SOCHI, Russia – Since that highly-anticipated day in early January when he was officially named to the Canadian Olympic team, the nerves have not stopped pumping for John Tavares. "I think Ive had em for about a month," he said. "As much as the travels been tough, I think [youre] losing a lot of sleep just because youre so anxious and so excited." Four years ago in Vancouver, it was a then-21-year-old Jonathan Toews who emerged from the lower ranks of a powerhouse roster to steer Canada to gold. Nerves aside, could the 23-year-old Tavares prove a similar dark-horse in the Canadians bid for back-to-back golds in Sochi? Save for the incomparable Sidney Crosby, no Canadian player enters the tournament with more impressive recent credentials than the captain of the New York Islanders. Tucked just behind Crosby and eventual winner Alex Ovechkin in the 2013 Hart Trophy race, Tavares has only continued his rise up the NHL ranks this season. He is now third in league scoring after a 20-point month of January which matched Phil Kessel for the league lead. In fact, only Kessel has more points (28) in 2014 than the Toronto native (22), who is on pace for a career-high 33 goals and 91 points. "I think my mindset is just to go out there and play the best I can and contribute where Im asked in the role Im asked to play in," said Tavares, who, like Toews in Vancouver, is among the younger Canadian Olympians in Sochi. "If that leads to more opportunity, responsibility thats great, but at the end of the day, its about winning one game [Thursday] and building off that and going onto the next one and hopefully, obviously to win a gold medal." Toews was Canadas 13th forward at the outset of the Games in 2010 and though Tavares enters the tournament on a first-unit power-play – alongside Crosby and Chris Kunitz – he is stationed to start Thursdays opener against Norway on a prospective bottom forward unit with fellow Olympic rookie Jamie Benn and vet Patrice Bergeron. With dangerous offensive weaponry, experience on the big ice and versatility, Tavares looks to be a prime option to rise in the lineup if chemistry elsewhere fails to materialize. The Canadian coaching staff, led by Mike Babcock, has promised that patience in that respect will be short. "Its a competitive environment," Babcock said, "and we expect our guys to compete for their ice-time." Though he has yet to appear at the Olympics, Tavares does hold excellent credentials in past appearances on the international stage. He has amassed 16 goals in 22 world championship games, adding 15 points alone in the 2009 world juniors. During the most recent NHL lockout, he produced 17 goals and 42 points in 28 games with Bern of the Swiss league. A natural centre, it was during that stint overseas that he played mostly left wing, offering Babcock versatility with a glut of centres on the roster. He even advised Tavares of that possibility during the summer orientation camp in Calgary. "Those are all things that I can draw on, experience-wise," Tavares said of his international forays. "I think the more youve played on [the big ice], the more youve been in it, the better understanding you have." For Tavares to snatch more opportunity, hell have to make the most of limited ice. Canadian executive director Steve Yzerman said earlier this week that the greatest challenge facing his group of Olympians was not the larger Olympic ice dimensions but the difficulty of making the most of a shrunken role. "He really has to park his ego at the door," said assistant coach Ken Hitchcock, speaking generally about the roster at large. "You have to understand that when its your time and its your time to go, go! Dont sit there and wonder what the coach is thinking, dont sit there and think am I going to get on the ice?, whats my family thinking?, when its your turn to go, go. "Whatever youve got, give us quality and forget about the quantity. Youve got to park the quality right up front and youve got to forget about the quantity because its not going to be the same. No player is going to play the minutes that he plays in the NHL. It isnt even going to be close. Youve got to park it." Toews averaged fewer than 15 minutes in Vancouver and yet finished as the tournaments top forward and Canadas leading scorer. He also helped shut down Evgeni Malkin and Alex Ovechkin in a dominant quarterfinal win over Russia. "Theres no time to look around and be wide-eyed," Toews advised of his mindset in 2010. "Youve got to go out there and play and just let it happen. Thats what the Olympics is all about. Theres not much time to adjust." A potent weapon, both as a sniper and playmaker – he is nearing a career-high in assists – Tavares can also be of aid to the Canada power play. The first overall pick from the 2009 draft is tied for fourth in power play points this season, trailing only Crosby, Ovechkin and the league-leader, Nicklas Backstrom. "You understand the responsibility of coming here and having to accept your role," Tavares said. "So youll be ready whenever your names called to go over [the boards] and execute." 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Castillo opened the scoring in the 71st minute off a Mauro Diaz set piece, and Watson outran defender Tony Lochhead on a long ball and then juked goalkeeper Ian Kennedy for the eventual game-winner in the 78th minute.WINNIPEG -- Drew Willy likes to shine in the fourth quarter. And for the fourth time this season, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback guided his team to a late-game victory, the latest a 24-16 win over the Montreal Alouettes on Friday. Nic Grigsby ran 26 yards for a touchdown with just over two minutes left to lift Winnipegs record to 6-3, while Montreal (1-7) has now lost six straight games. "I definitely enjoy playing in the fourth quarters," Willy said. "I just try to stay calm, cool and collected. "I wish we would have played better in the first half." Willy completed 14-of-23 pass attempts for 200 yards, no TDs and one interception as Winnipeg ended a two-game losing streak. The teams didnt give the 29,881 fans at Investors Group Field much to cheer about in the first half, with Montreal taking a 6-1 lead into the break. But the second half was a see-saw battle with several lead changes. Grigsby capped off a six-play, 74-yard drive for the Blue Bombers that was helped when the Alouettes were called for pass interference. He finished with 10 carries for 73 yards, but was unavailable to reporters right after the game as he was selected for a random drug test. Winnipeg defensive back Maurice Leggett intercepted Montreal quarterback Jonathan Crompton with 1:44 left in the game, a pick upheld despite a challenge for a pass-interference call. Bombers kicker Lirim Hajrullahu then booted his third field goal of the game from 16 yards out to make it 24-16 at 14:07. Leggett had another interception -- his third of the game -- that he took to the end zone with 36 seconds left, but it was wiped out by a Bombers penalty. Alex Brink started at quarterback for Montreal, but Crompton replaced him in the second quarter. Alouettes head coach Tom Higgins told reporters the day before the game that all three of his QBs would get some playing time. Tanner Marsh went in the game in his usual short-yardage situation. "Its tough tonight," said Crompton, who was 18-of-29 for 266 yards, with no TDs and three interceptions. "No one in this locker-room really wants to lose this game. We didnt think we were going to lose this game. "Thats the good thing about this team, we always feel we can win every week. Weve just got to come back and correct it and go from there." Bombers head coach Mike OShea said there was no doubt on the sidelines that the team could come oout ahead on the lead changes.dddddddddddd "They came out and they decided they wanted to get after it in the second half," OShea said of his players. "Special teams sparked it, they got it going." The first touchdown of the game was scored early in the third quarter when Bombers defensive back Don Unamba blocked a Sean Whyte punt. Winnipeg defensive back Derek Jones scooped the ball up at the one-yard line and ran in for the TD at 1:01 for the 8-6 lead. After Montreal went two and out on the next series, Whytes punt was returned 65 yards by Troy Stoudermire to Montreals 14-yard line. Willy then threw an incomplete pass and ran short on the following play, leaving Hajrullahu to attempt a 21-yard field goal. The ball hit the upright and Winnipeg retained its 8-6 lead with 11:05 left in the third quarter. Montreal was denied on third down with two yards to go and turned the ball over with just over six minutes in the quarter, but the Bombers couldnt do anything with the gift. It was all running back Tyrell Sutton in the Alouettes first touchdown drive. Crompton threw a pass to Sutton that he took down the sidelines for a 71-yard gain. He also ran for six yards and caught an 11-yard pass before he was hurt and went to the sidelines for a few series. The Als took the spot Sutton got them to at Winnipegs five-yard line and ended up scoring with quarterback Tanner Marshs one-yard run at 13:28 for the 13-8 lead. Hajrullahu then booted field goals from 22 and 24 yards to give Winnipeg the 14-13 lead with 9:12 to go in the game. But Montreal regained the lead after an eight-play, 61-yard drive capped by Whytes 21-yard field goal with 4:18 left. Whyte made three field goals and one attempt hit the upright. With 2:37 left and Winnipeg facing third down, Montreal was called for pass interference, leading to Grigsbys TD. "You just have to show resilience as a team and make sure that you continue to chip away at the opposition and make sure that youre doing the simple things right," Winnipeg offensive lineman Glenn January said. "I think that we shot ourselves in the foot several times with fumbles and dropped balls." The Bombers will be tested in their next two games, back-to-back tilts against Saskatchewan in the Labour Day Classic and at home the next week in the Banjo Bowl. Montreal hosts Ottawa and then Hamilton in the East Divisions tight race. 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