Top standouts from Czechia vs. Norway at 2024 World Junior Championship
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.
Here’s a look at the top performers from Wednesday’s contest:
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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