World Cup of Hockey 2016 Results: Scores, Highlights and Reaction from Sunday

The World Cup of Hockey continued Sunday with four more teams starting their tournament in Toronto.

Sweden narrowly escaped with a 2-1 win over Russia thanks to two second-period goals that came two minutes apart. Backup goalie Jacob Markstrom played well in relief of Henrik Lundqvist, and despite Russia's late surge, Sweden was able to hold on for the victory.

North America followed that up with an even more impressive showing, routing Finland with a 4-1 victory, earning points from 10 different players in the win.

Here is a recap of the full day of action from the Air Canada Centre.

Sweden 2, Russia 1

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It was a dramatic finish, but Sweden held on for a one-goal win in its first game at the World Cup of Hockey.

Down 2-0 in the final minute, Alex Ovechkin made things interesting with a score to cut Russia's deficit to one. A few seconds later, the Washington Capitals star appeared to tie the game with a goal, but it was waved off due to the fact it never hit his stick.

Bruce Arthur of the Toronto Sun broke down the final play:

Sweden had bad news to start the day, when its top goalie was ruled out with an illness, according to Frank Seravalli of TSN.

However, starting in Lundqvist's place, Markstrom looked good early, per Rob Williams of the Daily Hive:

Both sides played strong defensively through the first period, with no scoring.

Tarik El-Bashir of CSN Mid-Atlantic summed things up in the second period:

Sweden was finally able to break through in the second with two goals in quick succession.

Gabriel Landeskog's goal came off the faceoff after a hooking penalty on Russia's Vadim Shipachev, and Victor Hedman followed shortly afterward to give Sweden a 2-0 lead.

The NHL provided highlights of the two goals:

The tough defense returned in the third period, with both sides producing more hard hits than scoring chances.

Russia finally got on the board in the final minute with this Ovechkin goal, via the Pittsburgh Penguins:

However, it wasn't enough, as the last attempt was disallowed, allowing Sweden to escape with the win.

Russia will have a quick turnaround before having to face Team North America on Monday at 8 p.m. ET. Sweden will have an extra day of rest before playing Finland on Tuesday at 3 p.m. ET.

Postgame Reaction

Markstrom only found out he would be playing a few hours before the game, but he was apparently completely prepared.

"You got to be ready every time you come to the rink," the backup goalie said after the game, per Frank Pingue of Reuters. "You can't just come in with a muffin and hot chocolate...you got to prepare yourself and get the body to be ready if it's time to go."

Sweden was likely nervous when it learned Lundqvist would be out, but this type of mentality is what helps win championships.

North America 4, Finland 1

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Few knew what to expect from North America coming into the tournament. The under-23 team is inexperienced but obviously loaded with plenty of talent.

After one game, it's clear this is a legitimate team to watch in the World Cup.

The young North American team played without fear early, using its best lineup to get an early goal. The Buffalo Sabres' Twitter account showed Jack Eichel's rebound goal:

Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid were credited with assists on the opening score.

Mark Spector of Sportsnet provided high praise for the entire line:

After a second goal was waved off due to goalie interference, the North Americans held a 1-0 lead after the first period.

Justin Cuthbert of theScore noted the strong work of the young squad:

Those close chances turned into goals in the second period, as Finland simply could not handle the speed and skill of the North Americans.

Johnny Gaudreau, Jonathan Drouin and Nathan MacKinnon got on the scoreboard with goals in the second frame, turning a close battle into a rout.

The NHL's Twitter account provided highlights of the scoring outburst in the second session:

Dan Rosen of NHL.com summed up the thoughts of just about everyone watching along:

Finland showed plenty of heart in the third period to fight hard despite the lopsided score. In a tournament setting like this, working until the last whistle could be beneficial going forward. This eventually paid off in the form of a Valtteri Filppula goal with roughly four minutes remaining.

However, North America remained in control and—despite the youth—limited its mistakes to hold on for the 4-1 victory.

Postgame Reaction

While Finland should have expected a tough matchup in its first game, this one was a wake-up call, per Spector:

Meanwhile, Connor McDavid has plenty of confidence in his North American teammates, per Steven Whyno of the Associated Press:

If this group continues to play with the same intensity and skill as it showed Sunday, it can seriously contend for the rest of the tournament.

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter.