Year after year, tournament after tournament, you can analyze break down size up how the potentially great games at the World Junior Championship are going to go.

In the last 30 years, I can give you countless examples as to how the most important players in these games almost always can be found between the pipes. The Canada Russia semifinal at this year’s World Junior Championship has all the makings of providing hockey fans with another classic.

This Canadian crew more than answered the bell in a very difficult pool, going a perfect 4-0 and being extremely dominant in almost every game along the way. The Russian’s let a 3-0 third period lead slip away against the Swedes to put themselves in a scenario where they had to go to overtime to knock off a pesky Czech Republic squad on quartefinal Monday.

However, make no mistake. This is a Russian team loaded with offensive talent. Loaded. When Scott Wedgewood, who gets the call between the pipes, there will be no shortage of good chances for the 19-year-old to deal with.

I am not saying Scott Wedgewood has to win this game for Canada, but in these games your goalie can not afford to give up bad goals.

Who knows? Maybe Canada wins this game 6-5 and we aren’t spending one second talking or writing about goaltending. Even in those affairs you are going to need a big save somewhere. This affair will likely be no exception.