Mats Bakke Olsen – 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.

MCKEEN’S 2024 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP GUIDE – Team Norway

Felix Robbins — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 15:57:52 +0000

After winning the D1A tournament last year, the freshly promoted Norwegians are looking to do something they haven’t done since the early 90’s – Maintain their hold on a spot at the top level of competition. The last time Norway was promoted to the highest division of play was the 2013-2014 tournament, which featured very limited talent as 4 of their top 5 scorers from the previous year we’re ineligible to return. This time, however, the group is mostly intact with only 7 out of 26 players not returning.

The Norwegian team is a rag-tag group of all shapes and sizes, and who come from an almost diasporic distribution of leagues and teams – you have most players from various levels of Norwegian and Swedish leagues, but also the BCHL, NCAA, WHL and QMJHL. Player’s heights and weights go from 6’3, 205 pounds to 5’6, 165 pounds. Despite their various backgrounds, experience, and measurables, they are united by their earned right to don their countries jersey. Those that have watched them play know that this is an honour not taken lightly by anyone on the team, and that they pour their blood, sweat and tears into every game.

As a unit, Norway plays with a ton of skill, speed, and energy. They’re aggressive on the forecheck and put a ton of pressure on the puck. Even though they’re the smallest team in the tournament, they won’t be shying away from physicality. While Norway does possess some high-end talent in Michael Brandsegg Nygård (2005), Petter Vesterheim (2004) and Stian Solberg (2005), it doesn’t compare to the plethora of talent on the more established teams’ rosters. They’ll most likely be rolling 4 lines and staying true to the same hi-tempo identity that got them here. Whether or not it will be enough to stave off relegation remains to be seen, but the goal is clear: hang on to that spot for dear life.

Norway’s tournament kicks off their tournament against USA on the 26^th, followed by a back-to-back against Czechia on the 27^th. After that, they play another back-to-back against Slovakia and Switzerland on the 29^th and 30^th, respectively. Since they haven’t been on the big stage in quite some time, I doubt too many people are familiar with team Norway. Let’s go through some of their key contributors and what to expect from them on the ice.

PORRENTRUY, SWITZERLAND - APRIL 27: Norway's Elias Vatne #22 celebrates with Herman Boger #12, Casper Haugen #14, Stian Solberg #10 and Alieu Bah #11 after scoring a second period goal against Germany during Relegation Round action at the 2023 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship at Raiffeisen Arena on April 27, 2023 in Porrentruy, Switzerland. (Photo by Chris Tanouye/IIHF)

Ten To Watch plus a Sleeper

Michael Brandsegg Nygård – RW

Michael Brandsegg Nygård’s reputation as Norway’s most highly regarded prospect in years precedes him, and it is a responsibility the young power winger carries with grace. He is the face of the nation at this tournament and will be relied upon in the most difficult matchups and situations. He works hard and leads by example. He is the embodiment of the high-tempo style that Norway plays, which should be evident to anyone who’s seen him play with Mora IK in the HockeyAllsvenskan. With his physical maturity, impressive toolkit and high-end processing speed, he should be making a lot of noise come Boxing Day. It’ll be interesting to see just how much noise he can make on the biggest stage of competition against the best prospects in the hockey world.

Petter Vesterheim – C/W

Despite going undrafted last year (even though, in my opinion, he very much should have been drafted), Petter Vesterheim has seen his game jump to the next level and cemented his spot with the Mora IK senior club. He has tallied 1G-8A in 24 matches centering the 4^th line, playing with fellow team Norway teammates Michael Brandsegg Nygard and Noah Steen. Vesterheim led the Norwegian team in scoring last year at the D1A, and he’ll try to do the same again as the presumptive 1C. This will likely be his final WJC because of his September birthday, so hopefully that’s an extra kick in the pants to leave it all out on the ice.

Stian Solberg - D

Meet Norway’s big body, top pairing defenceman Stian Solberg. He’s been playing against men since he was 16 years old. He plays a hard-nosed style of defence, meaning keep your head up when you’re on the ice with him. He can also move the puck and has a heavy shot, so don’t expect him to only stay at home. Despite making the team 2 years ago when he was 16, this will only be Solberg’s 2^nd appearance with the U20 squad. He played with the U18 squad in a bigger role than he would have gotten with the U20s last year. The young 6’2” blueliner will be relied upon to shut down the opposition’s top players, as well as see heavy minutes on the PK and PP. With a good showing, I expect his draft stock to rise dramatically.

Noah Steen - LW

Yet another Mora IK-grown winger from the “Nordmann” connection, Steen is expected to take his place with Brandsegg Nygard and Vesterheim on the 1^st line. If Brandsegg Nygard is the muscle and Vesterheim is the playmaker, Steen profiles as the finisher. Considering he’s scored 4 goals across 22 contests with an average of 8:40 TOI/G, I’d say he’s shown a knack for putting the puck in the net with limited usage. I imagine he’s chomping at the bit to show what he can do with a massive role like he’ll be getting for the duration of the tournament. Like Vesterheim, this will be his last WJC and, again like Vesterheim, he has been instrumental in getting Norway to where they are today.

Mats Bakke Olsen – F

After a moderately productive season with Malmö in the Swedish J20 last year, Bakke Olsen has already eclipsed his previous year’s point total in 22 fewer games – all while donning the “A” for the J20 club. After scoring 2G, 3A in 5 GP last year at the D1A tournament last year, he will hope to continue his role as an important top 6 contributor. It is unclear whether or not that will be on the wing or up the middle, but Bakke Olsen has the versatility to play both. He will most likely also see time on the PP, where he will showcase his playmaking and goalscoring ability.

Oskar Kind Bakkevig – F

Here’s another Malmö Redhawks J20 player who has eclipsed his previous years points total in far fewer games. The difference this year is that Kind Bakkevig has really learnt to trust his shot. Thanks to that development, he has absolutely filled the net with pucks, scoring 20 goals in 29 games so far in the J20. He’s not all shot, though. His energy, aggressiveness and tenacity are aspects of his game that Norway values highly. His shot will be relied upon by the Norwegian team this year like it was last year (and already this year at the 5-Nations in Denmark). I expect we will see heavy usage as a triggerman on the PP and fitting somewhere on the wing in the middle 6.

Tobias Bjerke Larsen – D

Where the Norwegian team lacks in size up front, they make up for it with on the back end. Tobias Bjerke Larsen is no exception, standing at 6’2 and weighing in at 205 lbs – and he knows how to throw it around. He has great range and his good physical positioning allows him to retrieve pucks effectively. He has decent mobility and passing to help him initiate breakouts after retrievals as well, but don’t expect him to bomb a pass across two lines or the skate the puck from coast to coast. Bjerke Larsen knows his role and opposing players ought to know as well. He has been quietly effective on Färjestad BK J20’s top pair as a counterbalance to a more offensive defenceman and as a PKer, so I would expect him to be in a similar role in the top 4 for Norway. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him don a letter, either.

Markus Røhnebæk Stensrud – G

I think international audiences are in for some shock and awe when little Markus Røhnebæk Stensrud mans the blue paint for Norway. The 5’9 netminder has been playing in Norway’s top pro league for 3 years now, and has had a hammerlock on the starter job for Norway internationally over the same period of time. Other teams would be foolish to underestimate him because of his size. He is agile, has cat-like reflexes, and is mentally tough – you have to be as a goalie as small as him. This will be his 3^rd and final WJC, and I am thrilled that he will get to have his moment on the big stage taking on the behemoths of international junior hockey.

Gabriel Koch – D

Standing at 5’11, 163lbs, Koch is an exception to the “big and mean” blueline identity. However, he is still an integral part of Norway’s core. Koch’s game is his ability to skate the puck and send dangerous passes, and a great deal of Norway’s offence from the blueline come from him. After a very disappointing season last year with Malmo’s J20, Koch has enjoyed success in a reduced role with Norway’s top pro team Vålerenga alongside Stian Solberg. Hopefully (and this is a big ask) he will be able to replicate his torrential production at this years’ U20 5-Nations in Denmark, but obviously the stakes and level of competition is higher. There, we saw Koch take on a bigger role with Norway than he did last year, becoming a fixture in their top 4 and as a puck distributor on the power play, and I expect that’s where he'll be come boxing day as well.

BASEL, SWITZERLAND - APRIL 21: Norway's Felix Granath #18 loses possession of the puck to Switzerland's Rafael Meier #11 during the Norway vs Switzerland Preliminary Round - Group B action at 2023 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship at St. Jakob Arena on April 21, 2023 in Basel, Switzerland. (Photo by Matt Zambonin/IIHF)

Felix Granath – C

Despite being one of just a handful of newcomers brought into the fold for Norway, Granath felt like somewhat of an obvious choice. Both he and his brother Philip (2002) have a strong international resume, having played a combined 66 games for Norway during their junior eligibility. Felix even donned the “C” at the U18 WJC last year. In addition to being an excellent playmaker appreciated for his leadership, Granath is responsible for bringing down Norway’s average height by an inch or so. The 5’7 center will be playing on familiar turf, as he’s been playing for Gothenburg’s Frölunda HC for the past 3 years. It is difficult to determine exactly where he’ll slot into the line up, but he is a speedy, skilled forward who brings tons of energy whenever he’s on the ice. I’d expect to see him center somewhere in the middle 6 as well as get reps on the 2^nd power play unit.

Sleeper: Ludvig Lafton – D

Lafton is an intriguing option on the back end for Norway. He’s one of the youngest players on the team and profiles as a two-way defenceman. He has great spatial awareness and plays responsibly, timing his pinches well and backing off when it isn’t worth the risk. He’s mobile, flashes some of fine skill here and there, and is a very effective passer. He’s got good size and uses it effectively to close gaps and retrieve pucks. He has been getting some consistent reps with the Frisk Asker senior squad, where he has picked up two helpers in 21 contests. He’s been everything you could ask of a 17-year-old bottom 6 defenceman playing against men. He brings a sense of stability that every team needs. It is his first year at the U20 level at the WJC, so it’ll be interesting to see how he adapts to the pace of play. I expect him to be on the bottom pair, but I have a feeling he could break out and earn a bigger role as the tournament goes on.