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Three keys to Canada-USA showdown in WJC gold-medal game

TORONTO,ON - DECEMBER 31: Jordan Greenway #12 of Team USA looks to steal a puck from Julien Gauthier #12 of Team Canada during a preliminary round game in the 2017 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship at the Air Canada Centre on December 31, 2016 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The USA defeated Canada 3-1. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
Jordan Greenway of Team USA looks to steal a puck from Julien Gauthier of Team Canada during a preliminary round game in the 2017 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship at the Air Canada Centre on December 31, 2016, in Toronto. The USA defeated Canada 3-1. (Getty Images)

For the fourth time in the 41-year history of the World Junior Hockey Championship, Canada and the United States will face off for the gold medal.

Team USA owns the all-time edge, having beaten Canada twice in the first three winner-take-all games, including the past two gold-medal showdowns in 2004 and 2010. Canada defeated the U.S. in the first-ever championship game between the North American hockey rivals in 1997. Overall, Canada has won the world juniors 16 times, while Team USA has three WJC titles.

Here’s a look at the all-time meetings between Canada and the U.S. at the WJC:

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canada-usa_head-to-head2-2

Who will add to their gold-medal count in 2017? Here are three keys that could decide the big game:

GOALTENDING

It’s no secret that a hot goalie can make all the difference, especially in a one-game showdown. Netminding has been Canada’s biggest weakness in the tournament, and it looked like it would be more of the same in the semifinal against Sweden when starter Connor Ingram gave up two early goals on three shots. However, coach Dominique Ducharme decided to pull Ingram and replaced him with Carter Hart, who came off the bench and stopped all 28 shots the Swedes fired at him the rest of the game. Hart, surely, will start for Canada in the final. Whether he can duplicate his performance in the semifinal might be the deciding factor in who takes home the gold.

At the other end, Tyler Parsons was equally brilliant – if not more so – in Team USA’s semifinal victory over Russia. Parsons stared down counterpart Ilya Samsonov through 60 minutes of end-to-end regulation play and a wild 10-minute overtime period, and ultimately came out on top after an intense seven-round shootout that sent the U.S. to the final. It was a phenomenal game with phenomenal goaltending at both ends, and Parsons should be plenty confident as he plays for gold.

GAME-BREAKERS

The old cliche goes something like this: “You need your best players to be your best players in big games.” Both Canada and the U.S. have a handful of players they will be leaning on, and whoever wins the best-on-best battle will obviously have the upper hand in the final.

For Canada, team captain and top scorer Dylan Strome needs to lead the way, with help from dazzler Matt Barzal as well as Julien Gauthier, who scored two goals in the quarterfinal and two more in the semis, and Anthony Cirelli, who is gaining a reputation as a big-game player. The most important person for Canada, however, is defenceman Thomas Chabot, who plays a pivotal role in all areas of the ice – turning back opponents’ forays in the defensive zone, starting the transition and then quarterbacking the play in the offensive zone. Chabot, no doubt, will surpass 25 minutes of ice time and could approach 30 minutes or more.

There’s no shortage of junior stars on the U.S. side, either. Colin White has pumped in six goals, Clayton Keller leads the attack with 10 points, Troy Terry was the hero in the semifinal shootout against Russia – going a perfect 3-for-3 in the goalie-shooter showdown – and small-but-mighty Jeremy Bracco and big-and-mighty Jordan Greenway round out the U.S.’s arsenal. With the exception of Greenway and a couple others, Team USA isn’t overly big but they make up for it with skill and speed, and Canada’s defence corps and goaltending will have their hands full with the high-flying U.S. forwards.

PHYSICALITY VS. FINESSE

Canada set the tone early in the semifinal against Sweden, dishing out several big hits, and continued to play the body aggressively throughout the game. It paid off in the second and third periods as Canada won more and more puck battles and managed to hem the skilled Swedish team in its own zone. The U.S.-Russia semifinal, meanwhile, was more electrifying, with talent rising to the top as the teams traded scoring chances and playing a speed game. In the final, whichever side has the best success in imposing its style of play and take control of the flow of the game will have the best chance at going home with the gold medal.

Unless, of course, Hart or Parsons take things into their own hands and steal the game. We’ll know soon enough. The puck drops in Montreal at 8pm ET (TSN, NHL Network, NHL.com). Enjoy the game.