TORONTO -- For the first time since Team North America came together, coach Todd McLellan had to re-instill some belief.With players slumping at their lockers after allowing Russia to score four goals in under seven minutes, McLellan told them they were better than they thought they were at that moment. Young North America was the better team Monday night, but a lopsided stretch was enough to give Russia a much-needed 4-3 victory in a fast-paced, end-to-end showcase of the sport at the World Cup of Hockey.Vladislav Namestnikov, Nikita Kucherov, Evgeny Kuznetsov and Vladimir Tarasenko scored on consecutive shots during a 6:14 stretch, and Sergei Bobrovsky made 42 saves on 45 shots to hand the 23-and-under mix of American and Canadian players its first loss of the tournament.We just lost our way for 10 minutes, McLellan said. I thought we were hesitant. ... They were quicker, they were stronger. They stripped us a number of times. We looked slow, and thats not the way we play. Slow reading, slow reacting and slow to the scoreboard.Toronto Maple Leafs 2016 No. 1 pick Auston Matthews scored on a 2-on-1 rush off a pass from Edmonton Oilers 2015 No. 1 pick Connor McDavid, and Morgan Rielly and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had goals for North America (1-1), which outshot Russia 45-23.Russias goals in quick succession were team goals, McLellan said, but they also led to the end of goaltender Matt Murrays night. Murray, who stopped the first 15 shots he faced before Russia broke through, jammed a thumb in the second period, but McLellan said he was healthy enough to play.Murray was on the wrong end of a young teams mistakes. The efficiency of speed and skill that worked in a win over Finland on Sunday stopped for a short period of time against high-powered Russia, and it proved disastrous.We got away from our game, trying to be too cute and getting pucks instead of going to the net going east to west too much, Matthews said. Theyre a team that likes to turn the puck over and get going the other way. Thats something weve got to clean up.On their heels early, the Russians responded well after opening the World Cup with a loss to Sweden. Their penalty kill went 6-for-7, led by Bobrovsky, who also stopped McDavid on a second-period breakaway.Obviously we knew we cant lose the game, Russia captain Alex Ovechkin said. If we lose the game were obviously out of the tournament. Back to back, I think we played a solid second, and our penalty-kill guys, [Ivan] Telegin, blocked the shots, Bobrovsky. You can see everybody sacrificing, and we get the result.It wasnt the result North America wanted, but a furious third-period comeback showed that it didnt lose confidence. McDavid blamed himself and his teammates for failing to capitalize on an extended 5-on-3 power play.We definitely let the team down there, McDavid said.North America still had another opportunity 6-on-4 in the final minute. Shayne Gostisbehere hit the post behind Bobrovsky with 14 seconds left, and Russia held on.Thats not the way to play the Russians, but I thought we did a good job of responding and really making a game of it, McDavid said. I think thats a good sign, but in a short tournament like this, we needed the points.North America was without top defenseman Aaron Ekblad, who McLellan called day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Jacob Trouba replaced him, but Ekblads absence created a void of extra minutes that defensemen had to fill.Many made costly mistakes, and Russia was more than willing and able to take advantage of turnovers and defensive mix-ups.I think some hockey god got on our side, and we just got good luck, Kuznetsov said.For all of Russias energy during its stretch, losing like it did taught North America a lesson about regaining composure and the value of playing a complete 60 minutes.Unfortunately, when it goes into the record books, all 60 count, McLellan said.North America wraps up round-robin play Wednesday against Sweden, while Russia faces Finland on Thursday.Game notes John Gibson faced only four shots in relief of Murray and stopped them all. ... Namestnikov scored in his World Cup debut, replacing Vadim Shipachev. Authentic Custom Steelers Jersey . 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Cheap Custom Steelers Jersey .Y. -- Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo had little trouble picking up his first shutout of the season against a Buffalo Sabres team thats having trouble scoring goals. SAN JOSE, Costa Rica -- The United States is in danger of becoming the fourth team to start 0-2 in the final round of CONCACAFs World Cup qualifying since the hexagonal format was adopted ahead of the 1998 tournament.The Americans traveled to Central America on Sunday, two days after a 2-1 loss to Mexico in Columbus, Ohio -- the Americans first home loss in qualifying since 2001. They are 0-8-1 in qualifiers at Costa Rica -- losing their last eight in a row.Its just part of the qualifying process, the whole kind of long road obviously over 10 games, U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann said after Fridays match. And so its not a problem, but its obviously its disappointing.All three hosts lost Friday, the first time that happened in the hexagonal since Sept. 1, 2001, when the U.S. was defeated 3-2 by Honduras at Washingtons RFK Stadium. But there is plenty of time to rebound.The top three teams in the North and Central American and Caribbean finals advance to the 2018 tournament in Russia and the fourth-place nation meets Asias No. 5 finisher in a playoff for another berth.Canada (1997) and Trinidad and Tobago (2001) both started 0-2 and failed to qualify, but the Soca Warriors overcame losses to the U.S. and Guatemala in 2005 to finish fourth, then beat Bahrain in a playoff to reach the 2006 tournament in Germany.The U.S. Soccer Federation noted the average points needed to qualify from the hex has been 15.6, which means the U.S. would need four points on the road if form holds and it wins four remaining home matches. The U.S. earned six points on the road in the final round of qualifying for the 1998 tournament, five for 2002 and seven in each of the last three cycles.We have to look forward, pick ourselves up, forward Jozy Altidore said.The U.S. left behind goalkeeper Timm Howard, who departed the opener in the 40th minute after injuring the adductor muscle in his right leg.dddddddddddd. After a refueling stop in West Palm Beach, Florida, the team arrived at its hotel in San Jose at 7:30 p.m., following an afternoon storm.Costa Rica has become the perennial No. 3 team in the region behind Mexico and the U.S., and Los Ticos reached the quarterfinals of the 2014 World Cup before losing to the Netherlands on penalty kicks.In the Americans first qualifying match at Costa Rica, John Kerr scored in the 44th minute off Jeff Hookers cross after Mike Windischmann long pass down a flank, to gain a 1-1 draw on May 26, 1985, at Estadio Alejandro Moreira in Alajuela, about 13 miles from San Jose. Oscar Ramirez had put the hosts ahead about one minute earlier after Arnie Mausser misplayed a cross.The U.S. then lost seven consecutive qualifiers by a combined 16-5 at San Joses Estadio Saprissa, where fans were right behind the benches and some threw bags of urine at the visitors.The site shifted in 2013 to Estadio Nacional, which opened two years earlier and has an athletics track around the field. The result was similar, with the Americans giving up goals to Johnny Acosta and Celso Borges in the first nine minutes of a 3-1 loss that ended their team-record winning streak at 12 games, three shy of Spains world mark. American midfielder Michael Bradley, originally in the starting lineup, limped off the field during warmups after spraining his left ankle and was on crutches at the bench during the match.The message is very simple, Klinsmann said after the loss. Weve got to do down there and get a result, which we will do. ' ' '