3 questions facing Russia at the World Cup

Few are picking Russia to come out on top at the World Cup, and Canada has long been listed as the favorites.

While the 2016 version of this tournament doesn't have the same tradition as the Canada Cups of old, it's safe to say Russia will do everything possible to steal this one from the true north strong and free, especially after failing to medal at the past three Winter Olympics.

Here are three questions that will need to be answered along the way.

Can Russia bounce back from Sochi disappointment?

Much was expected from a Russian squad playing the 2014 Olympic men's hockey tournament on home soil, but an emotional shootout loss at the hands of T.J. Oshie and the Americans derailed the quest to finish first in the group stage and therefore an easier path to the gold-medal game.

A quarterfinal loss to Finland ensured Russia's failure to earn a medal of any color in Sochi, where the home country eventually finished fifth.

Medals at the three following World Championships (gold in 2014, silver in 2015, bronze in 2016) were nice, but that tournament certainly isn't on the same level as the Olympics, and doesn't have the same level of top-flight NHL talent that the World Cup will boast.

It won't erase the sting of Sochi, but triumph in Toronto has a nice ring to it.

Is the defense good enough?

While Russia's offense was deemed good enough to exclude the likes of Alex Radulov and Ilya Kovalchuk, the blue line leaves much to be desired.

Long gone are the days when Sergei Zubov and Sergei Gonchar dominated at the position. Andrei Markov ranks third all time among Russian defensemen in the NHL, but at age 37, his best days are behind him and there's reason to question whether he can keep up in what's expected to be a fast-paced tournament.

That leaves Dmitry Kulikov and Dmitry Orlov as the next best options, with promising youngsters Nikita Nestorov and Alexei Marchenko set to carry heavy loads.

Watch out for Nikita Zaitsev as a potential game breaker, as the 24-year-old will no doubt be looking to make a good impression in Toronto after signing with the Maple Leafs this summer.

Who starts in goal?

Russia will bring three capable goalies to the World Cup, giving head coach Oleg Znarok reason to pause when deciding who will start.

Sergei Bobrovsky has a Vezina Trophy (2013) on his resume, and backstopped his country to a Bronze at the 2016 World Championships on the strength of a .931 save percentage in nine games.

Semyon Varlamov, however, has proven to be a quality option in net while playing for a Colorado team that doesn't make it easy on him, and he did play well in Sochi when given the chance.

It's Andrei Vasilevskiy who's been most impressive recently, stepping up for Tampa Bay in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Out of the three options, his save percentage in 5-on-5 play this past season (including playoffs) rises to the top.

if we eliminate recency bias, Bobrosvky is the likely front-runner for the gig, and Varlamov is probably the backup as a result of his dependable play in recent years.

Vasilevskiy, though, might be the best of the bunch.