Luca Sbisa was the only Duck in action Sunday in Slovakia. The Swiss defenseman didn’t figure into the scoring in a 4-1 victory over Belarus. He had an even-0 rating in 14:13 time on ice.
The tournament got physical Sunday according to reports out of Slovakia, with the most intense action limited to games involving longstanding Eastern European rivals: Latvia-Czech Republic and Russia-Slovenia. Without delving into the history of regional politics, suffice it to say that some of those countries really don’t like each other. These rivalries often spill over into the rink.
The takeaway: Sbisa and Cam Fowler, who is playing for the United States, shouldn’t be inherently worried about the increased potential for injury.