Consistency on ice seen in Canuck Horvat
MALMO, SWEDEN — Vancouver Canucks legend turned executive Stan Smyl knows what he’s going to see from Bo Horvat every time he watches him play.
In Smyl’s mind, Horvat is as consistent as they come.
“If you can bring that night after night, you’re going to be a solid, solid NHL player,” Smyl, the Canucks senior adviser and director of player development, said in a phone interview about the team’s first-round pick last June.
“That’s what Bo does. It’s both ends of the rink.”
That’s what Bo is doing for Team Canada at the world junior championship.
Horvat has three points in five games heading into Saturday’s semifinal against Finland.
But it’s the intangible skills he provides that have been critical to Canada’s success.
He’s taken 42 faceoffs and won 60.87 per cent of them, leading his team in both categories.
He’s one of Team Canada’s more reliable penalty killers, as evidenced by his shot block late in the third period of their quarter-final win over Switzerland on Thursday.
Team Canada head coach Brent Sutter called him “rock solid” after the game.
“He’s been that way for the most part for the whole tournament,” Sutter said. “He doesn’t get the recognition he does because he’s such a solid, two-way guy.
“A lot of times, everybody looks at the offensive side of it and they don’t see the details in the game that are important for teams to have success.”
Horvat started the tournament as arguably Canada’s top centre, playing on a line with Connor McDavid and Sam Reinhart.
He was shuffled to a line with Reinhart and captain Scott Laughton before the last preliminary round game against the United States, taking on a more defensive role in the process.
“We have lots of guys that can put up points here,” said Horvat, normally a centreman for the OHL’s London Knights. “For me, I’m not too worried about the points.
“I want to do whatever it takes to help my team win, whether that’s blocking shots or winning faceoffs.”
Horvat added that the key to his consistency is playing within his means.
“I just try not to do more than I’m capable of,” he said. “I’m not trying to go out there and put up five points every game.”