Buffalo Sabres pick Nick Baptiste shines in Canada’s win over Russia

SHERBROOKE, Que. — Make it two forwards with the same name and Ottawa ties showing why they warrant a long look from Team Canada.

Ottawa Senators prospect Nick Paul, early on, was the who's-he? revelation of Hockey Canada's summer development camp in the Montreal area. His namesake, Sudbury Wolves wing Nick Baptiste, also shone during Canada's 6-3 win over Russia on Thursday. The Buffalo Sabres third-rounder who has next-level speed formed an effective line with Curtis Lazar and Michael Dal Colle as they tallied four goals.

Baptiste tallied in the second, moving out from the half-wall to wrist a shot by goalie Ilya Sorokin. Coach Benoît Groulx used Baptiste in all situations.

"I think it's him [Groulx] knowing I can play in every single role," says Baptiste, who hails from Barrhaven, Ont., just south of the nation's capital. "I think it's him knowing I can play with highly skilled guys or I can bang and crash and be physical. That's the biggest part so far and I think that's given him the trust in me.

"My line with Lazar and Dal Colle was pretty effective," added Baptiste, who turned 19 on Monday (as did Sorokin, the goalie he victimized). "Being able to play with guys of that speed and that skill makes it easier for me. I tried to get pucks deep. Walk off the wall and get a good shot."

Lazar, incidentally, played down scoring a hat trick that included a dazzling short-hander in the first after he won a faceoff and lit out to take a pass from Darnell Nurse.

"I wasn't happy with my game," Lazar said. "I made three mistakes and they all ended up in the back of our net."

World junior gold medals are won by abjuring shortcuts during a short-term competition" which is a point Groulx is trying to impart to the players assembled at the camp.

"We like the intangibles that he has — speed and skill and he works hard," Groulx said of Baptiste. "He competes hard. I like the way he's forechecking, the way he goes to the net. He's got a good shot. He does many good things out there."

Baptiste has the wheels and the size, at 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds, to do the grunt work on a line and be a depth player. He also has ample international experience. His draft year was bookended by a pair of gold medals in Russia. He helped the Wolves win the Junior Club World Cup in Omsk, Russia in August 2012. At the end of the season, he helped Canada end a four-year U.S. reign at the world under-18 championship.

"They put the team together in about a week, finalized it, and we came together so quickly," Baptiste said of the U18 triumph. "To be able to beat the United States who prepare for that tournament all year long was unbelievable. Winning a gold medal on any stage is crazy."

Baptiste, who went No. 69 overall in 2013, had an offensive breakout with a 45-goal, 89-point season in Sudbury. Team success didn't come, though, as the Wolves were swept in the first round despite loading up at the OHL trade deadline.

"I'm starting to shoot more than I do. Trusting my skill and ability. When I get within 10 to 15 feet now I'm more willing to shoot."

Canada wraps up its camp with a 12 noon ET tilt on Friday vs. the Czech Republic at Ed Meagher Arena. McDavid and the group who played in Wednesday's win over Russia will lace up. Groulx maintains no one has played his way out of consideration.

"We're not there yet, they're not at the same place in terms of training and in terms of being ready for playing games. We had 40-something guys at this camp. No one is out of the plans right now."

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet.