Dustin Tokarski will start in goal for Canada in their opener. The 19-year-old Spokane Chiefs netminder was selected in the 5th round (122nd overall) of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.
Canada has won four straight World Junior gold medals and if they can capture another at this tournament, they will tie a national record set from 1993-1997.
Team Canada is 9-0-2 over their last 11 games with the Czech Republic at the World Junior Championship.
Canada is hosting the tournament for the eighth time. Over the previous seven tournaments on Canadian soil, Team Canada has won three gold medals, three silver medals and one bronze.
Team Canada’s Projected Lines vs. Czech Republic
Offence:
Esposito – Tavares – DiDomenico
Boychuk – Hodgson – Eberle
Benn – Sonne – Ennis
Kane – Cormier – Della Rovere
Defence:
Hickey – Teubert
Myers – Aulie
Subban – Goloubef
Ellis – Pietrangelo
Goal:Tokarski
Powerplay Units:
Hodgson – Tavares – Eberle – Ellis – Subban
Boychuk – DiDomenico – Ennis – Pietrangelo – Hickey
Habster:
I’ve been impressed with Habs prospect, P.K. Subban’s play during the warm-up games leading into the WJC tournament.
He has displayed a solid defensive game by winning the majority of battles along the boards and showing a physical edge to his game with some good open ice hits.
Pat Quinn is also showing a lot of confidence is Subban’s offensive game by playing him on the first powerplay unit along side PP dynamo Ryan Ellis.
Subban certainly likes the offensive side of the game!
Interesting power-play alignment that Quinn was using at times during the exhibition games. It was a diamond formation with Ellis the lone point man, and Subban in the slot.
Subban is moving to the forward line with the loss of Della Rovere apparently. Seems the coaches think that Subban is the most expendable body from the defensive corps.
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