After coming off a close victory against Slovakia in their first game, Team Czechia will face their toughest opponent of the tournament thus far. Today’s matchup includes Czechia going up against the powerhouse that is Finland. This is Finland’s second game of the tournament at the 2022 World Junior Championship since being postponed from December. While it certainly seems like a battle Finland should win, there is some hope that Team Czechia has of causing a major upset.
2022 World Junior Predictions
Finland vs. Czechia
The first game on today’s schedule includes a perennial contender for gold and a team that can be seen as a “favourite to upset” every tournament. It’s a clearly Finland-favoured game. However, if Czechia comes out with their “A” game, things could get interesting. Team Finland is chalked full of talent and it’s going to be a difficult game for the Czechia team.
Team Finland
Finland is returning after netting a bronze medal in the 2021 World Juniors. Team Finland returns with a good quality roster to try and net another gold medal. Finland came out strong with a 6-1 win against Latvia in the first game of the tournament, displaying for everyone the skill of this roster. The team nearly doubled up Latvia in shots on goal with 39-20. This is a good team that should not be counted out of any game they play.
FINAL | Finland 🇫🇮 6, Latvia 🇱🇻 1
📊 https://t.co/ks3t53Nigc#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/bEm9QwDYlQ
— #WorldJuniors (@WorldJuniors) August 10, 2022
Players to Watch
One big name from Finland to watch is defenceman Topi Niemela. Last year Niemela finished the World Junior Championship with two goals and six assists. This was good enough to lead all defencemen in points in 2021 at the tournament and helped him win the honour of best defenceman. Finland will be looking to him a lot if they are to succeed in this tournament.
Another player to watch is Joakim Kemell. Kemell was just taken 17th overall by the Nashville Predators in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. He just posted two goals and two assists against Latvia and is one of the big guns for Finland in generating offence.
Finally, Roni Hirvonen is a great, dynamic player for Finland. Also returning from the 2021 roster, Hirvonen was able to post a goal and an assist against Team Latvia and will be important in generating offence for the Finnish team moving forward.
Team Czechia
Czechia is in an interesting position in this tournament. They’re not a favourite to win the 2022 World Junior Championship, but they should never be counted out in any individual game. The team hasn’t medaled since 2005, but they had a strong showing in 2018 when they placed 4th. It will be tough, but if Czechia is able to dictate the pace of the game, they could cause an upset.
Players to Watch
Jan Mysak is a big name for Czechia. Drafted in the second round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft to the Montreal Canadiens, Mysak just finished 34 goals and 64 points in 61 games in the OHL. The Hamilton Bulldogs just went on a deep run to the Memorial Cup Finals before losing in the trophy-deciding game. Potting a goal and an assist against Team Slovakia, he’s already starting to prove his value.
Another interesting name on Czechia is Jiri Kulich, taken in 2022 28th overall by the Buffalo Sabres. Kulich returns from last year’s tournament where he posted a goal and an assist in five games. He’ll be looking to step in with a larger role this season. He posted a lone assist against Team Slovakia. If Czechia is to beat Finland, he will need to be a big part of generating offence.
Prediction
While Finland certainly has the edge, it’s no blowout like we’ve seen from other 2022 World Junior Championship games. However, it’s still an uphill battle for Team Czechia. Things need to go right for Czechia and they need to come out quick and dictate the pace of play if they are to have a chance of winning.
Prediction: Finland defeats Czechia 4-2
