Canada's goaltender Olivier Roy makes a save against Russia during the third period of their game at the IIHF World Junior Championships in Buffalo, New York December 26, 2010.BRENDAN MCDERMID
Olivier Roy may have looked a little shaky to start off Canada's world junior tournament, but he will get another chance to prove himself as the team's No. 1 netminder on Tuesday against the Czech Republic.
The 19-year-old Acadie-Bathurst Titan goaltender allowed three goals on 20 shots in the first two periods of Canada's 6-3 win over Russia on Sunday but then shut the door in the third period, stopping all seven shots he faced.
"He gave us a chance to win," Canadian coach Dave Cameron said gruffly when asked what he liked about Roy's performance.
Cameron added that he expects Mark Visentin, Canada's other netminder, will see some action, but made it fairly clear Roy will be this team's No. 1. The team's next two games after facing the Czechs will come against minnow Norway on Wednesday and medal contender Sweden on Friday.
"We'll go game by game," Cameron said. "I would think we're going to get Mark in at some point, just to guard against injury."
Based solely on their junior seasons to date, Visentin would appear to have the edge statistically.
Roy, an Edmonton Oilers fifth-round pick in 2009, is 12-9-0 with a .905 save percentage with the Titan. Visentin was the Phoenix Coyotes' first-round pick in the 2010 draft and has posted an impressive 13-4-4 record and .921 save percentage with the Niagara IceDogs.
Team Canada goaltending coach Ron Tugnutt, who had a 537-game NHL career and is now an assistant coach with the Peterborough Petes, remarked leading into the tournament that he was hoping to see one netminder get the majority of the starts.
"We know how good Mark Visentin is and we know how good Olivier Roy is," Tugnutt said. "We'll cross that bridge [of anointing a No. 1 for the medal rounds]when we get there. As it is, we're happy with Olivier, we're happy with Visentin.
"Right now, [Roy]is getting another opportunity to play against the Czechs. I like the idea that he's already played a game. His blood's already flowing. I think he'll be solid again."