When Team Canada announced their final cuts ahead of the World Junior Championships, there was a lot of discussion surrounding how much offensive talent and firepower they left off the roster.
Players like Andrew Cristall, Beckett Sennecke, Carter Yakemchuk, and Zayne Parekh are just a few names that were omitted that could have assuredly helped Canada get off to a better start than they have.
Nevertheless, the roster currently participating still possesses a lot of firepower, including Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan, who is a returning player from last year's disappointing tournament that saw Canada ousted in the Quarter-Finals.
After a solid win to start off the tournament against Finland, Canada was upset by Latvia in a shootout before a very uninspiring 3-0 shutout win over the Germans.
They sit with a 2-0-1-0 record, so it's not all doom and gloom, but as they prepare to face their biggest test in the Americans tomorrow night, they know they need to bring their A-game in an attempt to clinch the top spot in the group.
Cowan is one of those players and he didn't mince on his words when asked about what needs to change going into their next game against the United States:
Philadelphia Flyers prospect and fellow London Knights teammate Oliver Bonk was also asked about Cowan's play and how he believes he will be a big part in Canada's resurgence moving forward:
Cowan hasn't had the best memories as a representative of Team Canada at the World Juniors after last year's Quarter-Finals exit and then once more with his embarrassing shootout attempt against Latvia. However, there's plenty of time to reverse those fortunes with the knockout rounds just around the corner.
Cowan paces the Canadians with 3 points, which currently has him sitting in 26th place for the tournament to date. They will be hoping for a lot more tomorrow night during their game against the Americans, all things considered.
The game is scheduled for 7:30 PM (EST) with the winner taking Group A heading into the knockout rounds.