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Easton Cowan Breaks Silence Following His Disappointing Performance Against Latvia
Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Toronto Maple Leafs top prospect Easton Cowan spoke on Canada's stunning 3-2 shootout loss against Latvia in the World Juniors.
In what is clearly the upset of the World Juniors so far, Canada lost in a shocking 3-2 shootout to Latvia, with Easton Cowan being one of the shooters for Canada who failed to score.
Both sides were denied a shootout goal thanks to strong performances from both netminders until Washington Capitals 2024 third-rounder Eriks Mateiko netted the game winner, shocking the Canadians with a surprise loss.
Cowan spoke on the upset, admitting that as a veteran of the team, it's his responsibility to play better and do more for his team.
"I know I can be better, especially on the power play. I know I'm way better than that. And 5-on-5 I know I can be better too. Yeah, I guess it starts with me being an older guy.....I feel like I can get to the middle of the ice more."
Easton Cowan Faces Attacks Online After Canada's Loss
Easton Cowan, as one of the team's most prominent players and someone on the losing end in the shootout, has been a target of criticism online from fans bashing the 19-year-old over his play.
Cowan was an easy target of anger for both a tough missed shot and the fact that he is a member of the most polarizing team in the NHL, furthering the animosity towards him.
Despite leading Canada in points for the tournament, many have picked on Cowan as a major reason Canada is having these struggles.
Besides that one shootout miss, Cowan has been a reliable player for Canada who has contributed at both ends of the ice.
For some, one shootout miss was enough to create a narrative that he is not good enough for Canada, ignoring the fact he was not the only player who missed for the Canadians, and that the entire game prior had been well up to that point.
Although it's a team effort, as a returning player in a team full of new faces, Cowan will need to step up and produce more, as does the entire team who looks to press for more offense after two games failing to finish it's chances.
Some have already pointed criticism at Team Canada for their decisions, including at head coach Dave Cameron, who was criticized for his play style and coaching choices, and the decision to leave off top Canadian eligibles in Zayne Parekh, Michael Hage, Carter Yakemchuk, & Beckett Sennecke.
Canada will get a chance to recover from the loss with a game against Germany tomorrow at 7:30pm local time.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 29 | 1494 ANSWERS Easton Cowan Breaks Silence Following His Disappointing Performance Against Latvia Does Easton Cowan deserve the blame for Canada's loss to Latvia? | ||
| Yes | 216 | 14.5 % |
| No | 987 | 66.1 % |
| Partially | 291 | 19.5 % |
| List of polls | ||