Eric Comrie draws net assignment vs. USA

If Canada's juniors are going to break their five-year shutout of the gold medal at the World Junior Hockey Championships, one of their major strengths is to be found in its goaltending with Zach Fucale and Eric Comrie. As they close out the first round of play Wednesday afternoon in Montreal against the United States, the goalie rotation calls for Comrie to get the start. The team confirmed that Tuesday.

From a defensive perspective the tournament has gone exactly as Canada hoped it would. With Fucale, who played for last year's fourth place Canadian team, in goal they blanked Slovakia 8-0. Against Germany, Comrie turned in the shutout, 4-0. Then on Monday, Fucale was back, surrendering a goal in Canada's 4-1 triumph over Finland.

But Wednesday at the Bell Centre Canada will face high-powered opposition. While Slovakia, Germany and Finland combined for five goals in eight games thus far in the tournament, the Americans have fired in 11 scores in their trio of matches.

Both these teams will be advancing to Friday's quarter-finals but the winner of Wednesday's game is expected to have a slightly easier task in the quarter-finals against the fourth-ranked team from Group A.

Comrie, 19, was the 59th pick of the 2013 NHL Draft by the Winnipeg Jets and plays for Tri-City in the junior ranks.

He'll have a big say in the shape Canada's taking into the playoff round when he goes up against the United States shooters.