No matter who you talk to on the Canadian side of the Rivalry Series, they all know that there has to be a better showing in Edmonton.
Being outscored 10-2 in the US portion of the series in November, while struggling to slow down the American power play which scored four times on nine chances was a big problem. For Canadian head coach Troy Ryan, sorting things out on special teams starts with cleaning up areas that have sent the Canada to the box in while also being more careful in their own zone.
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“Take better penalties when we take them. I think we took some penalties that were uncharacteristic of us,” said Ryan.
“A lot of thier goals looked very similar, kind of backdoor tap-ins. We’ve got to have better sticks, better details,” Ryan said. “When you go and review those goals, if you look back, we had opportunities to clear pucks and didn’t clear pucks. Sometimes you can be caught up in the structure of it, a lot of the time it’s just a little habit or a detail that kind of let us down. I think the Americans have a very good power play, something that’s dangerous.”
The sentiment was echoed by Canadian captain and three-time Olympic gold medalist Marie-Philip Poulin.
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“Staying disciplined, that will be key for sure. Those are the moments that happen in a game where the PK (penalty kill) can be really huge, so blocking shots, being patient, having strong sticks and strong clears is super important. We know they’re a big threat there so we’re going to have to be disciplined and play our way,” said Poulin.
Canada looks to get back into the series with roster changes for the Edmonton games that include Emily Clark, Brianne Jenner and Jocelyne Larocque checking in while Sarah Nurse and Hannah Miller are among those out. While there are changes, according to Sarah Fillier, the goal remains the same.
“The roster change is a bit, but our focus doesn’t change,” said Fillier. “The girls who weren’t with us in Cleveland and Buffalo were still on the same page as all the girls there, so we don’t think that anyone kind of missed a step in not being there.”
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A Canadian team that corrects what hurt them in the first two games has not only the ability to get two wins in Edmonton but also to set themselves up with momentum going into the Olympics in February.