It’s an off-day at the World Junior Hockey Championship and while Canadian fans are still reeling from their team’s quarterfinal loss, four other nations are preparing for the semifinal, and remain hopeful for gold.
So, today, it’s time to reflect on the four teams still left standing, and appreciate the excitement that has been on display here.
In the quarterfinals, Team USA predictably defeated the surprising Latvians by a score of 7-2. The other three games on Tuesday, however, were nail-biters.
Team Finland took the lead over Slovakia with less than two minutes to play in regulation, only to see the Slovaks tie the game with under a minute left. Finland then scored 30 seconds into overtime to advance to the semifinals, where they’ll face the Americans.
Team Sweden needed overtime to knock off the energetic Swiss. When the Swedes scored on the power play, you could feel the sense of relief for the fans of the host nation, and the organizing committee!
And of course, Team Canada fell to Team Czechia after a deflected puck found the middle of the Canadian net with less than 12 seconds left in regulation. It was a stroke of bad luck for the Canadian teens, but this was a tournament that confirmed the parity that exists at the U20 level internationally.
Here’s a look at Thursday’s semi-final matchups:
TEAM SWEDEN vs TEAM CZECHIA
Team Sweden has a balanced lineup. They benefit from offensive contributions at both the forward and defence positions:
• Detroit Red Wings 2023 first-round pick Axel Sandin-Pellikka quarterbacks Sweden’s top ranked power play. He’s more of a distributor than a shooter, but he did score the overtime winner on the power play versus Switzerland.
• Speaking of special teams, the Swedes also have the top ranked penalty-kill in the tournament. Winning the PP and PK battle will be key to their success against Czechia.
• Vancouver Canucks first-round pick (15th overall in 2022) Jonathan Lekkerimaki, along with St. Louis Blues prospect Otto Stenberg (25th overall in 2023) and Buffalo Sabres first-rounder (16th overall in 2022) Noah Ostlund are examples of the balanced scoring the Swedes are getting from their forward group. Those three players are tied with seven points apiece.
• Lekkerimaki sets up shop on the weak side flank on the power play. The shooter leads Sweden with four goals.
• Goaltending can win, or lose, a medal-round game. Even with the Swedes playing a very structured game, Hugo Havelid has been excellent. He’s posted a 0.65 GAA and .966 save percentage.
Team Czechia are on a mission after losing to Canada in last year’s gold medal game in Halifax. Step one was accomplished when they exacted revenge on the Canadians in the quarter-finals:
• Team Czechia will continue to ride their top players offensively. Juri Kulich plays for the Buffalo Sabres’ AHL affiliate, Rochester Americans and has produced four goals and four assists in the tournament. Kulich is a shooter more than a play driver. If Team Czechia finds itself on the power play, the puck goes through Kulich on the weak side.
• Czechia would likely prefer the game to not be settled on special teams. They have the fourth-ranked power play and third ranked penalty-kill in the tournament.
• Team Canada got a taste of how difficult it is to beat Czechia goaltender Michael Hrabal from the perimeter. When the 6-foot-6, 209-pound goaltender squares up he doesn’t give away any net. The Arizona Coyotes draft pick (38th overall in 2023) will undoubtedly have to be Czechia’s best player.
• Hrabal has a .898 save percentage and 2.75 GAA entering the semifinals.
TEAM USA vs TEAM FINLAND
The pesky Finns have found a way to the semifinal game after a late push in the preliminary round and a thrilling victory over Slovakia. Team USA will by far be their stiffest test of the tournament so far:
• Team Finland captain, Jere Lassila, leads the team in scoring. He’s a 19-year-old, undrafted prospect who has contributed three goals and four assists. Lassila leads by example. He’s deployed in all situations and averages around 20 minutes of ice per game. One of his biggest responsibilities is taking key faceoffs in all three zones.
• Lassila is only 5-foot-10, 176 pounds. Once up to speed he can be a threat off the rush. He plays for JYP in Liiga, the Finnish Elite League, and scored one goal and 10 assists at the pro level this year.
• London Knights forward and San Jose Sharks draft pick (36th overall in 2023), Kasper Halttunen is the Finns’ primary shooter on their power play. If the game is close, and Team Finland finds itself on the power play, he’s the kind of player who can end the game in a hurry with his lethal release. Halttunen has scored three goals and three assists in the tournament. Two of his goals have come on the power play.
• It’s crucial for Team Finland to stay out of the penalty box. They have the fifth ranked penalty-kill (80 per cent) and fifth ranked save percentage (.889) in the tournament.
Team USA have seven(!) players in the top 20 scoring at the WJC. They have a team that can come at their opponent with speed, skill, tenacity, and physicality. They do not have any holes on their roster:
This space isn’t large enough to describe the quality of Team USA’s roster.
Consider the following:
• Team USA boasts a roster with 10 first-round NHL draft picks, six second round selections, four third-rounders and one fifth-round pick.
The seven leading scorers are:
– Cutter Gauthier, 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, Philadelphia Flyers (5th overall in 2022): 1G, 9A
– Gavin Brindley, 5-foot-9, 170 pounds, Columbus Blue Jackets (34th overall in 2023): 6G, 2A
– Frank Nazar, 5-foot-9, 174 pounds, Chicago Blackhawks (13th overall in 2022): 0G, 8A
– Isaac Howard, 5-foot-11, 190 pounds, Tampa Bay Lightning (31st overall in 2022): 5G, 2A
– Rutger McGroarty, 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, Winnipeg Jets (14th overall in 2022): 4G, 3A
– Jimmy Snugggerud, 6-foot-2, 187 pounds, St. Louis Blues (23rd overall in 2022): 4G, 2A
– Gabe Perreault: 5-foot-11, 165 pounds, New York Rangers (23rd overall in 2023): 2G, 4A
• Surprisingly, Team USA only has the fifth ranked power play (32 per cent) and fourth ranked penalty-kill (83 per cent).
• If things break down defensively, the Americans can rely on the confident goaltending of Detroit Red Wings draft pick (41st overall in 2023) Trey Augustine.
• Augustine is an athletic, butterfly style goalie who tracks laterally very well. His rebound control is generally sound. His low net coverage/quick pads speak to his athleticism and coordination. Augustine has posted a 1.50 GAA and .952 save percentage in the tournament.
You can follow Jason Bukala on X at @ProHockeyGroup for more analysis.
