VANCOUVER - When Canada and the United States clash on Sunday, there will be plenty of teammates like Chicago Blackhawks' Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane facing off against each another.

But how about the predicament Sidney Crosby and Mike Richards find themselves in? The bitter rivals are playing on the same line for Canada, at least to start the final game of the preliminary round for both teams.

"I'm not worried about that," said Richards, who besides the six regular-season meetings every year has watched his Philadelphia Flyers eliminated by Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins twice in the playoffs. "I'm worried about playing together and getting Canada going in the right direction.

"It's easier to play with him than against him. You throw the Maple Leaf on and wear it with pride."

Crosby and Richards will lineup alongside Rick Nash, a constant with Crosby so far at the Vancouver Olympics. But Canadian coach Mike Babcock has moved the left-shooting Nash over to the right side, where he regularly plays for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

"We wanted to get Nash back on right wing, where he seems to me the most comfortable, and have Jarome [Iginla] play with [Brenden] Morrow and Toews in a more physical situation," Babcock said. "That's kind of our plan for tomorrow.

"[Richards is] a bit of a give-and-go player. He's had a lot of success with that, so he could be a good player with Crosby and the big guy [Nash] going to the net."

Seventeen of the 23 Canadian players will be trying to beat NHL teammates on Sunday in the critical clash that will see the winner advance straight to the quarter-finals. Toews last met Kane in an international game at the 2008 world championship in Halifax, when Canada edged the Americans 5-4.

The Blackhawks linemates also butted helmets in the 2007 world junior championship, in which Kane failed to score in a shootout that saw Toews connect three times to give Canada a 2-1 win in the semifinals.

"We played against one another at different levels before, but this will be something new," Toews said. "But this is Canada and the United States going to head-to-head and that's the more important thing."

Kane, who also will go up against Chicago teammates and Canadian defencemen Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, is more outspoken than Toews. He was asked whether there will be any trash talk between the two.

"We'll see in the heat of the moment," Kane said. "I probably won't say too much, but if he says some things that I don't like I'll definitely give it to him."

Does Kane have an advantage working his offensive wizardry against Keith and Seabrook, two defenceman he sees every day in practice?

"The biggest one for me is having watched Duncan and [Seabrook] over the past couple of years," Kane said. "They obviously have certain plays they like to do. I've watched them for awhile, so hopefully I can either pick up on some of his tendencies and try to use that against them."

While Kane has kept in touch with his three Chicago teammates throughout the Olympics - and shared a taxi with Toews to go downtown from the athletes village on evening when the two were meeting their parents - the same can't be said about Los Angeles Kings defenceman Jack Johnson and his teammate Drew Doughty.

Johnson has refused to answer Doughty's texts. He also didn't offer him the same courtesy he did to another Kings on the U.S. team, Dustin Brown and Jonathan Quick, when he hired a charter flight to fly up for the opening ceremonies. This not only befuddled Doughty, but Brown, too.

Martin Brodeur will start in goal for Canada. But does his New Jersey Devils teammates on the U.S. side, forwards Jamie Langenbrunner and Zach Parise, have an advantage because they fire pucks at Brodeur in practice.

"I shoot against him in practice all the time, but that is a different atmosphere or situation," Parise said. "I could give a few pointers here and there, but Marty knows where I like to shoot, too.

"I don't think that gives me much of an advantage. I'm interested to hear what these other players have to say about how they approach playing against him.

"I don't play against them. They are the ones who play against him in games and score against him in games. I want to hear what they say."

The Canadians are not only hoping to manage their nerves better than they did against Switzerland, they hope to be more physical against their North American rivals.

"So far, our games haven't been that gritty," Iginla said. "I think this game will be a lot more physical. It's a natural."

Iginla, by the way, stated that he is not injured as has been speculated in some circles. He has been dropped to Canada's fourth line along with Toews and Patrice Bergeron, with Brenden Morrow spotted in occasionally.

(Photo: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)