By Matt Reynolds
Today is Christmas Eve, or as hockey fans call it, World Juniors Eve-Eve. With the pre-tournament competition finishing yesterday with a 4-1 Canada win over Switzerland, the team finished with 2 wins and 1 loss. On Boxing Day, more commonly known as World Juniors Day by hockey fans, Canada begins the tournament with a game against Germany, who is obviously one of the weakest teams in the tournament. Canada will then face the Czechs, Slovaks, and end off the preliminary round with a New Years Eve classic against the United States. Here are three things to watch that could affect Team Canada during their quest for gold:
1. Goaltending
Weak or inconsistent goaltending has become a regular problem for Canada at the World Juniors. Last year, we thought we had a solid number one goalie in Malcolm Subban until he collapsed in the semi-finals against the U.S. Then, in the bronze medal game, backup Jordan Binnington, who took over for Subban in the semis, was the starter and was quickly pulled after a shaky start. Subban was not much better, letting in a weak goal in overtime to lose the medal for Canada. The last time Canada truly had a solid number 1 goalie at the World Juniors was in 2008, when Steve Mason was named the best goalie of the tournament and Canada captured their fourth gold in a row. Since then, we've dealt with the likes of Dustin Tokarski, Jake Allen, Marc Visentin and Scott Wedgewood as Canada's goalies in the Juniors. This year, Jake Paterson and Zach Fucale will face the challenge of being a solid starter. It is not 100% clear who will be Canada's goalie, but Jake Paterson seems to be pulling ahead in that race. In the two games he started in the pre-tournament competition, he had 1 win and 1 loss, although he looked solid in both starts. Last year, Canada was quick to name a goalie, doing so before the tournament started. The key to success for them in the goaltending department is to let both tenders see action in the preliminary round. Whichever goalie plays better gets to start against the U.S. on New Years Eve and will also most likely start against Slovakia on the 30th.
2. Griffin Reinhart's suspension
In the semifinals of last year's tournament, defenceman Griffin Reinhart got hit with a 4-game suspension for an illegal high-stick to the head of an American player. One of the games he served was the bronze medal game, but the suspension still carries over for the first three games of this year's preliminary round. Reinhart will be back on New Years Eve against guess who, the United States. This could be a major concern for Canada, since they will only have 6 defencemen as opposed to 7 for the first three games. Since these games are against teams Canada should theoretically beat, not many people are concerned about the suspension. But Reinhart's return in such an important game makes us question how it could affect Canada's defensive core. There is no question that Reinhart is a strong defenseman, but after three games, the chemistry built between the other 6 defensemen could be affected.
3. Connor McDavid
The first 16 year-old to play for Canada in the World Juniors since Sidney Crosby, McDavid will obviously have centre stage during the coverage whether he makes an impact or not. Since this year's coach actually knows what he is doing (unlike last year's), McDavid will most likely have strong linemates to play with during the tournament. Although he is not even draft eligible until next season, all eyes will be on the 16 year-old who has very high expectations entering the tournament. Many are excited to see him play, and the pressure to do well is high. McDavid is being compared to Sidney Crosby, who even said that he reminded him of himself during his younger days. As a 16 year-old, Crosby had 5 points in 6 games, and impressed many scouts by becoming the youngest player to score at the tournament. McDavid is not expected to be the player of the tournament, but a stellar few games like Crosby's in 2004 is not too much to ask. All in all, goaltending remains the biggest concern for Canada as they attempt to win their first gold medal in 5 years and make up for a disappointing finish in 2013.
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