Top players from Day 2 of the 2024 World Junior Championship
Canada has improved to 2-0 at the world juniors after beating Latvia 10-0 to close out the second day of play in Sweden.
Top 2024 NHL Draft prospect Macklin Celebrini stole the show with a goal and three assists, giving him the Canadian scoring lead. Conor Geekie, Brayden Yager and Carson Rehkopf all benefited from Celebrini, while Owen Allard tipped in a shot from Matthew Wood to score his second of the tournament. Geekie and Rehkopf both scored second goals, while Wood, Matthew Poitras and Fraser Minten both added markers of their own.
Canadian goaltender Mathis Rousseau recorded a 22-save shutout, marking his second tournament win.
Canada will get Thursday off to get some rest before a big game against Sweden on Friday at 1:30 PM ET in a game that could decide who wins the Group A title. Latvia will also get tomorrow off before looking to bounce back against Finland at 8:30 AM ET.
Canada
#17 Macklin Celebrini, C (2024 NHL Draft): A two-assist first period? Another helper early in the second? How about a fourth assist and a goal to make it five points? Just another day for Canada’s next young star. He’s so dynamic, using his skating to blow past defenders on both chances to create goals for Geekie and Yager. Even when he makes a mistake and gets to the wrong player, like in Yager’s case, he finds to make it look good.
#28 Conor Geekie, C (Arizona Coyotes): Geekie scored the first and the eighth goals for Canada while brining his usual physicality and speed. These are the type of dominating performances to expect from Geekie at this tournament. Simple. As. That.
#20 Carson Rehkopf, LW (Seattle Kraken): After starting the tournament as the 13th forward, Rehkopf was promoted to the fourth line today and thrived. The OHL star scored a beautiful goal after making a quick move on a Latvian defender before tucking it in past the right leg of Latvian keeper Linards Feldbergs, and then scored the ninth goal for good measure.
#22 Jordan Dumais, RW (Columbus Blue Jackets): He’s looking a little snakebitten right now, but Dumais had a great showing today. The 5-foot-9 winger had three shots in the first period, but played a lot more physically in the second period, displaying a bit more spice to his game. Despite struggling to produce, he looked really good for Canada.
#21 Owen Allard, LW (Undrafted): Yet another great game from the only undrafted skater on Canada. He blocked shots, killed penalties but then also scored on the power play after tipping in Matthew Wood’s shot. Allard has consistently been one of Canada’s best players since coming together for camp in Oakville earlier this month, and it feels like a no-brainer that he’ll get drafted next June.
#18 Matthew Wood, LW (Nashville Predators): Wood was the 13th forward today, allowing him to be used more on the second power play while also focusing more on a shooting role given his average skating on big ice. It paid off, with his shot getting tipped off Allard early in the third to make it a 3-0 contest. He then scored on his fifth shot of the game, making it 7-0. Wood is more of a specialist at a tournament like this, but he fits it well.
#23 Ty Nelson, D (Seattle Kraken): Nelson’s jetlag is completely gone, and now the latest addition to the roster looks like himself again. He landed a big hip check that ended up getting reviewed for kneeing (and was reversed) and then helped start scoring chances from the point. Nelson is a stout offensive defenseman that, had it not been for Tanner Molendyk’s strong last game in camp, would have likely made the team initially. Nelson’s two assists today had to feel vindicating.
Latvia
#22 Sandis Vilmanis, RW (Florida Panthers): Vilmanis was one of the few Latvians that seemed to be actively trying to score today. He had four shots, landed some hits and was busy in his own zone. He did just about everything possible for a player on a team getting shelled to stand out.
Germany shocks Finland in first upset of WJC
Germany entered Wednesday’s contest having lost all 25 previous meetings with Finland.
Today, they’re now 1-25 after beating Finland 4-3 in the wildest game of the 2024 World Junior Championship so far.
The Finns are now 0-2 this year, putting them in a difficult position heading into their game against Latvia on Friday. Suddenly, that game could be important in seeing who’ll have to play in the relegation round. And while the win doesn’t guarantee anything for the Germans, who many expected to finish last in Group A, it does give them some extra breathing room, with the expectation that they might just need one more point to stay alive.
The game was a true back-and-forth affair, with Veit Oswald scoring at 5:58. Three minutes later, Tommi Mannisto scored on a breakaway to make it 1-0, giving the Finns some life after getting outshot 13-6 in the first. The second period started as wild as it gets. Kasper Halttunen scored at 21:27 to give the Finns their first lead, but Germany’s Niklas Hubner and Finland’s Samu Bau both scored to make it three goals in 98 seconds.
The Germans then fought back, with Roman Kechter scoring to make it 3-3 at 33:07. A minute and a half later, Oswald’s second proved to be the game-winner, with the Germans doing enough to hang on for the 4-3 victory.
In more unfortunate news, Germany’s projected No. 1 goaltender, Simon Wolf, returned back to Germany due to health reasons. That means Nico Pertuch would take his spot, with Philipp Dietl taking over as the starter.
Finland:
#34 Tommi Mannisto, LW (Undrafted): Mannisto is one of the best skaters in the tournament, and the first Finnish goal was a perfect example of that. He forced a turnover and created a breakaway chance, scoring on his team’s second shot of the game. The way he used his speed to break past the defenders in front was impressive, helping to give the Finns some life after a brutal start. He kicked off the tournament as the 13th forward but saw his opportunities grow on the fourth line, a solid energy trio with Samu Bau and Emil Hemming.
#21 Samu Bau, C (Arizona Coyotes): Bau was beaten on Germany’s first goal, but the 6-foot-5 center made his presence known the rest of the way. He nabbed two assists, adding on to what’s been a solid U-20 team year for him. While his game isn’t built on offense, few players in this tournament can be as difficult to steal the puck from. Special shoutout to Emil Hemming, who has looked good in both games.
#22 Kasper Halttunen, RW (San Jose Sharks): Halttunen has one of the best shots in the tournament, and it led to Finland’s 2-1 goal after he whistled it past goaltender Philipp Dietl’s head and in. He had five shots in the first two periods alone and had a good chance on a breakaway with eight minutes to go, but only had the goal to show for. It feels like it’s just a matter of time until he gets one on the power play.
Germany
#13 Veit Oswald, LW (Undrafted): It’s easy to place him here just because he scored, but Oswald does a lot of good things around the net. His relentless effort to keep his eyes on the puck led to Germany’s go-ahead goal in the first period. He then nearly scored 30 seconds into the second on a great chance that Kokko somehow kept up. Oswald would score a second goal later in the frame to make it a 4-3 game, giving the momentum back to the Germans after struggling to get chances on net. With Germany having very few offensive weapons to draw from, the WJC returnee is key to keeping Germany in the top division.
#27 Niklas Hubner, D (Undrafted): With no goals of any kind since 2022, it didn’t seem likely that Hubner would be one of Germany’s goal-scorers here. But I thought he looked good on his goal, pinching in on a rush he started himself from around the German net. He’s difficult to push around, and his game is built more about staying at home, but that had to feel good in the push to win this game.
#14 Kevin Bicker, LW (Detroit Red Wings): Bicker had an assist today, setting up Hubner’s goal that made it 3-2. He was good on the rush today, setting up teammates for scoring chances throughout the first 40 minutes in particular. I’d like to see Bicker take a bigger leap with this German team, but I thought he did a good job defensively.
#24 Roman Kechter, C (Undrafted): Kechter is one of Germany’s hardest-working players. He looks for chances in front to net, but then he’ll battle back to break up a chance at the other end. His goal today was exactly what we’ve come to see from him this season, poking in a rebound from Moritz Elias at 33:07 to make it a 3-3 game. Kechter just didn’t give up at any point today, so it was nice to see him rewarded.
#29 Philipp Dietl, G (Undrafted): Dietl entered the tournament as the projected backup, but was suddenly thrust into the starter’s gig. He had a great start, but it was his third-period effort where he made 16 saves that helped secure the win. No pressure to Dietl, but he’ll need another performance like that to keep Germany in this tournament, but that was one heck of a start.
Slovakia shuts out Switzerland as Gajan shines
Slovakia has improved to 2-0 at the World Junior Championship after beating Switzerland 3-0 on Wednesday afternoon in Sweden to kick off Group B play on Day 2.
The Slovaks have cemented themselves well now in the standings as the first team to post a perfect record, and with just two more preliminary round games to go. Switzerland will look to bounce back with a meeting against the United States at 11:00 AM ET on Thursday, with the Americans looking to build upon their 4-1 win over Norway on Tuesday.
The rested Swiss were the much better team in this game, but they ran into something the big dogs from 2023 found last year: a red-hot goaltender in Adam Gajan. He stopped all 36 shots sent his way, including some high-quality chances in the second half as the Swiss tried to wear down a tired Slovak team. But a goal from Samuel Honzek in the first period proved to be all Slovakia needed, closing out the game with the victory.
Here’s a look at the top performers from Wednesday’s contest:
Slovakia
#30 Adam Gajan, G (Chicago Blackhawks): After a great display against the Czechs, Gajan upped the ante with one of his more laser-focused efforts from the past two years. He was busy with 25 shots over the first 40 minutes as the rested Swiss team tried to lay on the pressure, but Gajan was up for the task. His glove save on Gregory Weber less than five minutes into the third period was a game-saver, for sure.
#27 Samuel Honzek, LW (Calgary Flames): Honzek looks like a man on a mission on Slovakia’s third line. After scoring his first tournament goal against the Czechs on Tuesday, he scored the lone goal of the first period today and then drew a penalty shot after getting hooked on a shorthanded breakaway. Honzek landed hits, generated scoring chances and was generally dangerous most times he hit the ice. It’s what you expect from one of Slovakia’s most NHL-ready-looking prospects.
#21 Peter Repcik, C (Undrafted): Repcik did most of the work on the 1-0 goal, fighting past three Swiss players before banking the shot off Beglieri and onto Honzek’s stick for the goal. He rushed the puck up the ice today with purpose, helped out defensively and brought speed to Slovakia’s third line. The empty netter at the end was a nice touch. Scouts are watching.
Swtizerland
#29 Alessio Beglieri, G (Undrafted): While Beglieri wasn’t as busy as Gajan, he still made some key stops. Honzek’s goal was a bad bounce that originated from a tough angle, but Beglieri looked quicker in the crease than I remember him from his Mississauga Steelheads days.
#5 Leo Braillard, LW (Undrafted): I loved how engaged physically Braillard was. He’s never afraid to mix it up, creating havoc around the offensive zone. He also had three shots in the first 40 minutes while being the play driver on Switzerland’s young, but feisty third line. He’s always had a bit of an edge, but it’s good to see that he was engaged in all facets of the game while also displaying some nice moves with the puck – giving him a bit more to offer when the goals aren’t going in.
#22 Gregory Weber, RW (Undrafted): I liked Weber’s presence around the Slovak net. While he didn’t produce anything on the scoresheet, he had some good looks, but just nothing seemed to work out. At least the effort was there.
Czechia walks all over Norway in 8-1 blowout
The result might not reflect it, but the battle between Czechia and Norway was quite close at one point.
In the end, Czechia managed to beat Norway 8-1, with NHL-drafted prospects Jiri Kulich and Eduard Sale each registering three goals.
It was close early on, with Norway making it 2-1 after 1:15 in the second period as the shots sat at 13-12 for the recently promoted team. But two goals 32 minutes in made it 4-1, with Sale then capping things off with the 5-1 goal at 38:46. Kulich would snag his third point of the game on the play that resulted in Matyas Sapovaliv’s power-play goal at 48:49 to cap off the contest.
The win improved Czechia to 1-1 after their 6-2 loss to Slovakia, and will look to beat the United States when they return to the ice on Dec. 29. Norway will get a break before taking on the undefeated Slovaks at 6:00 AM ET on Friday.
Czechia
#25, Jiri Kulich, RW (Buffalo Sabres): Like the last two years, it was the Jiri Kulich show for Czechia. He scored twice on six shot attempts in the first period alone, and added a third goal and an assist. In both cases, they were perfectly placed shots, something we’ve become accustomed to while watching his game. After a quiet first game against Slovakia, Kulich came alive today.
#28 Eduard Sale, LW (Seattle Kraken): Sale was pushed down to the second line after a rough showing against Slovakia. Today, he worked as hard as anyone, and it paid off after he chased down a Norweigan defender, stole the puck and scored on a spin-o-rama. He then scored his second in a row to make it 5-1 just before the end of the second, and finished off the hat-trick on the power play with seven minutes to go. For a player that can be hit or miss, that was a big moment for the Barrie Colts star.
#14 Adam Zidlicky, RW (Undrafted): It isn’t easy to jump into a lineup after being out for a while, but Zidlicky had as good of a game as you can ask for a fourth-liner joining as an injury replacement. He brought energy, speed, aggressiveness and a nonstop motor that allowed him to chase Norweigan players down and force them into mistakes. A good first game for the son of former NHLer Marek Zidlicky.
#30 Michael Hrabal, G (Arizona Coyotes): After a rough opening game, the Czechs decided to go back to Hrabal to get his back into things. He bounced back with a good effort against Norway, keeping things close when they were pushing hard on the Czechs. It had to be good for Hrabal’s confidence, who has had his fair share of difficult performances internationally the past few years.
Norway
#13 Petter Vesterheim, C (Undrafted): It’s not every day your best forward is also its most valuable penalty killer. But after scoring a shorthanded goal against the United States yesterday, he blocked shots and even created his own breakaway chance today – although he did get a penalty on his way out his own zone. Still, Vesterheim has established himself as one of the top overage NHL Draft prospects in this tournament with the way he uses his frame and speed to win battles.
#28 Michael Brandsegg-Nygaard, RW (2024 NHL Draft): A projected first-round pick, Brandsegg-Nygaard made sure his physical presence was felt today. Norway couldn’t do much with the puck in the second half as things went sideways, but Brandsegg-Nygaard’s energy never died down. With some NHL scouts keeping a close eye, one messaged me saying, “He’s a workhorse. He’s doing everything.”
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