Perfection on the line

Two streaks will be on the line when the Ontario Hockey League hosts the Russians in the third game of the Subway Super Series.

The Russians opened the series with back-to-back wins over the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, taking Wednesday’s game in a shootout. Dating back to last year’s series, the Russians’ winning-streak is now four games.

Meanwhile, the OHL will put its perfect record against the Russians on the line. The OHL won all 16 games against the Russians in the series’ eight-year history. Team Russia came close to halting that streak in the second game last year, eventually losing in a shootout to the OHL all-stars.

"The kids are well aware of (the OHL’s streak)," Team OHL head coach George Burnett says. "There’s a lot of pride any time that Canada-Russia play. I would be very surprised if it requires any extra push to be motivated."

TV note: Team OHL will take on Team Russia in the third installment of the Subway Super Series live on Sportsnet ONE at 7 p.m. ET.

Team OHL’s dramatic win in its second game against Russia last year gave a player like Ryan Strome a taste of the series’ intensity. The crowd at the Sudbury Community Arena made it a great atmosphere, something Strome expects when the puck drops in Ottawa.

"The arena was yelling, ‘Go, Canada, go,’ and it was pretty exciting," Strome recalls. "It’s a big process in Team Canada’s evaluation, and I’m looking forward to putting my best foot forward and representing Ontario and Canada as best I can."

Which offensive attack will take over the game?

The OHL will have more offensive punch to its lineup than the QMJHL had, since none of their forwards will miss the game due to injury. Both Jonathan Huberdeau and Michael Bournival, two of the QMJHL’s best, missed both games with injuries.

Strome headlines a strong group of offensive forwards. The fifth-overall pick in last summer’s draft by the New York Islanders has the skill and creativity to match that of his counterparts. The OHL will also have Winnipeg Jets first-rounder Mark Scheifele and Ottawa 67’s forward Tyler Toffoli, both players that can create.

The Russians are just as dynamic and skilled as one would expect. Tampa Bay second-rounder Nikita Kucherov is a constant threat for breakaways, but he’ll be joined by several OHL players. Potential first-overall pick in this summer’s NHL draft, Nail Yakupov, is just one of five high-profile Russians that will play in the game.

"It’s a great challenge for everyone playing to compare yourself and do your best to represent your league and try to prove to the coaches you can play against those high-calibre players," Strome says.

The game may resemble a skills competition by the end.

Can the OHL slow down Russia’s transition?

Team QMJHL learned quickly that the Russians can capitalize on turnovers and stretch passes. Time and again in their two games, a Russian forward darted up ice the moment a turnover occurred and looked for the breakaway pass. It worked more often than not.

"If you’re going to turn the puck over, you’re probably going to pay a price," Burnett explains. "It’s critically important (that) decisions at both blue lines are strong."

Burnett emphasizes the importance of making good decisions with the puck as his players enter and exit each zone, given how quick and dynamic Russia’s transition has been in the first two games of the series.

How much will fatigue play a factor for Team Russia?

The OHL always had an advantage in the first game. The Russians will be playing their third game in four nights, while most of the OHL players haven’t played since last weekend. It’s an advantage for the OHL on Thursday, but a disadvantage for them on Monday in their second game, since they’ll have played a weekend’s worth of games while the Russians wait.

In the last seven years under this schedule, the OHL has outscored the Russians 33-11 on Thursday games, compared to 28-13 in Monday games.

The Russian OHLers that will play in Thursday’s game will not play on Monday, perhaps as a means to give some of the players who played the two previous games a rest. Adding Yakupov and the four others could balance the playing field, although Burnett thinks the decision to play him is much simpler.

"Why would you not have a Nail Yakupov in your lineup if he was available to you?" he asks. "It would be pretty silly and foolish to leave him on the sidelines. I’m sure he’s a big part of what they’re thinking moving forward (toward the world juniors), so it’s pretty clear that they utilize this particular series last year to prepare their team, which helped them win a gold medal.

"They have talented people spread throughout the CHL, and it only makes sense to provide those kids (with) an opportunity that they make their team better at Christmastime."

Who will be this year’s Marcus Foligno?

World junior camp invitations are right around the corner, and often a player emerges from this series for the Canadian team. Two years ago, Stefan Della Rovere earned his spot on the Canadian world junior team with a strong series. And last year Foligno parlayed his performance in the Subway Super Series into a camp invitation, eventually winning a roster spot.

"It’s a perfect example of responding to the opportunities that are presented and taking care of the things that are within your control of playing the way you play," Burnett says of Foligno’s mark in last year’s series. "The focus is heavy on these games, and it’s a great opportunity to make believers out of everybody that’s evaluating."