrassing 2-on-0 and a 2-0 Team Europe lead. He was working with Justin Abdelkader and Derek Stepan as Tortorella continues to try to find a combination that will unleash Kanes vast scoring potential.James van Riemsdyk, who started the tournament playing with Kane, dropped down to a line with Pavelski and T.J. Oshie.Ideally youd love to have four lines that youre rolling and youre scoring and are trusted in all situations, Backes said. But thats just not where were at at this moment. Weve got to deal with reality and not what wed hoped would be at the moment.First things first, were going to prepare to play the Canadians on Tuesday. We need to win that game, he said.Dustin Byfuglien?was?a surprise scratch for Team USAs first game. It would seem like his physical presence and booming shot in the lineup would be an advantage against Canada, although Tortorella declined to answer any questions about the teams lineup. Byfuglien did skate regularly with Jack Johnson and worked out with the teams second power play unit along with Ryan Suter, Stepan, Ryan Kesler and Oshie on Sunday.Thats not my decision, Byfuglien said. All I do is come here, put a jersey on and go to work when Im told. Im just waiting for an opportunity. Thats all.One NHL executive said that when Byfuglien is on his game hes a tremendous benefit to his team -- but when hes not on his game, he can be a negative influence.At this stage, its hard to imagine that he wont be in the lineup Tuesday, especially given that the U.S. was 0-for-4 on the power play.Tortorella said he hopes his players can finish more plays against Canada. He feels that his offense had several opportunities available on Saturday but couldnt complete them.Its about getting to the net, the coach said. Its about getting to rebounds. Its about being closer to the puck. And thats kind of the next play. When you have a good forecheck, a good first man, I thought we were late with our second guy to establish that type of forechecking when we had it.Taken in isolation, those elements arent likely to be enough to secure a victory against a Canadian team that rolled over the Czech Republic 6-0 in its tournament opener Saturday night.Technical and/or personnel changes have to be accompanied by a mindset from the get-go that the Americans are going to play the way they are supposed to play. They will need to conjure up the kind of emotion they showed when they defeated Canada in a hard-hitting, often nasty pre-tournament game on Sept. 9.That shouldnt be hard to do, but the same could have been said about Team USA starting the tournament with more energy and purpose, something that was curiously absent.Normally, in a tournament like this or in a playoff series, a losing team wants to get right back at it, but Tortorella said he thinks the extra off day will be important as the Americans try to digest the depth of the predicament in which they find themselves.I think the guys are disappointed, he said. They are going to tell you they put it behind them. I dont think they have. Im glad we have the two days. Not so much for the physical and practicing, but the mental. This is either you are afraid of it or its just a fantastic opportunity we have in front of us Tuesday. I have the belief in our guys they are going to relish this opportunity, and thats the way we have to approach it.Still, Canadian head coach Mike Babcock said something after his teams emphatic win that resonated when it came to examining the U.S. situation. Babcock said that in these kinds of tournaments -- or sometimes in playoff series -- teams that win early get fat and happy, and conversely, teams that lose often get better in a hurry.The Americans, seemingly focused and committed to being better than what they were, are hoping Babcock is right. Saquon Barkley Youth Jersey .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Deandre Baker Womens Jersey . -- Charline Labonte couldnt have asked for a better homecoming. http://www.authenticnygiantspro.com/Darius-slayton-giants-jersey/ .J. -- Josh Cribbs was in the Pro Bowl in February and out of a job six months later. Saquon Barkley Womens Jersey .In my heart and mind Im competing for India, luge competitor Shiva Keshavan told The Associated Press in an email interview. Every day Im flooded with messages from Indians all over the world telling me they are supporting me. Dalvin Tomlinson Giants Jersey .J. -- Marty Brodeur beat the Pittsburgh Penguins yet again.One of Russias top male gymnasts could miss the Olympics after he became the latest to test positive for the banned substance meldonium. Nikolai Kuksenkov withdrew from the national championships after being informed of the failed doping test on Saturday, a day after winning the individual all-around title.Kuksenkov, a former European champion, had not taken meldonium since August, Russia team coach Valentina Rodionenko told the Russian Ves Sport agency. As yet, no one knows how long a period is needed for meldonium to leave the body, she said. Its a kind of wild, wrong situation, which needs to be sorted out with joint effort.Kuksennkov competed for Ukraine under the name Mykola Kuksenkov before taking Russian nationality in 2013.dddddddddddd He won European Championship gold in the team all-around in 2014, and gold in the same event at last years inaugural European Games.Kuksenkovs is the first known doping case in gymnastics involving meldonium. More than 20 other Russians across all sports have tested positive for meldonium, which was banned on January 1 2016, with at least 123 cases worldwide.Also, Russian Pavel Kulikov, an Olympic hopeful in skeleton, said in a statement he failed a test for meldonium.Kulikov finished 12th at the World Championships in Austria in February. ' ' '