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TSN Hockey Analyst

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To no surprise, Carter Hart gets the start in goal for Canada tonight when they take on the United States in the gold medal final at the World Junior Hockey Championship.

Hart was brilliant in Wednesday's semifinal against Sweden, coming off the bench early in the first period in place of teammate Connor Ingram.

And that's easier said than done. It's easy for people to say that technically, he's playing with 'house money.' But that's not the case here.

If you're a backup goaltender, your job is to help find a way to stop the bleeding for your team. What impressed me most about Carter Hart's performance was his elite rebound control.

He was strong on stopping shots dead or getting them out of harm's way on half of the 28 shots he faced against Sweden on Wednesday night. 

And that breeds confidence with your teammates on the bench. When they know you're coming off the bench and ready to roll, they're going to get their own legs going the other way.

Hart made some big saves but for me, it was all about his positioning and his rebound control. 

When you have that type of performance to deliver the win and get to the gold medal game, that's very impressive coming in with what we deem as 'house money.'

The challenge now - to deliver gold.