The first three days of the 2024 World Juniors have gone almost as expected. The powerhouses have dominated their games against out-matched opponents. The rivalry games delivered. Then, on top of it all, there was one major upset (hello, Germany!). With that, let’s get into our day four 2024 World Juniors predictions!
2024 World Juniors Predictions: Day Three
USA Vs. Czechia
Team USA
Thus far, Team USA has cruised to a two-win start, sitting atop Group B. They have out-scored their opponents 15-4 thus far. There is a caveat to that however; they’ve beaten Norway (4-1) and Switzerland (11-3). Simply put, they haven’t been tested yet. Team USA was led by Jimmy Snuggerud in their last game against Switzerland, as he scored three goals and added an assist, for a four-point night. Frank Nazar also added four assists of his own, tying Snuggerud for the lead in points in that game. Gavin Brindley also had a three-point night, with two goals of his own. Meanwhile, against Norway, it was Brindley who stood out with two goals.
Player To Watch
The player to watch has to be Brindley. Not only has he scored four goals through two games, which is tied with Snuggerud for the tournament lead, but he has been the driver of the team in some ways when on the ice. He’s known well by the Last Word scouting staff for his transitional prowess, and that has been on display all tournament so far. If he continues to drive pucks up ice and away from their own end, he will continue to be a very important puzzle piece towards completing their potential gold medal run.
Team Czechia
While the USA has cruised to a fast start, Czechia started off on the wrong foot. They opened the tournament with a rough 6-2 loss against their heated rivals, Slovakia. Their goaltender, Michael Hrabal, made just 28 saves on 34 shots, having a very rough outing. The goals they did score, meanwhile, were scored by Matyas Sapovaliv and Dominik Rymon. Their stars, Eduard Sale and Jiri Kulich, each had an assist. But then they bounced back in a big way, with an 8-1 win over Norway. Hrabal made 21 stops on 22 shots, holding up his end of the job much better this time around. Meanwhile, Kulich added a hat-trick and an assist, showing why he is considered one of the top stars for his nation. But he wasn’t the only star shining bright, as Sale also scored a hat-trick of his own!
Player To Watch
Sure, either one of Sale and Kulich would be an easy player to call on to watch closely in this contest. Of course, they are out-matched in terms of star power, so the top players for Czechia need to be their best. Hrabal would also be another name to call on, as he too needs to be at his best to have a chance against a star-studded American squad. But instead, let’s watch Adam Bares. Braes has just one assist thus far, but he’s been a driver of offence for team Czechia. As everyone knows, Sale and Kulich cannot play the full game. They have to come off for a line change at some point. That means depth players must step up. Bares has been sneaky good, and it is only a matter of time before he puts his stamp on this Czechia run. Outside of the obvious, keep a real close eye on the young man playing his club games at the Liiga level.
Prediction: Team USA wins 6-3
Canada vs. Sweden
Team Canada
Canada is coming into this game with a 5-2 win over Finland and a 10-0 blowout over Latvia. In that first game against Finland, they out-shot the Finns 31-26, despite taking far more penalties throughout the match. Goaltender Mathis Rousseau was up to the task, with 24 saves. Meanwhile, the scoring came from everywhere. Goals belonged to Mavric Lamoureux, Matthew Poitras, Nate Danielson, Owan Allard, and Macklin Celebrini. In the second game, it was more of the same. There were eight different goal scorers, with two players getting two goals each: Carson Rehkopf and Connor Geekie. It was, however, Celebrini who led the way with five points (one goal, four assists).
Player To Watch
Celebrini is an easy answer here, so we will go elsewhere for the player to watch. There’s little doubt that Celebrini has been one of the best players in the tournament, let alone Canada, so definitely keep an eye on him. But one player who hasn’t gotten the same love is Denton Mateychuk. He has three assists thus far, but it’s the smaller details where he has excelled. Mateychuk has managed to work plays into the slot with regularity, able to push the envelope offensively. But on top of that, he has also held up really well in his own end. Mateychuk had the second-most ice time in the first game, then the most in the second game, for his nation. That said, he is integral to the success of the team, and against a good Swedish squad, he needs to keep playing at the level he has been.
Team Sweden
Sweden has blanked their two opponents so far in this tournament. They opened with a 6-0 win over Latvia, with Hugo Havelid getting the 20-save shutout. Jonathan Lekkerimaki and Filip Bystedt each scored two goals for the team. In their second game, they shutout Germany, winning 5-0. They gave up just 15 shots, and Melker Thelin was in net to stop every single one of them. Otto Stenberg led the way this time, scoring a hat-trick. Meanwhile, Noah Ostlund and Mattias Havelid had the other two goals. Overall, their goalies have been up to the task thus far against weaker competition. Their defence has been stout, as is showcased by back-to-back shutouts. When it comes to offence, everyone can chip in. They have stars, but not one single player has too much weight on their shoulders. This all-around, complete game they have played is exactly what they need to bring against the favourites of this tournament.
Player To Watch
There are two players to watch for Sweden in their bout against Canada. One, the goaltender. Whoever they call on, whether it be Havelid or Thelin, will be tasked with shutting down a stacked Canadian roster. The second player to watch will be their current time on ice leader, Elias Pettersson (no, not that one). The Vancouver Canucks prospect has been given the biggest role amongst the blueliners, but this will be the biggest test. Of course, there are other defenders who are in the same boat, but Pettersson has been playing over 20 minutes a night thus far, and may see another large role once again. That said, he’ll likely see the toughest match-ups, making him a focal point on the back-end.
Prediction: Canada wins 4-3
Main Photo: H. Darr Beiser / USA TODAY NETWORK
