Canada's NHLer Poitras faces 'big adjustment' coming back to junior game

Matt Poitras is under pressure to produce as Team Canada's lone National Hockey League player. 

"There's pressure in every game," the Boston Bruins centre said. "That's part of the reason people play sports. If you feel pressure you care about it. For me, it's about playing my game and sticking with it. I know what player I am and what kind of plays I can make, it's about sticking with it."

Poitras has two goals at the World Juniors, but one was an empty netter against Finland and the other was the 10th goal in a 10-0 rout of Latvia. Notably, he has yet to pick up an assist. Poitras produced 79 assists in 63 games in the Ontario Hockey League last season. He has eight helpers in 27 games with Boston this season. 

"It obviously is a bit frustrating," he said of the lack of offence in Sweden. "I know a lot of guys are frustrated. That's just hockey sometimes. Sometimes pucks are not going to bounce your way or go in the net, but if we stick with it sooner or later these pucks are going to go in the net."

Canada is hoping it's sooner. This is a short tournament. The preliminary round wraps up on New Year's Eve when Canada faces Germany. Canada will play a win-or-go-home quarterfinal on Tuesday. 

Poitras has been playing catch-up since joining Team Canada on Dec. 19. He missed the first pre-tournament game, but got into the last two. It's not easy making the jump from the NHL back to junior hockey. 

"It definitely is a big adjustment," Poitras said. "The pace is different and different systems and playing with different guys. It's just different."

"It's a little bit of a process," acknowledged Team Canada head coach Alan Letang. "He's been on a team that's had 'X' amount of months to get on the same page and comes to a spot where you have a short window to get guys on the same page. You find a few basics and find a few predictable systems and then they have to rely off their instincts."

Poitras was held without a shot in Friday's 2-0 loss to Sweden. He also failed to get the puck out at the blue line on the play that led to Sweden's second goal. 

"The rink size is different and the pace is obviously different, so it's something you're getting used to," the 19-year-old from Whitby, Ont. said. "Through these four or five games, you know, I'm feeling better and better so keep taking it day by day." 

"When you're at the NHL level and you listen to that game and hear the way they play, they're always in the right position but they’re always communicating, always talking," Letang noted. "I find when you come back here there are players that are a little unsure of what to yell or what to call or what to talk about. The more comfortable they get the more they'll communicate and the more they'll talk and we stress it every day."

Sweden has clinched first place in Group A. Canada can secure second place by gaining at least one point on Sunday.

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After sustaining an injury against Sweden, Matt Savoie missed practice. 

"A little bit of maintenance and we'll see how he's feeling tomorrow," Letang said. 

The Wenatchee Wild winger finished Friday's game, but was not available to the media afterwards. 

Hockey Canada added Moose Jaw Warriors forward Jagger Firkus to its 25-man roster. He'll be on standby if Savoie is ruled out for the tournament. Firkus was expected to arrive in Sweden on Sunday morning. 

Firkus was initially released by Team Canada following an underwhelming selection camp performance. He has six points, all assists, in three games since returning to Moose Jaw. He's fourth in the Western Hockey League with 59 points this season. 

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Team Canada centre Owen Beck participated in practice despite taking a heavy hit into the boards on Friday. 

"Thankfully I'm not too, too banged up from that," the Montreal Canadiens prospect said. "Nothing that's going to keep me from playing my game. There's always bumps and bruises in hockey so it's nothing big."

The referees initially called a boarding major on Sweden's Zeb Forsfjall for the hit, but it was rescinded upon video review. 

"I felt like I was in a bit of a defenceless position a couple feet away from the boards," Beck said. "Just looking right at them."

"It looked like it was from behind, but they thought he might have turned into it," said Letang. "We can't change that. They're going to make the call they feel is right and whatever I saw or whatever I think is really irrelevant."

"I kind of knew they were going to call it back after they went to review it," Canadian captain Fraser Minten said. "You could see his shoulder went in first. It could've gone to a minor or a wash."

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With Savoie absent from practice, Brayden Yager took his spot as the right winger on a line with Poitras and Conor Geekie.

Leading scorer Macklin Celebrini, who has six points, skated between Minten and Jordan Dumais. That trio played well together in the first two pre-tournament games. 

"They make a lot happen," said Minten. "They're really creative playmakers and are all over the ice. You just got to read off them, find space and they'll find you there. You're always going to get the puck if you get to open ice."

Celebrini was not made available to the media following Friday's game. He was also unavailable on Saturday. 

Soo Greyhound Owen Allard moved to centre on a line with University of Connecticut sophomore Matthew Wood and Kitchener Rangers sniper Carson Rehkopf, who have taken turns serving as the 13th forward. 

Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan joined Beck and Nate Danielson on a line. 

"I like having him on my line," said Beck. "We've played a couple shifts together and I thought things went well. When we build a little bit more chemistry I think things are going to be good. He's a fast player, very creative, very talented and offensively gifted. I think we'll pair pretty well together." 

Allard had been with Beck and Danielson since Day 1 of the selection camp. 

"That could just be for today," Letang said of the split. "There's always that familiarity to go back to it. Today was a day where we managed or manipulated a little bit just to see what we could find, but we'll re-assess first thing in the morning."

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Dumais leads the Canadian Hockey League in points per game this season (2.24) but has just one point in three games at the World Juniors. The Halifax Mooseheads winger picked up an assist on the ninth goal against Latvia. 

"He's played well and he's given us as much if not probably more than we expected," Letang insisted. "He's hunted pucks. He's been real responsible defensively and we know how creative he is offensively." 

Dumais has only been held off the scoresheet in two of 21 games in the Quebec Maritimes Hockey League this season. 

"Sometimes the tendency for those guys that put up huge numbers in juniors is they get the rap that they cheat on the wrong side of the puck and I think he's been excellent in being on the right side," Letang stressed. "He's created some turnovers on the track. He's got a great stick where he knocks pucks out of the air and you go back over the scoring chances that he generates with his linemates, he's been pretty good in that aspect." 

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Mathis Rousseau didn't like what he was seeing from Canada's crease. 

"We played too much individual, too much skill," the Mooseheads goalie said following Friday's loss. "Other games we played more as a team and now we had a lot of problems getting inside because guys were just trying to go 1-on-1 versus everybody. That's the only thing. We need to go back and play as a team, as a group, getting inside and everything's going to be good." 

Canada's forwards didn't see it that way. 

"Not really, no," said Beck. "There are a lot of talented players that can really change the game. Obviously, guys are going to look to make plays and nobody is going to pin anything on each other if something doesn't work out. The puck's moving really well for us and we're working well together as a team, but maybe things just haven't clicked quite yet."

"We ran into a hot goalie and a good defensive team," Arizona Coyotes prospect Conor Geekie said. "I think we played well. Maybe a couple guys are snakebitten, but we've all been there at some point of time so we're just having each others backs and it will come when it comes."

A lot of Team Canada forwards are looking to find their scoring touch at the moment. Minten has one goal and one assist with both coming in the third period against Latvia. Geekie has two goals (one on the power play) with both coming against Latvia. He has one assist, which came on the Poitras empty netter against Finland. Beck and Cowan are still looking for their first point of the tournament. 

"I'm sure they would say a little bit of frustration creeps in," Letang said. "But I think if you look at the bigger picture and break it down a little bit more, we had 49 shot attempts and we only had 23 shots so it starts with just hitting the net and creating second and third opportunities, and that's what we kind of focused on today."

Savoie and Rehkopf had breakaways against the Swedes while Celebrini hit a post. 

"We had lot of good looks last game," Minten said. "A couple breakaways and a couple that could go in. We could've had one or two for sure so I don't think our offence was completely stifled. I think we'll be fine going forward."

The bigger issue is consistency. Canada is looking to be a relentless team, which rolls lines and wears down the opposition, but after Sweden opened the scoring in the second period, there was a letdown. 

"I loved our first period," Letang said. "We played real well. We handled the environment well. I thought the crowd was incredible. The energy was in the building and I thought  there was no nerves. We were tilting ice, put some pucks in and got in on our forecheck. We stayed on the hunt and pressured the D. The long change in the second got us a little bit. We got a little bit extended. When they would reset the puck back in their D-zone, we kind of curled away. In the first period, we would stop and re-attack and hunt and not let them off the hook."

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Denton Mateychuk briefly left Friday's game in the first period after sustaining a small skate cut to the leg. 

"It was just a precautionary reason," the Moose Jaw defenceman said. "Just making sure everything was all good."

Mateychuk skated in his regular spot on the top pair with Maveric Lamoureux at practice. 

"I really enjoy playing with him," Mateychuk said. "We got some chemistry going now. He plays hard. If anybody's going against him 1-on-1 it's going to be hard to get around him. He's also got a really good shot. He sees the ice well. It makes my job easy."

At 6-foot-7, Lamoureux is Canada's tallest player. Has Mateychuk ever played with a partner that tall? 

"Not that tall, no," he said. "Probably the tallest would be Lucas Brenton from Moose Jaw who is 6'4, but not 6'7 that's for sure. It's definitely useful on the big ice, being that long and having that long stick to close plays quick." 

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Rousseau sat out practice to rest up for his seventh straight start, including the three pre-tournament games. He's played in every game since arriving at Canada's selection camp. 

"We've got a schedule that allows him to have maintenance days," Letang said. "I don't think he's been extremely overworked and peppered. He's made some huge saves when he's needed to and we'll run him again."

Rousseau was excellent against the Swedes and made an incredible skate-blade save on Liam Ohgren in the first period during a Swedish power play. 

"That was a good stretch," he said with a grin. "I kind of saw the guy behind. For sure my priority was the shot. The guy was coming in and I knew he was there and when the pass happened I kind of read the play."

Hockey Hall of Famer Henrik Lundqvist, who was honoured in a pre-game ceremony, was shown with a look of amazement on his face following the save. 

"It's fun seeing him be impressed," Rousseau said. "A good moment."

"Unbelievable," Lundqvist told TSN. "Even though it's a Canadian making a big save against a Swedish player, as a goalie you have to appreciate that save."

Hugo Havelid ended up winning Friday's goalie duel by pitching a shutout. 

"The Henrik Lundqvist ceremony was special," the Djurgardens netminder said. "I watched him as a kid and playing pretty good hockey in front of him, it meant something extra."

Rousseau (5-foot-11) and Havelid (5-foot-10) have both been passed over in the NHL draft. 

"Hopefully it's an inspiration," Havelid said. "We have only one [sub 6-foot] goalie now in the NHL, Juuse Saros, and as I have grown older I started looking up to him because I know he can make it. So, hopefully we are an inspiration for the young generation."

Lundqvist was never considered a top prospect. He was a seventh round pick in the 2000 NHL draft. 

"Just keep doing what they're doing," the former New York Ranger advised. "They're doing a lot of good things if they're playing in this tournament. I love to see goalies like Saros having a ton of success in the NHL. I hope that opens the door for shorter guys because a lot of times they have great skill and they move so well. Maybe sometimes you push a little too hard on size instead of looking at actual skill." 

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Beck may not have a point, but he's dominating at the dot. His 67.4 per cent win rate is second in the tournament behind only American Will Smith. 

"Some guys say it's the fat blade that I use," Beck said. "It's only an extra quarter inch higher so it's not a whole lot different, but I guess it gives me a little bit of extra blade to get a touch on the puck."

Minten experimented with the same blade. 

"It makes it a little bit of a difference," the Maple Leafs prospect said. "It helps with getting a little extra leverage down there."

So, why did he switch?  

"He's got the max and I'm right in between," Minten said. "It makes the hands feel a little nicer. I noticed with the max there's a little less torque in the blade and a little less feel. Your hands can't be quite as quick, it feels like, sometimes. So, it's all personal preference. There's lots of really good shooters, who use a max blade too." 

Beck is the only Canadian winning more than half his faceoffs at the tournament. 

"He makes them really important," said Minten, who is a natural centre. "Like, he knows that's a big part of his game and the bears down and competes. He's strong guy with a low centre of gravity, who can get down and really battles on each and every draw." 

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Lines at Saturday's practice: 

Minten - Celebrini - Dumais 
Geekie - Poitras - Yager 
Cowan - Beck - Danielson 
Rehkopf - Allard - Wood

Mateychuk - Lamoureux
Furlong - Warren
Donovan - Bonk 
Nelson

St-Hilaire
Ratzlaff

Absent: Savoie, Rousseau