U-18 WJC: OMarra Clutch

The Canadians looked a bit rusty during the first two games of the U-18 WJC before finding their game against Denmark and battling all the way to the finals. In the end though, they fell to the tournament's main power: Team USA. Carey Price made one of the best saves of the entire tournament; Luc Bourdon's steady defense was a pleasant surprise; Guillaume Latendresse showed why he's got power forward written all over him and Ryan O'Marra may not have been as good here as he was back in August, but he still proved why he's a clutch player that Canada can count on.

PATIENCE IS PRICE'S VIRTUE

In goal, Carey Price provided very solid goaltending for the Canadian team but his showing wasn't as convincing as in the August Under-18 Junior Cup. Price showed his excellent stick-handling skills and an ability to make the outlet pass, he even showed some progress with his lateral movement compared to eight months ago. He still frustrated the opposing shooters with his patience and cool demeanor, which was evidenced on one of the most beautiful saves of the tournament against Czech Martin Hanzal in the semifinals. Price robbed Hanzal, who was standing all alone in front of Price simply because Price out-waited him used that impressive glove hand. On the downside, Price was prone to going down too early on some plays and needed to show more flexibility when handling the traffic in front of him. Overall it was still an above-average showing, but it fell short of outstanding.

ON THE RISE

Just like during August's tournament, defenseman Brendan Mikkelson delivered a very convincing performance at both ends of the ice. Mikkelson shook off a slow start to the tournament and started to really shine in his two-way game from the second contest on. He moved the puck with authority and emerged as a valuable asset on the power play. Despite being blessed with above-average size, Mikkelson still managed to move gracefully on the ice and opposing forwards – including the Russian speedsters - had a difficult time trying to out-skate him. He took care of his defensive responsibilities and this tournament showed that he's got the potential to be a top-four offensive NHL defenseman. Mikkelson's stock will deservingly rise with this showing.

BULLISH BOURDON

Another pleasant surprise on the Canadian defense turned out to be nasty defensive stalwart Luc Bourdon. Bourdon was a quality presence in every tournament game with his mobility, mean streak and defensive smarts. His offensive output didn't match Mikkelson's though and Bourdon lacks that two-way threat. When it was came time to prevent the opponent from scoring though, Bourdon took his man out of the play regularly and finished his checks like a freight train. In comparison to his Under-18 Junior Cup showing, Bourdon demonstrated better skating skills and was very smooth in moving both forwards and backwards. His stock would certainly skyrocket if he were better at supporting the attack, but nevertheless, Bourdon took home the 'Top Defenseman' award after a quality performance.

UNSTOPPABLE

Coming off a strong showing in the first round of the QMJHL playoffs, Guillaume Latendresse continued his stellar play in this tournament. The only exception was the semifinal game against the Czech Republic where he wasn't able to make significant use of his impressive size and tools. When it came to the other contests though, he proved that he is an NHL power forward in the making. The heaviest player in the tournament was just unstoppable for opposing defensemen when he decided to head to the net or park himself in the slot and look for rebounds. The hard-hitting forward was a quality force in the offensive zone with his variety of shots and passing skills. Unfortunately, in the second half of the gold-medal game Latendresse seemed to run out of steam and looked fatigued against the quick USA defensemen. Overall, he certainly left a solid impression with his tournament.

SETOGUCHI SIZZLES

Saskatoon Blades forward Devin Setoguchi delivered his second quality performance in a Czech Republic tournament this season. He jump-started his performance with a strong showing against Denmark and then did the same against Russia. Setoguchi played a combative style and regularly battled for the pucks in the corners. He dazed opposing defensemen with his crafty stick-handling skills and played a high-energy style with explosive bursts of speed and changes of pace. He both created and finished scoring chances and emerged as one of the most dangerous Canadian forwards in the offensive zone with his ever-present willingness to fire the puck. He put his mean streak to good use and delighted the crowd with several hard hits.

O'MARRA WAS CLUTCH

Sturdy Ryan O'Marra was overshadowed a bit from his excellent performance at the Under-18 Junior Cup, but he still put on a strong showing at the WJC. O'Marra wasn't the same force throughout the tournament, but still showed flashes of his strong potential - even during his average performances. He skated well for a big man, spread fear among his opponents with his ability to smash the opponents along the boards and emerged as a cool-headed finisher. He unleashed precise, hard shots and drove the net hard to earn his scoring chances. In addition, O'Marra's ability to win key face-offs really made him a crucial factor when it was crunch time for Canada. His mix of skating, toughness and offensive instincts has created an appealing player come draft day.