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KAMLOOPS, B.C. - Canadian head coach Doug Derraugh knows his team cant keep relying on dramatic third periods against the United States.Canada scored twice in the final five minutes on Wednesday in a 3-2 come-from-behind victory over the Americans in round-robin play at the Four Nations Cup, a game reminiscent of the womens gold-medal final at the Sochi Olympics when Canada scored late in regulation and again in overtime to stun the U.S.Derraugh — who is in his first tournament as head coach and will also lead the team at next years world championship — said nerves played a role for his young team in front of the home crowd early, but added a better overall effort will be required moving forward.I thought we settled in a little bit as the game went on, said Derraugh, whose team sits at 2-0 and already has a spot in Saturdays final locked up. There were moments where I thought we played really well, and I thought there were moments where we struggled.I think if were going to have success against (the U.S.) any time from here on out that we would need to play a stronger game than we did Wednesday.The United States can guarantee a rematch in the championship game of the four-team tournament with a regulation victory over Sweden (0-2) in its round-robin finale on Friday, while anything less would put the Canada versus Finland (1-1) result in play later that evening.Canada and the United States are both using the tournament to evaluate young players ahead of the 2018 Olympics, but they arent the only ones looking to leave a mark on their respective national programs.Derraugh, who was an assistant with Canada in 2012 and coaches the womens team at Cornell University in the NCAA, said the Four Nations is also a chance for him to show he belongs at this level beyond the spring of 2015.In coaching youre always looking to challenge yourself. You want to learn and I think this was a great opportunity for me to learn more, said the Arnprior, Ont., native. Im always trying to get better and this is certainly a good stage to put yourself on to force yourself to work harder and get better.When you get an opportunity to represent your country at this level its certainly an honour. Im humbled by it and certainly want to do the best job I can.The same goes for the Canadian players given leadership roles in Kamloops. Hayley Wickenheiser and Jayna Hefford are among the 10 veterans who were left at home, meaning that players like captain Haley Irwin and assistants Rebecca Johnston, Lauriane Rougeau and Natalie Spooner are being given a chance to grab the torch.Youve got some of the older players not on the squad at this time and its an opportunity for some of the players that havent been in a leadership role to step up and help us in that regard and help develop their leadership skills, said Derraugh. Whether theyre the next leadership group or not, it will help them in the future because theyll have had that and theyll know what its like to be in those roles.I think thats really helpful for a player if you are the captain, but its also really helpful if youre not the captain in the future so you know the pitfalls and you know what its like.At just 26, Irwin said it has been an adjustment being one of the senior players on the squad.Our rosters a lot different. Its weird to say Im a vet on this team, she said. Its definitely a new role for a few of us, but definitely one were embracing.The U.S. also has a lot of youngsters trying to cut their teeth, as well as a coach who is also getting his first experience at this level.Former NHL defenceman Ken Klee coached with the U.S. under-22 program before being asked to lead the senior team at the Four Nations. As it stands now, Klees commitment ends after Saturdays final, but he also sees the tournament as an audition.Thats the way the coaching gig is. Youre here for now and doing the best you can, said Klee, who played 934 games with seven NHL teams before retiring after 2008-09 season. Its that way for the young players and the same for me as a coach. Im enjoying it and trying to do the best job I can.Its a great opportunity. When youre a coach and you have a chance to work with elite-level athletes who want to get better everyday, thats a great situation.Derraughs team already knows it will be playing the final, but he still wants a 60-minute effort from Canada against the Finns, who lost 5-0 to the U.S. before topping Sweden 1-0.Were looking for strong execution of our game plan and see the habits that are going to make us successful not only at this tournament, but in the future, said Derraugh. Right now it hasnt been consistent. Until we get to that point where we are consistently doing the things we need to do its going to be tough.Notes: Canada has won the Four Nations Cup a total 13 times, while the U.S. took top spot in the other five. ... The Americans finished third as the hosts last year in Lake Placid, N.Y., behind Canada and Finland. ... The womens world hockey championship will be held from March 28 to April 4 in Malmo, Sweden. Tanner Pearson Jersey . Cincinnati has lost back-to-back games in overtime, wasting a chance to take a commanding lead in their division. Luc Robitaille Jersey . Trailing 2-1 from the first leg, Fiorentina levelled on aggregate in the 14th minute when Joaquin Sanchez Rodriguez headed back a long ball from David Pizarro and Pasqual smashed home an angled volley. http://www.cheaplosangeleskingsjerseys.com/ . Catch all the action on TSN2 and TSN GO at 9pm et/6pm pt. San Antonio took the series lead Monday night with a 122-105 home victory in Game 1. The Spurs used a balanced scoring attack and clamped down defensively late in the third quarter to claim the win. Butch Goring Jersey . However, Therrien added that Galchenyuks status for next Wednesdays game against the Detroit Red Wings is questionable. Galchenyuk has been out since Jan. 6 with a broken right hand. Andy Andreoff Jersey . The Redskins announced Monday that the quarterback who led the team to the Super Bowl championship in the 1987 season will serve as a personnel executive. If Chad Johnson was hoping for a regular parking space at the home of the Montreal Alouettes, the GMs spot is taken for a few more years. The Als gave Jim Popp a contract extension on Thursday, ending worries the team would suffer added brain drain after losing Marc Trestman to the Chicago Bears. ?Popp has frequently been a candidate for a range of front office jobs including the GM role with the NFLs Carolina Panthers, a team headquartered just a 30-minute drive from his home in North Carolina. Since Popp helped move the Baltimore Stallions north in 1996, the Alouettes are the winningest team in the CFL.? Popp has been the only constant, but sources close to the team admit he had been hoping and planning on returning this season in the dual role of coach and GM.? Entering the final year of his contract, he was surprised by the hiring of Tom Higgins -- a CFL sideline veteran and former director of officiating -- as the teams new head coach. Some have speculated Popps signing of the NFL star formerly known as Ochocinco was as much about putting himself back in the front office job spotlight south of the border as it was gettinng the Bengals all-time leading receiver for Alouette quarterbacks.dddddddddddd But Popp has never been shy about taking a chance on NFL talents past their prime: witness Ahman Green, Quincy Carter and the infamous Lawrence Phillips -- who helped Popp and the Als end a 25-year Grey Cup drought back in 2002. The quest for the next great quarterback led Popp to even claim the likes of NFL stars Colin Kaepernick, Russell Wilson and Tim Tebow on his negotiating lists. Popps master stroke in recent years was turning an out-of-fashion offensive guru named Marc Trestman into the hottest coaching commodity to come out of Canada in recent decades.? The immediate task for Popp this season is keeping the Als competitive after the retirement of Anthony Calvillo, as Troy Smith, the 2006 Heisman Trophy winner, will attempt to solidify his teams tentative start with a victory against Winnipeg Friday night.? Popp will soon be packing bags for his annual NFL training camp scouting missions in about two weeks, when hell see his first round selection in the CFL Draft, David Foucault now a rookie hopeful with the Panthers. ' ' '