Mark Visentin knew he dodged a bullet.

As he skated towards his bench, triumphant, though just barely, he had just one word for head coach Marty Williamson.

"Sorry," Visentin said.

Williamson could laugh now, after the final nine seconds of the game ticked off the clock and his Niagara IceDogs skated away with a 3-2 win in London last Friday.

Visentin made a big stop in those final seconds to preserve the victory after endangering it. With nothing but ice in front of him and a delayed off-side providing him the time and space to move the puck, Visentin let his instincts overcome better judgment and a shot at the empty net, missing it -- barely.

"It was spur the moment - pure reaction," he said. "I missed it by like a foot, I think. Not even. It was fun while it lasted, until it created nine seconds of turmoil in our own end."

It's not the first time he's gone for a goal, though it is, by his account, the most successful of his now three attempts. There's no hesitation in his answer when asked if he'll try again, a resounding yes. Williamson is just hoping he'll exercise more caution for the situation.

"The protocol is in a two-goal spread, you take a shot at it," Williamson said, "and in a one-goal spread, you don't do that."

Visentin then did as he's been doing a lot of lately, by staring turmoil in the face and coming out on top. The much-maligned Canadian goaltender is feeling comfortable enough in his skin these days to launch a puck from one end to the other in search of his first-career goal.

Two months ago, it's the type of play he probably doesn't make. Visentin may not admit it, but there's a gentle and calm feeling replacing what was once a rocky and unpredictable future. His notoriety had so long been in a moment where a country's hopes had been dashed away by its bitter rival, a five-goal outburst by the Russians in a 5-3 defeat. The loss in the 2011 tournament sent him back to Niagara with a silver medal and a feeling of remorse.

A slow start this season only enflamed what was already a testy situation for Visentin, who was beginning to fear the distinction of being the first player not to be invited back on the Canadian world junior team after making it the year earlier since Leland Irving in 2008.

There was the occasional shutout in league play, which was almost always followed by a poor showing the next time out. Though he says he likes to keep an even keel, he was finding it harder to look his teammates in the eyes after each poor performance.

"I was pretty bad throughout the first half of the season and I wasn't playing how I wanted to play," he explained. "When your goalie isn't clicking, it's tough for your team to win in front of you."

With his sporadic play and the overwhelming and burdensome weight of expectations, Visentin and Williamson met for a heart-to-heart conversation on a road trip in mid-October. Sensing that his goaltender was carrying more than he should, Williamson did his best to relieve the tension.

"Sometimes you think, 'it's just me.' You're on an island," Williamson says. "It's probably the most heart-to-heart talk the two of us have had since being with the organization and not just being with the x's and o's of hockey, but more about life."

It didn't stop there. Through the help of the Phoenix Coyotes, who drafted the Canadian tender in the first round of the 2010 NHL draft, Visentin now had the support of a sports psychologist. The transformation didn't happen overnight, but after capturing a bronze medal at the most recent world junior tournament, where Visentin shutout the Finns in the final game, Williamson can see the burden's been lifted.

"It just seems he's more relaxed," he said. "It looks like the Mark (Visentin) I've seen and comfortable with. Mark is a happy kid. He's always smiling. He likes to talk to his teammates -- the banter and he just seems to be back."

His play since the tournament has been sensational, to the tune of nine-straight wins, a 1.11 goals against average and a .957 save percentage. Visentin even posted three-straight shutouts before his streak was snapped against the Knights in the same game he tried scoring a goal.

And yet, he chooses not to relish the moment, no matter how deserving.

"The streak wasn't a big deal to me," he said. "It's great to have a nice shutout streak, but as long as we're winning, I'm happy."

Visentin credited his defence for the shutouts, even if Williamson noted he bailed them out with two breakaway saves in the final shutout victory over Brampton.

"Those are game-changers," Williamson said. "That's when you know Mark is on his game."

He's no longer carrying the burden of changing his international image. He shut the door when given the opportunity at redemption against Finland in the bronze, and now the only torch he carries is the burning desire to lead his IceDogs to Ontario Hockey League and MasterCard Memorial Cup championships.

"I knew I had to be better the second half of the year," he said. "I really wanted to be the backbone of my team and carry them through the second half of the season. I owe them that."

The world junior tournament is the grandest stage for a young hockey player. It's a make or break event for many. One year ago, it broke him. This year, it made him.

"I play this game to have fun and it's no fun when you're losing," he said. "I can tell you, it's a lot more fun now that we're winning."

So much fun, he may just try for that goal once again.