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The lone blip came on Friday afternoon at New Era Field down the road in Orchard Park, when a 3-1 lead in the third period against the Americans evaporated. There was not much concern among the Canadians, as the loss did not cost them their place in the standings and it came under the unusual circumstances of playing outside in the snow.

Canada is a team that has not yet fired on all cylinders. That’s not a problem. With the most intense games to come, expect this deep group to find a higher level. Gradual growth through the world junior, peaking in the gold-medal game, is the goal every year and right now, Canada is on the right track.

It’s also important to remember that these players weren’t just thrown together without so much as knowing each other’s names. No less than 10 of them were teammates on the Canadian side that won the under-18 Ivan Hlinka Memorial in 2015, so there is a history of success that many can draw upon.

“For us, that’s huge,” captain Dillon Dube said. “Right off the start, we bonded with each other and knew what each guy brought to the table.

“It’s easier when you know that and every guy knew what role they played, so from that team, a lot of it is the same. It feels like we have been together for a long time.”

The world junior, of course, is a different ball of wax. The Canadians will take Sunday off, enjoying a New Year’s Eve dinner with their families before practising on Monday.

“We use the experience we have now and we prepare for every situation,” Ducharme said.

“I think our guys have been through a lot and they understand we will take the team we are going to be playing, whoever that is, we will prepare for them, but the main thing is to be as good as we can be.”

Photo by Mark Blinch / THE CANADIAN PRESS

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