2024 World Junior Championship – McKeen's Hockey

2024 WORLD JUNIORS CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI-FINALS – January 4th, 2024 – Game Recaps + Three Stars

Ethan Hetu — Thu, 04 Jan 2024 22:36:53 +0000

Theo Lindstein of Sweden during the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship semi final between Sweden and Czech Republic on January 4, 2024 in Gothenburg.
Photo: Jesper Zerman / BILDBYRÅN

Germany 5, Norway 4 (OT)

This year’s relegation battle was a compelling one, with both teams fighting to the last breath in order to punch their ticket to Ottawa for next year’s tournament. The stakes of the game were apparent from the early first period, which was a more conservative affair as neither team wanted to make the kind of tone-setting mistake that would doom them to relegation. The Germans finally broke the ice halfway through with a Kevin Bicker goal on the rush. In what would prove to be a theme of the game: just as it felt the Germans might take control of the contest with a goal, the Norwegians fought right back and proved they wouldn’t be an easy out.

That script repeated itself in the following two periods. In the second, the Germans gained the upper hand with a tie-breaking tally, but the Norwegians leveled the game before the period ended. In the third, the Germans looked to have finally separated after a brutal turnover from Stian Stolberg gave them a two-goal lead, but the Norwegians were determined not to go quietly into the night. A final push from Norway culminated in a tying goal from Mats Bakke Olsen. Had the Germans lost their composure in the process, they very well could have been the relegated team. But ultimately in overtime, an impressive shift from Moritz Elias guided the Germans not only to victory in this game but to entry into the 2025 WJC.

Sweden 5, Czechia 2

A second consecutive upset was not to be for the Czechs, who ultimately saw themselves doomed by the same player who had played so brilliantly against Canada: netminder Michael Hrabal. Hrabal’s high glove side was identified by the Swedes to be an area of weakness for the team to target, and they did exactly that in the first two periods. The Czechs got out to an early lead, but their momentum was stifled when a point shot ricocheted off Hrabal’s glove into the back of the net. Hrabal had an impressive sequence after that to keep the game tied, but the Swedes had nonetheless found what they believed to be Hrabal’s Achilles’ Heel.

They once again targeted that on an early power play in the second period, and a lofted shot from the point from Axel Sandin-Pellikka sailed past Hrabal’s glove. The Czechs punched back on their own powerplay a little bit later in the period, but the game became more and more dominated in terms of possession by the Swedes. With a raucous crowd behind them, Sweden would have multiple extended stays in the Czech offensive zone, and Hrabal was under siege for much of the later stages of the period. One of the most lethal shooters in the entire tournament, Jonathan Lekkerimaki, broke the tie with a rocket of a power play goal, and later Theo Lindstein’s deft stretch pass broke Noah Ostlund out for a breakaway goal to give the Swedes much-needed breathing room. Czechia were firmly on their back foot from that point, and they became swarmed in their defensive zone by Swedish pressure. Lekkerimaki fired another one-timer into the back of the net just over a minute after Ostlund’s goal and lifted the roof off of the Scandinavium. With a dominant performance in the second half of the game, the Swedes had inarguably earned the right to play for gold.

United States 3, Finland 2

The United States has not lost in this year’s World Juniors, but in the early part of this semifinal, they looked as vulnerable as they’ve ever been. The relentlessness and physicality of the Finns proved to be a struggle for the undersized American defense. The Finns seized on early mistakes from both defensemen such as Sam Rinzel and goaltender Trey Augustine to take a quick 2-0 lead into the first intermission. But after that period, Augustine settled into the game and the Americans found a way to return to the style of play that had made them so successful. They utilized their aggressive, activating defensemen such as Lane Hutson, Seamus Casey, and Zeev Buium to place an immense amount of pressure on the Finn, and quickly into the second period the ice began to tilt strongly in their favor. An absolute howitzer from Jimmy Snuggerud getting the Americans on the board almost felt like an inevitability after how the Team USA spent the first 10 minutes of the second period. A dominant shift from Will Smith and his line got the Americans the tying goal they needed, and from that point, it was a brand-new game. Augustine had answers for every Finnish chance, and when the whistles tightened up in the third and each team got onto a late-game power play, it was the United States’ high-end offensive talent that carried them. A wicked shot from tournament scoring leader Cutter Gauthier gave Team USA the lead with just three minutes to go, and the Americans withstood a final push from Finland to earn the right to play the Swedes for the gold medal.

Three Stars of the Day

#1 Theo Lindstein

Theo Lindstein has been exceptional in this tournament alongside Tom Willander, with their pairing capable of dictating the flow of the game whenever they step onto the ice. Lindstein was a force on both ends of the ice against the Czechs, and his stretch pass to turn a Czech turnover into a game-changing breakaway goal for Noah Ostlund stood out as a particular highlight. Not only did he set the tone for the game by scoring the first goal for Sweden, a goal that clearly identified Hrabal’s high glove side as an area for the Swedes to successfully target, but he also logged the most minutes of any Swedish blueliner today. Now leading the tournament in scoring by a defenseman, Lindstein put an exclamation mark on what has been an extremely strong WJC right on his home turf. He’ll need to be at his best once again for the Swedes to stand the best possible chance of winning tomorrow against an offensively gifted Team USA.

#2 Jonathan Lekkerimaki

When the Swedes needed a big goal today, Lekkerimaki delivered. The electric sniper gave Sweden its first lead of the day with a power play one-timer, and the goal was of particular importance in the contest. Not only did it give Sweden a crucial lead and help end the blow-for-blow even duel the team had been fighting to that point, the way it was scored was also useful in terms of momentum. To that point in the game, Sweden’s goals had come from mistakes made by Hrabal. For some, it may have seemed that the Swedes simply wouldn’t have produced anything offensively had the Czechs not been subject to a few costly errors made in the crease. In other words, one could reasonably credit the first two Swedish goals as flukes, mistakes made by Hrabal that were unlikely to be repeated. But Lekkerimaki’s goal was no fluke: it proved that Sweden had what it took to beat the Czechs with their talent, rather than just luck and taking advantage of mistakes. From that point on, Lekkerimaki’s team had the game by the reins. His dagger of a goal later in the third all but ended any chance the Czechs might mount a comeback, cementing today as one of the best in Lekkerimaki’s young career.

#3 Will Smith

The Americans’ comeback victory over Finland was definitely a collective effort, one where Team USA’s high-end talent ultimately proved to be too much to handle. But although Cutter Gauthier had the most memorable moment with his game-winning goal, his moment was built off of two strong periods of work from Smith. Smith played a role in both of the Americans’ goals that got the game tied. He helped draw the Finns’ attention to his side of the ice on an early second-period power play, helping pave the way for a momentum-shifting Jimmy Snuggerud one-timer. His growing two-way chops as well as his chemistry with his Boston College linemates shined through on the team’s second goal. He knew exactly where to move and how to move to be in the perfect position for a Gabe Perreault set-up pass, and he made it so that once Perreault identified the right passing option, the tying goal had effectively already been scored. The Americans might be in the gold medal game because of a goal from someone else, but they very well may not have even been in a position to tie the game without a strong game from Smith.

2024 WORLD JUNIORS CHAMPIONSHIP – December 31st, 2023 Game Recaps + Three Stars

Mark Dubreuil — Mon, 01 Jan 2024 17:05:28 +0000

GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN - DECEMBER 31: Rutger Mcgroarty #2 of USA battles for position against Peter Repcik #21 of Slovakia in Preliminary Round - Group B action at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship at Frolundaborg on December 31, 2023 in Gothenburg, Sweden. (Photo by Chris Tanouye/IIHF)

USA 10, Slovakia 2

The two undefeated teams in Group B faced off for the first game of New Year’s Eve and it didn’t turn out to be the nail biter that was expected. The USA squad asserted their dominance by beating the Slovaks 10-2 in this lopsided game, although Slovakia’s top goaltender Adam Gajan did not dress in order to rest for their quarter final matchup on January 2^nd, 2024. Slovakia outshot the Americans 20-11 in the second period, but the US side tamed the onslaught with some great goaltending by Trey Augustine who finished the game allowing only 2GA with while facing 40 SOG. USA clinches first place with the win ahead of Sweden in the preliminary round. Rutger McGroarty earned himself a hat trick, leading the way for the Americans on the scoresheet. USA will meet up with Latvia in the quarterfinals and Slovakia will face off against Finland on January 2^nd, 2024.

Sweden 4, Finland 5 (SO)

The Swedes secured first place in Group A, even with the shootout loss to Finland in the final game of the preliminary rounds. The Finns forechecked hard all game and didn’t allow team Sweden to gain any momentum throughout the entire 60 minutes of relegation play. The Finnish side pulled their goalie early with 2:35 left in the third period and the team responded with a nice goal from Jani Nyman who scored with only 92 seconds left in the game to secure the tie and force the game into overtime. Nothing was settled in OT, so the game would be determined by a shootout. Nyman would also come up big in the shootout by scoring on the last attempt to secure the win for Finland. Sweden will now face Switzerland in the quarterfinals next game.

Czechia 4, Switzerland 2

The game between Czechia and Switzerland started out lopsided with the Czechs outshooting the Swiss 14-5 in the first period, and were only able to get one shot by Swiss goaltender Alessio Beglieri from a power play goal from Matyas Sapovaliv. The Swiss side stuck around all game, but the Czech side iced it in the third period when team Captain Jiri Kulich buried his fourth goal of the tournament into a wide open net after a great individual effort and pass from 2024 NHL Draft prospect Tomas Galvas. With the win, Czechia ended up in third place in Group B, while the loss secures them fourth place. Czechia will now play against Canada in the quarterfinals.

Canada 6, Germany 3

Canada, coming off a 2-0 loss to Sweden two days prior needed to rebound in order to place themselves in a good playoff position. Team Canada started the game on their heels when Conor Geekie was assessed a major penalty and a game misconduct for a hit to the head only 11 seconds into the game. The Germans managed to capitalize during the five minute power play and scored a goal at 2:57 from Arizona Coyotes 2022 draft choice Julian Lutz. For most of the game the Germans stuck around until the third period when Jordan Dumais broke a 3-3 tie with a power play to help Canada move on to a 6-3 win over Germany. Macklin Celebrini again looked very good on the Canadian side and notched two goals to help Canada secure second place in Group A. The loss forces Germany into a relegation match against Norway on January 4^th, 2024.

Three Stars of the Day

#1 – Rutger McGroarty – Forward – USA

The 14^th overall Winnipeg Jets draft choice in the 2022 NHL Draft was buzzing all game and was rewarded capturing a hat trick against the Slovak side. McGroarty opened the scoring with a nice wrap around goal at 6:21 of the first period. He added another goal near the end of the second to help the American side go up 5-2. McGroarty completed the hat trick at the beginning of the third period which helped seal the win.

#2 – Jani Nyman – Forward – Finland

Nyman was the difference for the Finnish side by coming up big when his team needed it. The second round selection of the Seattle Kraken in 2022 has been red hot in the Liiga posting 22 points in 28 games. Nyman showed off his offensive prowess in this game by scoring the tying goal with the empty net, then followed that up with an impressive deke in the shootout to secure the win for Finland.

#3 – Macklin Celebrini – Forward – Canada

The potential first overall prospect of the 2024 NHL Draft displayed his skill yet again at this tournament potting two goals to help Canada win an important game after a loss against Sweden the game prior. The young Boston University forward was the best player on the Canadian side and came up big when the game was on the line, especially early on. He got behind the German defense to set himself up for a breakaway and buried it on the backhand to tie the game in the first period. He followed it up with some nice hustle to beat the opposing goaltender to a loose puck and bury one into an empty from an impossible angle. The win helped Canada secure second place in Group A.

2024 WORLD JUNIORS CHAMPIONSHIP – December 28th, 2024 – Game Reviews

Jamison Derksen — Thu, 28 Dec 2023 22:44:41 +0000

GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN - DECEMBER 28: Jimmy Snuggerud #81 of USA celebrates his first period goal against Switzerland with teammate Rutger Mcgroarty #2 in Preliminary Round - Group B action at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship at Frolundaborg on December 28, 2023 in Gothenburg, Sweden. (Photo by Chris Tanouye/IIHF)

USA 11 - Switzerland 3

Will Smith opened the scoring just over a minute in, and Jimmy Snuggerud recorded a hat-trick to put the game out of reach while it was still in the first period in a game that six Americans recorded multipoint outings, led by a four-assist game by Frank Nazar. The Swiss were led offensively by Gregory Weber, who recorded a goal and an assist. The United States dominated, but Switzerland was able to generate some chances off the rush and the teams ended up playing a bit of a back and forth third period where each team scored twice.

Sweden 5 - Germany 0

Coming off one of the biggest wins in German world junior history yesterday against Finland, the Germans were able to keep Sweden off the scoreboard for most of the first period, but Otto Stenberg opened the scoring with a great shot off the rush. The second period was more of the same with Sweden outplaying the Germans but being unable to score until Mattias Hävelid converted with just over a minute left in the second to make it 2-0. The third period featured a few Swedish powerplays, and Otto Stenberg scored a couple to complete a hat trick. Noah Ostlund also got in on the scoring action, slipping one five-hole with 5:27 left.

Three Stars

#1 - Jimmy Snuggerud, USA

The first period of USA vs Switzerland was the Jimmy Snuggerud show, the St. Louis Blues prospect had five shots, and converted three times in the opening frame. Snuggerud showcased his ability to score in a variety of ways with a deadly wristshot from distance, but also being able to quickly grab rebounds and shovel them in. The American forward was also denied on a breakaway in the first period. He was held off the score sheet for the rest of the game, but it was already out of reach, which was largely due to the start that Snuggerud gave team USA. Snuggerud was a star in last year’s World Juniors, finishing third in tournament scoring with 13 points; he's up to five in two games so far this year.

#2 Zeev Buium, USA

On a roster littered with older, high-profile offensive defenceman like Lane Hutson and Seamus Casey, it was draft eligible blueliner Zeev Buium that stood out on Thursday. Not only did he contribute a goal and an assist, but he was executing and showcasing his creativity without turning the puck over. The opening goal for the United States was a fantastic individual effort by Buium followed by a perfectly places seam pass that was one-timed in. He led the team in ice time and was on the ice for seven American goals today. Buium has an excellent opportunity to raise his draft stock as the tournament progresses if he continues to impress.

#3 Otto Stenberg, Sweden

St. Louis Blues 2023 first rounder Otto Stenberg was a standout offensively today for team Sweden. He opened the scoring in the first period, and scored a big power-play goal midway through the third period with a one-timer from the bumper position to make it 3–0, then added a hat trick goal a couple minutes later. Stenberg, who plays for Frolunda, showed up in his home rink when Sweden needed goals in a game they were dominating, showcasing a dangerous shot and excellent puckhanding throughout the game. His three goals today match his season total with Frolunda so far this season.

2024 WORLD JUNIORS CHAMPIONSHIP – December 27th, 2024 Game Reviews

Brock Otten — Thu, 28 Dec 2023 14:12:52 +0000

GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN - DECEMBER 27: Germany players celebrate after a 4-3 Preliminary Round - Group A win against Finland at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship at Scandinavium on December 27, 2023 in Gothenburg, Sweden. (Photo by Matt Zambonin/IIHF)

Game Recaps

Slovakia 3, Switzerland 0

After a tremendous, rather dominating performance over Czechia the day prior, there was definitely some thought that Slovakia would beat up on Switzerland. Don’t let the scoreline fool you, as Switzerland largely controlled play in this one, outshooting the Slovaks by a rather large margin. No offense meant to the Swiss, but it was a rather flat performance by Slovakia in a game that was a mismatch on paper. If not for goaltender Adam Gajan, the Swiss would have likely taken this one. There’s something about putting on the Slovak jersey that makes Gajan, last year’s top WJC goaltender and an early second round pick of Chicago, an unstoppable force. His third period save on Gregory Weber was a thing of beauty and it preserved a 1-0 lead for Slovakia at the time. Eventually, the Slovaks notched two empty net goals and took this one 3-0 to go to 2-0 in the tournament. Despite the loss, the Swiss have to hold their heads high for how they outplayed Slovakia and must regroup to prepare for an even tougher test against the United States tomorrow. The Swiss coaching staff led by Marcel Jenni has to be especially happy with the performances of Miles Muller, Leon Muggli, and Alessio Beglieri.

Finland 3, Germany 4

What a monumental occasion! The Germans beat Finland for the first time ever at the U20 World Junior Championships, with Finland owning a perfect 25-0 record previously. Right out of the gate, this one felt like an upset, with Germany dominating time of possession in the first period, including outshooting Finland 13-6. Finland managed to secure the lead twice in an action packed second period, but each time Germany battled back. Eventually, Veit Oswald scored his second of the game to put Germany up for good (he opened the scoring in the first period). The third period saw Germany clinging to life, with goaltender Philipp Dietl holding down the fort, including a late powerplay for Finland that they were not able to capitalize on, despite pulling goaltender Niklas Kokko to gain a 6 on 4 advantage. Finland now takes an 0-2 record into their game against Latvia on Friday. Finland will need to win here…and win big (for protection against a three-way tie should Latvia beat Germany), to avoid a disastrous exit into the relegation round. A special note to the Finnish coaching staff; please watch some of Arttu Karki’s highlights from the OHL this season where he works the half wall on the Soo Greyhounds powerplay and is an absolute load to handle. Utilizing him there instead of the point could help the team’s 1 for 10 powerplay thus far.

Czechia 8, Norway 1

For the second straight day, Norway came out and played a very competitive first period against a top hockey nation, only to run out of gas in the second half of the game. The two main offensive cogs in the Czech lineup did their part as both Jiri Kulich and Eduard Sale finished the game with hat tricks. Michael Hrabal was also much sharper in the crease compared to a weak effort against Slovakia on day one. This was a big game for Czechia in order to get back on track before facing the powerhouse Americans on Friday. At this point, the Norwegians have to be proud of how they have played, but closing out games better has to be a priority. They’ll be in tough against Slovakia next but will have Saturday circled on their calendars as the big one as they take on Switzerland in what will likely be a battle to see who ends up in the relegation round.

Canada 10, Latvia 0

It was the Macklin Celebrini show in this game as the draft eligible forward and double underager (for this event) posted five points in the blowout victory. As the Latvians do, they kept the game close early, even if their chances were largely from the perimeter. However, by the third period, they had completely run out of steam and Canada expanded on their blowout. After Canada scored four goals in a span of about four minutes, Latvian coach Artis Abols even took a timeout to try to motivate his team to keep playing. Other than Macklin Celebrini, Carson Rehkopf and Matthew Wood also had big games for Canada, scoring twice each. Ironically, both players were swapping in and out of the Celebrini/Yager line and finding equal success. Wood was apparently battling an illness and was set to be the 13th forward in this game, but judging by his play you would have never known it. Canada now prepares for its biggest test against Sweden on Friday, which will decide who gets the top seed in Pool A.

Three Stars of the Day

#1 Adam Gajan - Goaltender - Slovakia

Last year Gajan came out of nowhere to capture the tournament’s top goaltender award, nearly leading Slovakia past Canada in the quarterfinals. He entered the 2023 tournament as Slovakia’s third string netminder and finished as a household name who would eventually become the 35th overall selection (to Chicago) in the 2023 NHL Draft in his second year of draft eligibility. Now, Gajan enters the 2024 WJC’s with large expectations and thus far he has lived up to them. He was great in Slovakia’s win over Czechia on day one and he was even better on day two against Switzerland posting a well earned shutout. Gajan made 36 saves against Switzerland, including a highlight reel game saving stop in the third period on the penalty kill against Gregory Weber. He was dialed in all game, fighting through traffic to make saves, limiting second chance opportunities, and showcasing his excellent athleticism to cover his posts.

#2 Macklin Celebrini - Center - Canada

I’m sure an argument could be made for Celebrini to be the first star of the day, but Gajan was just so good for his team in preventing a major upset. Celebrini, as previously mentioned, ended the 10-0 blowout of Latvia with one goal and four assists. His goal came after Matthew Wood sprung him on a breakaway where he finished on the backhand. Three of his assists were primary assists, with the setup of Brayden Yager's first period goal being the prettiest as he carved up the neutral zone and hit him with a drop pass after drawing in both defenders by attacking them head on. After two days, Celebrini finds himself at the top of the tournament’s scoring lead and is already 12th all time among U18 scoring for Canada at the event. Given his points per game average thus far and ice time/responsibility received, it seems pretty conceivable that he could pass the likes of McDavid, Crosby, and Lemieux to push into the top five among Canadian U18 players.

#3 Veit Oswald - Wing - Germany

No offense meant to Jiri Kulich and Eduard Sale, who probably deserve a spot on this list after hat tricks against Norway, but Veit Oswald’s two goals were a little more historically important. Oswald, a big winger out of EHC München, opened the scoring for Germany in the first period by banging home a loose puck near the crease during a scramble. Then he scored the eventual game winner in the second period by taking the puck to the net and banking it in off Finnish netminder Niklas Kokko. The second goal was a tad controversial as Oswald clipped skates with Finnish defender Jesse Pulkkinen before receiving the pass that sent him flying down the wing. Pulkkinen fell, affording Oswald the room to make a dash for the net. This is occasionally called interference, but it was not and Oswald made history helping Germany beat Finland for the first time.