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OTTAWA -- Is there such a thing as a soft underbelly on the back-to-back defending Olympic champions?You wouldnt think so when on Monday, the first day of World Cup of Hockey training camp for Team Canada, the fourth line had Claude Giroux between Matt Duchene and Joe Thornton.Thats right, fourth line.But Im here to tell you that losing defenseman Duncan Keith (right knee rehab) was a huge blow, no matter how skilled this team is. And not only because his stand-alone talent speaks for itself, but also because his absence puts more pressure on a Canadian left side on defense that isnt as deep as the rest of this otherworldly squad.Pretty nice luxury to lose a player like Keith and be able to replace him with a player with [Jay] Bouwmeesters international experience and ability, a Western Conference coach requesting anonymity said via text message. That said, they may miss Keiths offense; his puck movement from the left side of the ice and his ability to get up ice. I think Canada is going to face some teams who are really going to approach their games with a strong defensive approach and their D will be huge in countering that. Losing him on the power play may also force the coaching staff to be a little more creative, depending on what they were planning with setups and left/right shot combinations.And, frankly, thats putting it mildly. Next to Sidney Crosby, Jonathan Toews and Carey Price, Keith was on a list of about four or five players Team Canada would have considered irreplaceable, again in large part because of that left-right concern.Thats no disrespect to Marc-Edouard Vlasic, who was outstanding at the 2014 Sochi Olympics and has continued to elevate his game ever since, but the reality is that Jake Muzzin is a newcomer to this stage and the respected Bouwmeester has some miles on him. As such, the drop-off from Keith is real. Whereas if Canada had lost Norris Trophy winner Drew Doughty or veteran stud Shea Weber on the right side, there would have been replacement options such as P.K. Subban, Kris Letang or Brent Seabrook, such is Canadas ridiculous high-end depth on the right side.Which begs the question some Canadian hockey fans have had in the aftermath of Letang, Seabrook and Subban not making this team: Why does the left-right thing matter so much?Its just a simple thing, began Team Canada coach Mike Babcock on Monday before going on to answer the question in a complicated way.To quickly sum up the Canadian head coachs detailed, Xs-and-Os answer, the left-right balance matters to him greatly in the areas of puck possession and transition.It does make a huge difference, Doughty said Monday, echoing his coach. Most teams in the league will do the lefty-righty combo. Its really important to have.Except Team Canada might not get it completely in this tournament. There was Alex Pietrangelo on Monday, skating on the left side of fellow righty Brent Burns on what appears to be the third pairing.No big deal, insisted Pietrangelo.Its a bit of an adjustment, but when you have the quality of players we have, its not really an issue, shrugged the newly named St. Louis Blues captain. Pietrangelo said he played three or four games last season for the Blues on the left side.It was different, but it worked out, he said. I look at it this way: If I can be versatile and play on both sides, its like a switch-hitter in baseball, right? If you can play both sides, it should just benefit you.Babcock spoke with Pietrangelo a few weeks ago to see if hed be willing to try it. No sweat, said Pietrangelo.What it means is that Canada could open the tournament with four righties in the top six, which is not ideal. But the coaching staff might think thats what makes the most of the talent at hand. Keiths injury has had other repercussions: Vlasic played well with Doughty in Sochi but now finds himself at the start of camp replacing Keith and thus pairing with Weber, while Muzzin logically gets paired with his Kings pal, Doughty.Still, if Keith were here, I believe Muzzin would have been the seventh defenseman. Now hes in a top-four role -- just more domino effect from Keith being out.And while Pietrangelo downplayed his switch to the left side, its clearly a big adjustment for others.For me, if I have to go play on the left side -- not that Im bad at it -- but its definitely not as comfortable, said Doughty. And defensively, its different with your stick positioning on one-on-one, or even just exiting your zone or taking a D-to-D pass; youre looking at your partner rather than up ice right away. So its hard to play on your off side, but once you get used to it, its like anything else; once you keep practicing it and playing it, it gets easier. But if you basically havent played it in years and get thrown on the left side, its going to be a challenge.Added Weber: It seems like a simple thing [switching to the left side], but everythings different. Your body is accustomed to turning predominantly one way for the most part on the one side of the ice. It can be done -- guys are good players and can adjust -- but it does take a little bit of time to get used to it.In fact, Weber played on the left side when Seth Jones entered the league with the Nashville Predators.I would catch myself just drifting over to the right all the time because it was just an automatic, subconscious thing, said Weber. Theres an adjustment, for sure.If Pietrangelo can comfortably handle it, thats going to go a long way toward Team Canada having the kind of top-six blue-line machine that propelled the squad to an unreal defensive performance in Sochi.Still, Keith is a special player, as he showed in winning the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2015.Hes one of the best, man, Team Canada goaltender Corey Crawford, Keiths Chicago Blackhawks teammate, said Monday. He can make plays all over the ice. He just makes everyone better around him. Obviously, Canada wants a guy like that to be here. But it is what it is.Veteran head coach Ken Hitchcock, missing out on his first best-on-best tournament in a long time -- he was a part of the Canadian staff from 2002 in Salt Lake City through Sochi -- had a first-row seat to observe Keiths impact at the 2010 and 2014 Olympic Games.Duncan was never afraid of the stage, Hitchcock said this weekend. Bigger the game, better he played; he could play in all situations.Yes, Team Canada was able to overcome the injury loss of Steven Stamkos before the 2014 Olympics and of John Tavares during the tournament. But again, top-shelf forward depth is rarely an issue for Team Canada.Keiths injury could be more impactful.If Canada wins again, it will be a testimony to a great coaching staff and a defense corps that adjusts swimmingly.If the host team loses? Canadian fans will want to know why Subban or Letang wasnt on the team.The great thing about being in Canada, you can second-guess all the players, and theres always someone who got left off, said Babcock. What I find is, if you win, when you win, they dont ask you any questions. If you dont win, they ask lots of questions.Cheap Hydro Flask Free Shipping . Colin Wilson had two goals and an assist, and Mike Fisher scored a goal and helped set up two others in the Predators 6-4 victory over the Red Wings on Monday night. Discount Hydro Flask Cheap . A statement from the worlds top-ranked player says all checks "were satisfactory and showed positive evolution" regarding the injury, which contributed to his loss to Stanislas Wawrinka in the final in Melbourne. http://www.discounthydroflaskcheap.com/ .J. -- Marty Brodeur beat the Pittsburgh Penguins yet again. Cheap Hydro Flask Sale . Takahashi, who had a 10-point lead after the short program, received 268.31 points after the free skate to finish 15 points ahead of second-place Nobunari Oda. Hydro Flask Sale . How great will be revealed in the next couple of days at the board of governors meeting in Pebble Beach, Calif.With Wednesdays non-waiver trade deadline quickly approaching, Toronto Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos has remained silent, thus far. The Jays, last in the AL East, currently sit 14.5 games behind the first-place Tampa Bay Rays and are 9.5 games out of an AL Wild Card. Few expect the disappointing Jays to be among the clubs looking to load up today, but the team does possess some players of their own who could attract interest from around the league. Veteran reliever Darren Oliver, speedster Rajai Davis and utility man Emilio Bonifacio, all pending free agents, are the most likely Jays to see a change of scenery, though inquiries could be made on the availability of others. Right-handed starter Josh Johnson, acquired from the Marlins last winter, is also a pending free agent, but his struggles in his first AL campaign have devalued his stock and increased the chances of accepting arbitration in the off-season. While reports indicate that Melky Cabrera will not receive further suspension for his involvement in the Biogenesis scandal, the market remains tepid for the outfielder who has one year remaining on a two-year deal worth $16 mill. Though the Texas Rangers have reportedly expressed interest, the cchances of Anthopoulos moving either one of superstar sluggers Jose Bautista or Edwin Encarnacion are extremely low.dddddddddddd Tuesday nights three-way trade in the American League got the ball rolling on what could be a busy day. The Red Sox acquired the biggest name in starter Jake Peavy from the White Sox, but the key component of the trade could be Jose Iglesias, who was sent to the Tigers. Reports indicate Detroits starting shortstop Jhonny Peralta could be one of the players suspended by the league office in the Biogenesis investigation, so Iglesias may supply badly needed cover for the AL Central leaders for the rest of this season and potentially beyond. In the American League, the Orioles, Athletics and Yankees could be active, while the Pirates, Diamondbacks and Phillies may be working the phones in the Senior Circuit. Names to watch out for include Astros starter Bud Norris, Giants outfelder Hunter Pence, Rangers closer Joe Nathan and outfielder Alex Rios of the White Sox. Theo Epstein and the Cubs appear open for business with the likes of outfielders Nate Schierholtz and David DeJesus and starter Jeff Samardzija potentially on the block. The non-waiver deadline is at 4pm et. ' ' '