Team Canada: WIN or GO HOME

New Year's Eve and it was the match up everyone had been waiting for: Canada versus the United States in the World Juniors tournament to determine the winner in Group A. While the United States had dominated every game they had played, Canada's road to through the preliminaries had been anything but easy. 

Canada has surrendered the first goal in every game, including all three preseason games, though it didn't affect their play against the Germans on Boxing Day. After giving up a goal early on Canada bounced back to take a 9-2 victory and keep themselves 12-0 against the German team. 

The Czech Republic gave the Canadians all they could handle in an exciting back and forth game. The Canadians trailed four times throughout the game, but showed heart and bounced back to tie it each time, never going down by more than one goal. Unfortunately it wasn't enough and Canada lost in a heartbreaking shootout 5-4, losing to the Czech Republic for the first time since 1993. 

Canadians held their breath two days later anxious to see how the young team would respond to the loss when they faced Slovakia. At first, it didn't look good. Jonathan Drouin, alternate captain, and the only returning player on the ice for the Canadian team took a penalty for a high hit just seconds into the game. IIHF rules dictate that a 10 minute misconduct be assessed for high hits, in addition to the two minute minor, so early on Canada was down a man. It didn't take long for the Slovaks to convert and yet again Canada trailed 1-0 in the first. Discipline continued to be a problem for team Canada with all three of the Slovaks goals coming on the man advantage. For the second year in a row Canada found themselves trailing the Slovaks 3-1 late in the second. The young team never gave up and they were able to pull out a character win, tying it late the third and converting a few minutes later on the man advantage for the go ahead goal. It was the first time Canada had held a lead since their win over Germany. It wasn't pretty, but the gritty, hardworking win, would give the team something to build on. 

And so it was, on the last day of 2013, Canada and the United States faced off, and with a regulation win Canada would finish on top in their division. The Canadian goaltender, Montreal Canadiens prospect, Zachary Fucale faced 13 shots in the first period, and with some acrobatic saves, was able to keep it 0-0 after one. The United States broke the shutout early in the second; however, our boys persisted and in the third, it was Canada who held a 3-1 lead over the United States. The United States would get to within one, but they were unable to get a third past Fucale, whose most impressive save came late in the third on a shorthanded breakaway. Fucale was the Canadians most dominant player, and as he received his player of the game award, the FU-CA-LE chants filled the building. 

The win on New Years Eve means that Canada now faces Switzerland in the quarter finals, and while the matchup is advantageous for the Canadians, a loss would send our boys home for the second straight year without a medal. They will need to bring it all to every game from here on out and leave it all on the ice. 

The good news is that Canada has a storied history of players stepping up in this tournament when it counts. Whether we're talking about John Tavares getting the hattrick on New Years Eve against the United States in a comeback win in 2008, or Jordan Eberle scoring with 5.4 seconds left against Russia in the Semi Final to tie the game, and then scoring the shootout winner to take Canada to the gold medal game in 2009. Who can forget Jonathan Toews' hattrick in the shootout in 2007 against the United States in the semi finals, or Carey Price's dominating performance in net at the same tournament. 

While only time will tell whether Fucale will become the next Carey Price, or whether Anthony Mantha, who currently leads Team Canada in scoring, will become a household name in the NHL, one thing is for certain, big games and big moments make big players. This Canadian team has played every game with heart, and has never given up. They have trailed and bounced back, they been able to hold a lead late in the game, they have come together as one unit, and as long they give "110%" I will be cheering until the end, which, with any luck, will be Sunday January 5 for the gold medal.