Savoie returns for Canada's quarter-final

Team Canada held a media availability at their hotel on Tuesday morning. 

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Team Canada winger Matt Savoie will play in Tuesday's quarter-final against Czechia.

"He responded well and he's ready to go," head coach Alan Letang announced.

After missing Sunday's game with a lower-body injury, Savoie returned to the ice for a 16-minute skate on Monday.

"I don't think this was ever going to hold him out of the lineup," said Letang. "He skated yesterday and felt great. The whole time we've talked to him he's been ready to go. His mindset was he was playing no matter what."

Savoie, a Buffalo Sabres prospect, is expected to slot in beside Wenatchee Wild teammate Conor Geekie and Boston Bruins centre Matt Poitras.

"Me and Sav have that drive for each other," Geekie said. "If he's not feeling the best, I'll give it to him so he has that extra motivation, and he does the same thing to me. I know he can play through pretty much anything."

"Conor and Savvy have a little bit of chemistry naturally," said Letang. "Savvy brings that speed and Potsy's that guy in the middle who likes to kick pucks left and right. We still need someone to do the heavy lifting out there and that's Conor. They just need a little bit more time to get together and we've got one game."

The trio played one pre-tournament game together – Dec. 22 against Switzerland – but it didn't click. That was the first game for Poitras after arriving in Sweden.

"They just have to talk on the bench," said Letang. "They have to read off each other. They all have great instincts. They all have offensive instincts. They all read off each other well. Conor can protect pucks. He can get to the net. Savvy's sneaky quick and Potsy's pretty slippery getting in and out. If we can get pucks to the net with Conor there, you know, we create some second and third opportunities. If we need to kick one out through the neutral zone and we hit someone with speed then we're in good shape."

Savoie hit the scoresheet in five of six American Hockey League games played in this season and 10 of 11 Western Hockey League games. However, he's been held without a point in two of three games at the World Juniors. He did pick up an assist during a 10-0 rout of Latvia.

"He's got the speed," Geekie promised. "He's got the skill. He always normally throws one big hit a game so that fires me up a bit too. Goal scorer. Playmaker. He can do it all."

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Czechia captain Jiri Kulich, also a Sabres prospect, played with Savoie on the Rochester Americans this season.

"We are pretty good buddies," Kulich said. "It starts in Buffalo main camp, and this year he played in Rochester too. We played on same line. He's great guy. Smart player. I love to play with him."

How can he stop him at the World Juniors?

"Stop him? I don't know," Kulich said with a smile. "He's pretty fast. Yeah, he's pretty fast, skilled too. It's hard to stop him, but I think I can do it."

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Geekie avoided suspension for an illegal check to the head of Germany's Samuel Schindler. The hit resulted in a major penalty and game misconduct on Sunday.

"Everyone has their own perspective," the Arizona Coyotes prospect said. "I'm just trying to do my part for the team, trying to be that big body, and I'm not going to comment too much further on that."

Older brother Morgan Geekie, who plays for the Bruins, took to X (formerly Twitter) to voice his displeasure.

"Didn't realize they handed out penalties for hitting too hard," he wrote.

"I think he was a little more mad than I was," Conor said. "That's who Morgan is ... He always has my back."

Will Geekie change his style in Tuesday's quarter-final?

"You don't want to," he said. "Obviously you have it in the back of your mind. It is a different game and everyone who's played in the IIHF knows that."

But physical play is part of Geekie's identity as a player.

"It's one thing to kind of get under people's skin," he said. "Being a bigger guy [6-foot-4] I try to use it as much as I can. Maybe I make two hits and the next time that d-man doesn't pinch, and you have more time. It all adds up in the end."

Geekie had 17 points in 19 playoff games last season while helping the Winnipeg Ice reach the WHL final. What does he like about playoff hockey?

"More hitting," the 19-year-old from Strathclair, Man. said. "For me, that's the most fun. It brings another side of me out. Even last year in in the playoffs with Winnipeg, it was probably some of my best hockey. I don't know what it is, I just find another gear. Maybe it's the competitive gene. Maybe it's the third-child syndrome, I don't really know, but it's a lot of fun playing in the playoffs."

Geekie has just two goals (both against Latvia) and one assist (on the Poitras empty netter against Finland) so far.

"Tonight is a game where he can take hold of this game and really step up for us physically and get inside," said Letang. "I'm waiting for that moment where he takes over this whole tournament."

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The officiating standard is something to keep in mind, but Letang doesn't want his players backing down one inch.

"If you are hesitant out there then you're too late or you're behind," the coach said. "You never want to take the aggressiveness out of a player."

Germany scored three power-play goals on Sunday.

"We were a little less aggressive on the penalty kill," Letang noted. "All tournament long we've been excellent. We've read quickly and been aggressive and I think that goes right into our 5-on-5 play. If we're hesitant on the forecheck we get there too late, and we don't sustain any pressure. If we're hesitant in the D-zone, same type of thing. So, we've talked about being on top of pucks and we're going to need to be tonight, because it's a big, heavy team that doesn't let you get inside. If we're slow to pucks we'll be chasing the game most of the night."

Letang likes the vibe around his group.

"It looked like business as usual this morning when we were meeting with the guys," he said. "It's a good sign."

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Geekie isn't the only Canadian with a playoff pedigree. Defenceman Jake Furlong led the Halifax Mooseheads to the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League championship series last season.

"It only elevates it for a lot of us here," the Mooseheads captain said. "You play more with your heart on the line. You'll do everything to win, put your face in front of a puck, do whatever it takes. That's what brings out the best in a lot of people."

Canada's starter, Mathis Rousseau, was in net for that playoff run with the Mooseheads.

"He's a whole different beast," said Furlong of playoff Rousseau. "He's the best goalie in our league for a reason. He's had a great tournament so far and I have the utmost confidence in him that he'll shut the door from here on out."

"Just high character," observed Letang of Rousseau. "Competitor. Focused. Loves the grind. Likes the work. Not scared to work. He does the little things day in and day out. I saw him last night up in the players' lounge focused on his game, working on his game."

Furlong, who anchors the second defence pair beside Noah Warren, has been an unsung hero for Canada.

"Furlong has just been super solid, super steady, low maintenance," Letang said. "He kind of calms Warren down a little bit and settles him down and allows him to play his game. They're the type of D that when you don't really notice them, they're having a real good game."

Furlong's ice time has increased in every game – 17:00 against Finland, 18:50 against Latvia, 19:32 against Sweden and 19:52 against Germany – at the World Juniors.

"He's a shutdown guy," said Mooseheads general manager Cam Russell. "He's probably the best defenceman I've ever seen in Halifax in the 23 years that I've been here at going into the corner under pressure and breaking the puck out. Under pressure he makes the right decision every time."

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Yesterday's Team Canada notes mentioned that six Czechia players are back from last year's heartbreaking loss to Canada in the gold medal game. However, Robin Sapousek sustained an injury in the preliminary round and is no longer with the team in Gothenburg.

So, it is actually five players – Kulich, Ales Cech, Tomas Hamara, Matyas Sapovaliv and Eduard Sale – who are looking for revenge against Canada today.