Canada's Rousseau to start against Latvia after strong opener
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Team Canada held a media availability at their hotel in Gothenburg, Sweden on Wednesday morning.
Team Canada plans to stick with Mathis Rousseau in net when they take on Latvia in their second game at the World Juniors.
"He's in a little bit of a groove now and he's used to playing back-to-back," said head coach Alan Letang. "Our group got over the little anxiety and the early little nerves and it would be nice to roll back the same lineup, the same goalie, and we can get rolling a little bit here."
Rousseau has started on consecutive days in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League five times this season. The Halifax Mooseheads goalie started all three pre-competition games for Canada before stopping 24 of 26 shots to win the tournament-opening game against Finland on Tuesday.
Sam St-Hilaire played half of two pre-tournament games with Canada and also split a pair of starts during the selection camp games, but hasn't played a full 60 minutes since Dec. 8 when he was with the Sherbrooke Phoenix. Scott Ratzlaff did not dress on Tuesday. The Seattle Thunderbirds goalie did not get into a pre-tournament game for Canada.
Any consideration to keeping St-Hilaire and Ratzlaff engaged just in case they are needed at some point?
"There's always that thought in your mind," Letang acknowledged. "You're also concerned about potentially overthinking it."
Letang leans on the advice of Hockey Canada goalie consultant Justin Pogge.
"He's got a great plan for them," Letang said. "They're three high-character guys that understand the situation they're in. All three are going to be ready when called upon ... We want to get in a little bit of a groove and roll with our style play, roll with our system, roll with our lines, so this is probably the best way to go today."
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Latvia lost its opener 6-0 to the host Swedes on Tuesday night.
"They've got some guys that have some good individual skill that are going to challenge us 1-on-1 down low," Letang warned. "This is one of those games where you come off an emotional game last night against the Finns and a big win and we don't want to have a letdown and have a trap game where we lower our level and things get tighter than it needs to be."
Canada has won all three meetings with Latvia at the World Juniors while outscoring them 31-4. However the last meeting, a couple years ago during the summer event in Edmonton, was tighter than expected with a 5-2 scoreline.
"I watched a little bit of their game yesterday," said centre Macklin Celebrini. "They'll play hard. They're going to be a good test for us like any team we're going to play here. We just have to be on top of our game and bring it like we're playing any other team."
Letang, who coaches the Sarnia Sting in the Ontario Hockey League, will see a familiar face on the other side. Latvian forward Sandis Vilmanis is tied for second in Sting scoring with 28 points through 30 games and leads Sarnia with 100 shots.
"I'm sure he's excited to play," said Letang. "I'm excited to watch him, but I don't want to get too excited because I know how dangerous he is. He's one of those guys who will challenge us 1-on-1. I've seen it before. He's got a good shot. I wished him a good tournament, but hopefully we shut him down tonight."
Canadian winger Matt Savoie will be facing Wenatchee Wild teammate Rodzers Bukarts.
"He's lethal offensively," Savoie said of the Latvian forward. "He has a good shot. I watched their game last night and he was used pretty heavily on their power play. It's fun to see him here and him having some success contributing to that team."
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After taking six penalties on Tuesday, Canada is looking to be a more disciplined group.
"They're dangerous on the power play because they throw a lot of pucks to the net," Letang noted.
Savoie was whistled twice against the Finns.
"It's just adjusting to the IIHF officiating and knowing what they will call and what they won't call," he said. "They call a lot of stick infractions, not much interference or slashing penalties, more hooks and the little stuff."
Savoie has taken just four minor penalties in 18 games this season back home.
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The Finns only took a couple minors despite doing their best to agitate Celebrini.
"It happens and you can't really avoid it," the Boston University freshman said. "You can't let it affect you or else it will kind of throw you off your game. I obviously don't like getting cross-checked in the face, but when it happens you can't get too rattled."
Celebrini, 17, faces much older players every game in the NCAA and still leads the Terriers in goals (10) and assists (15).
"He's used to that," said Team Canada winger Carson Rehkopf. "He's been an elite player his whole life. Being a younger guy in college, I'm sure he deals with that. He's a tough kid, works his butt off every night, and works super hard. It's easy for him to deal with that stuff. He plays physical so it's no problem for him."
"He was great," said Savoie. "When you have a player like that, there's always going to be a little bit of a target on his back, but I think he's so mature in the way he handles himself. He doesn't let it affect him at all and he lets himself play his game."
Celebrini led Canada with seven points in three pre-tournament games, but noticed things tighten up on Boxing Day.
"There's a big jump from those exhibitions into the real tournament," the Vancouver native said. "You can feel the energy and the intensity of the game go up and every team is going to be playing for keeps now."
Celebrini managed to land four shots on net, tied for the team lead, and also hit a crossbar. And he finally broke through with a goal in the third period when he crashed the crease and snuck a rebound just past the goal line. The play needed to be reviewed before it was confirmed as a good goal.
"I thought I saw it go in but I wasn't sure," Celebrini said. "I didn't even know if they were going to review it or not so I was kind of confused and then when they were reviewing it I saw a different angle and I was pretty happy."
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Rehkopf started the game as the 13th forward, but earned more ice time as the game progressed, including some shifts alongside Brayden Yager and Celebrini.
"He's a super special player," Rehkopf said. "It was easy to play with him and Yags. We played really well in the third. Obviously scoring that goal and also really hemmed them in for a lot of our shifts."
"He went out there and provided some energy, provided some physicality," Letang said. "He was conscious about being hard along the wall and moving pucks. I went through some of the scoring chances and he helped generate four scoring chances with a variety of lines. We know what he is. He scored 31 goals in the OHL and it's hard to keep a guy like that on the bench for too long."
Rehkopf scored those 31 goals in 31 games with the Kitchener Rangers. Prior to heading to Canada's selection camp, he led all Canadian Hockey League skaters in points with 55. The Seattle Kraken prospect insists it isn't tough adjusting to a reduced role at the World Juniors.
"I've played roles like this before and that's something about my game is I can play roles like this," Rehkopf said. "I can help the team in other ways. If I play hard and use my speed and play physical then everything will come, chances and shots too, and hopefully I score."
One adjustment, though, is that the 6-foot-1, 195 pounder is dialling up his physical play.
"I always have it in my game, but here when I'm in the role I'm in it's very important," the 19-year-old from Vaughn, Ont. said. "It's crucial for energy for our team."
"I thought he gave us what we needed," Letang said. "He showed a side of him he hasn't showed in the camp with that bit of physicality. He found a little chemistry with Celebrini. He also had some chemistry with [Matt] Poitras. He's no different than [Matthew Wood], if he gets a puck inside the dots and shoots it, there's a good chance it's going in so you don't like having those guys on the bench too often."
Wood, who started the game beside Celebrini and Yager, played the fewest minutes (6:02) for Canada on Tuesday.
"I was trying to mix them all in," Letang said. "That 13th forward is a bit of a challenge for a coach. I'll find a way to deal with it and hopefully we can keep those guys engaged."
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Canada did not hold a team skate on Wednesday morning, but Ty Nelson did hit the ice. The North Bay Battalion defenceman, a late call-up to the team, only arrived in Gothenburg at 3 pm on Monday.
"A little bit of a disadvantage for him," Letang said. "I know he said he didn't sleep great. He felt heavy in the first and got better as the game went on. It took us almost four or five days to get over the jet lag so I can only imagine what he's going through. He'll feel better today. He was down at the rink this morning doing a light skate and tomorrow's a day off for him and he'll get some rest. He's only going to get better as the tournament goes for sure."
Nelson logged just over seven minutes of ice time against the Finns.
"They were seven good minutes," Letang said. "He gave us exactly what we needed. He kept it simple and moved pucks. I know he was also trying to be physical a little bit."
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Letang revealed that Canada's goal song – 'Ordinary Day' by Great Big Sea – was picked by team physician Dr. R.J. MacKenzie, who is from Albert Bridge, N.S.
"I remember listening to that quite a few times when I was 19, 20 playing in Fredericton," said Letang, who suited up for the Fredericton Canadiens in the American Hockey League from 1995 to 1997. "I know who picked it and I know he's excited about it and I think it's perfect."
Canada went with 'Heave Away' by The Fables as the goal song last year in Halifax where Letang was an assistant coach. Management gave this year's choice careful consideration.
"There's always conversations," Letang said. "It's awesome that it's become an exciting moment. I love the fact it's a Canadian band all the time. There is a lot of thought that goes into it. We saw how a goal song catches on last year and hopefully this one rolls along the same path."
The coach acknowledged that the song, which came out in 1997, was met with some skepticism from the players at first.
"I knew none of them had probably heard it before," Letang said with a laugh.
"We didn't know how it was going to go and then we heard it on the ice and we all loved it," Celebrini said. "I've never heard that song before but I loved it. So, I'm happy with the decision."