2024 World Junior Summer Showcase: Who stood out on Day 4
PLYMOUTH, Mich. – Just one more day to go.
The 2024 World Junior Summer Showcase resumed with two games at USA Hockey Arena, with Canada beating Finland 8-6, while Sweden held on to beat the United States 7-5.
The first game was a much more lopsided game than the final score would suggest, with Canada looking in full control from the first faceoff. It was 8-2 at one point, but the Swedes kept finding the back of the net on the power play and even scored a buzzer-beater. It was an undisciplined effort from both sides, which resulted in the 14-goal affair.
In the late game, Sweden took a 3-0 lead early after a difficult start for the United States. Austin Burnevik eventually made it 3-1 late in the first to try to change the tide, but the Swedes took advantage of some weak goaltending on the USA’s end to hold on for the victory and evade a late-game push from the Americans.
There are just two games left on the schedule. Finland and Sweden will kick off Saturday’s action at 1:00 PM ET, and Canada and the USA will close things out at 4:00 PM. Here’s a look at Friday’s top performers:
Canada
#16 Andrew Cristall, LW (Washington Capitals): With two goals and four points, Cristall continued his hot play from the past WHL season. The first was a perfectly placed wrister on the power play, and the second was on a 2-on-1 with Vincent Collard – after Cristall made a nice move earlier in the shift to help turn the play away from his own zone. Cristall is one of the most purely talented prospects in the game today, and I think he’ll have a chance to be a big contributor in Ottawa this winter.
#5 Sam Dickinson, D (San Jose Sharks): Dickinson was easily the best defenseman in a group where he might have the best shot at making the main team. He helped start the 4-1 goal from his own zone and landed a couple of big hits, too. Dickinson nearly scored again late in the second with a shot that rang off the post before finally getting one early in the third. It felt like I was watching him during the OHL playoffs again – smart, smooth and effective at both ends.
#20 Beckett Sennecke, RW (Anaheim Ducks): Sennecke was hungry off the hop, showing good speed and landing a couple of big hits in his first two shifts. He then helped set up Tij Iginla’s first goal before his physical play, which led to another one on the next shift. Sennecke then scored the 6-2 goal on the power play to open the third on as good of a shot as you’ll find. Sennecke has not only grown physically over the past year, but he also just thinks the game at a much higher level than he did early on. Today, it felt like he just wanted to knock down anyone who came near him, and he then was good enough to create damage on the scoresheet.
#14 Tij Iginla, LW (Utah HC): With two goals and his tremendous chemistry with Sennecke, Iginla was arguably Canada’s best player in the first half. Iginla is a dynamo with the disk, but it’s his energy away from the puck that I love the most. When you package that altogether, he’s a force who can easily overwhelm opponents, and he did a great job of taking time and space away – and using that to create his own chances, too.
#18 Jett Luchanko, C (Philadelphia Flyers): Luchanko was great in the faceoff dot, battled hard along the boards and made a few good plays that ultimately didn’t go anywhere. Still, I felt like he was one of Canada’s most engaged two-way threats today and was more involved than I remember him at the U-18 World Championship. He’s got a ton of competition to make the main roster but today was a good showing.
Finland
#9 Emil Pieniniemi, D (Pittsburgh Penguins): His shot resulted in a trio of goals today, assisting on the 1-0 goal before scoring the second and third marks for the Finns. It seemed like he made things happen from the point, blasting shots from just about everywhere. I think Pieniniemi has gotten better with every passing game, and, for the most part, has been one of Finland’s better players.
#11 Aatos Koivu, C (Montreal Canadiens): After a couple quieter games earlier in the tournament, this felt like Koivu’s best game. He had some good looks before eventually getting rewarded late in the game after his shot hit off Joona Saarelainen and in. Koivu can be hit or miss internationally but he seemed a lot more engaged today.
#18 Heikki Ruohonen, C (Philadelphia Flyers): Ruohonen only had a secondary assist to his credit, but I thought he had a nice two-way game and was one of Finland’s hardest-working players out there. Ruohonen is smart, has good size and drives play while still being a responsible two-way player. Between this tournament and a great showing at the U-18 World Championship, Ruohonen has put in the work to be a serious threat to make the main team in December.
USA
#19 Joey Willis, LW (Nashville Predators): Willis is still a longshot to make the main team, but he stood out on a day that saw the Americans icing a weaker roster than usual. He scored a nice power-play goal on a good shot and nearly had another on the next shift. He’s speedy and shifty out there, finding ways to slip around opponents and get himself into scoring roles.
#20 Chris Pelosi, C (Boston Bruins): There’s a legitimate chance that if Pelosi can keep things hot during the season, he’s done enough to earn himself a spot on the main roster. Pelosi had a two-point effort against the Finns and followed it up with one of the better two-way efforts on an American team with nothing really going for them. He’s great in the faceoff dot, was hard to steal the puck off of around the net and made some excellent passes in open space. Give him an opening and he’ll take it.
#7 William Whitelaw, RW (Columbus Blue Jackets): One of the final cuts from USA a year ago, Whitelaw has had a good camp for the Americans. Even when the score was lopsided, he kept things interesting by firing as many chances toward the net as he could possibly muster. He scored to make it 6-3 and then found Teddy Stiga for the 6-5 goal in what proved to be a great final few minutes for Whitelaw.
Sweden
#9 Theo Lindstein, D (St. Louis Blues): After missing the start of the tournament waiting for his equipment, you could tell Lindstein had better legs than most others. He was very quick, especially on the backcheck, even when a shift went long. He did an excellent job of breaking up plays in front of the net and sending out some outlet passes. Lindstein was a late addition to the team last year and earned some consideration to become the tournament’s top defenseman – he’s a lock this time around, and should be one of the better blueliners yet again.
#11 Lucas Pettersson, RW (Anaheim Ducks): Pettersson was one of Sweden’s most dangerous players early on and he scored the 3-0 goal to take any momentum away from the Americans. Like Lindstein, he missed the start due to his equipment arriving late but he hasn’t missed a beat thus far. I think he’s a good enough two-way player to secure a spot on the main roster no matter what come December.
#19 Jack Berglund, C (Philadelphia Flyers): I’m a big believer in Berglund, someone I fully expect to be a useful bottom-six NHLer one day. He grinds so hard and never takes a shift off. Today, he centered Sweden’s first line, but he also killed penalties and laid the body when needed, too. I think he’ll make the WJC team as a 2006-born forward because he does enough in the bottom-six to make himself valuable.