The stage is set for the 2024 World Junior Championship quarterfinal matches on Tuesday, Jan. 2. Each of these teams has hopes of advancing to the semifinals on Thursday, Jan 4. and will face different odds. While upsets and blowout losses define the preliminary matches of the WJC, the quarterfinals can make or break a country’s tournament.
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With each quarterfinal matchup set, the odds may be tilted heavily in one team’s favor. The matches begin at 5:00 am CST and end around 3:00 pm CST. Hockey fans around the world will gather in anticipation to watch if their country advances or gets eliminated. Here at The Hockey Writers, we’re previewing each quarterfinal matchup ahead of the games.
Slovakia vs. Finland
Slovakia facing Finland will be incredibly interesting. Each team has a unique set of abilities and skills that they need to leverage against their opponent. While one team has faced upsets, the other nearly posted a perfect record in the tournament. The difference between both teams will come down to goaltending. Don’t expect a ton of goals in this game, either. This 5:00 am CST matchup will likely be decided by a single goal.
Finland lost to the likes of Germany and Canada but defeated Sweden in their final preliminary matchup. They rely on winger Kasper Halttunen as their leading scorer, as he’s recorded three goals and assists for six total points. Goaltender Noa Vali has won the crease for Team Finland due to his strong games, where he posted a 1.94 goals-against average (GAA) and a .929 save percentage (SV%). Finland’s leadership from Jere Lassila will also play a crucial deciding factor in their play against Slovakia.
If Finland is looking to advance, they will certainly need to rely on Halttunen and Vali to continue their strong play. Additionally, they will have to focus on playing simple hockey. Slovakia carries a lot of talent and has made teams suffer for trying to play fancier than they need to.
Slovakia dominated Czechia, Switzerland, and Norway before meeting their match against the United States. Forward Servac Petrovsky leads the tournament with nine points and has been Slovakia’s difference-maker early on. Goaltender Adam Gajan has yet to post a loss for Slovakia; he’s posted a 2.0 GAA and a .934 SV% in three appearances. With the likes of Alex Ciernik getting replaced in the tournament, Slovakia now has to fight an uphill battle without one of their top power-play players.
If Slovakia is looking to advance, they need to shake off their 10-2 loss to the United States and play the way they did against Czechia. Finland has a clear advantage when it comes to the two-way aspect of the game, but Slovakia can lock down their defence, which can cause problems for their opponents. A strong performance from Gajan and their top players can be the deciding factor against Finland.
Canada vs. Czechia
The first big matchup in the quest for a medal is Canada facing off against Czechia. Canada is hoping to continue their successes at the WJC with a third consecutive gold medal, while Czechia will look to beat the defending medalists in upset fashion. If one team can mesh together at the right time, they can start running away with the game. There is no clear underdog or favorite in this game, which adds to the level of excitement for the 7:30 am CST matchup.
Czechia posted two wins and losses, a performance that was likely far below expectations from fans and analysts. The team’s leading scorer, Jiri Kulich, has posted five goals and eight points so far. If he can continue to put up strong numbers, Czechia might be in a good spot when it comes to beating Canada. Their goaltending is far more suspect. Michael Hrabal has played in all four games for Czechia and has performed rather poorly. His 3.18 GAA and .888 SV% haven’t impressed anyone, and Canada could take advantage of his weakness at tracking the puck from a distance.
If Czechia wants any shot at advancing to the semifinals, they need to play strong defensively and not give Canada many high-danger scoring chances or power-play opportunities. Hrabal will be relied upon as the experienced goaltender who needs to play better if they want to medal. Kulich will find his scoring talents getting called upon to guide Czechia to a hopeful victory. Canada is one of the heavy favorites in this tournament, and if Czechia can beat them, it may be the confidence booster they need to find their way to the gold medal game.
Canada posted three wins and one loss in the prelims. They met their match against Sweden and haven’t been able to recover since that loss. While Canada beat Germany, there was a moment of doubt when Germany could have taken the defending gold medalists to overtime. Projected first-overall pick Macklin Celebrini has dominated as Canada’s leading scorer with four goals and assists for eight points. While he’s found himself in a sheltered role, he might find himself being deployed more often against Czechia.
Goaltender Mathis Rousseau has stolen the starting goaltender position on Team Canada this year. His 1.75 GAA and .924 SV% across four appearances were the difference maker for Canada in the preliminary competition. Canada will certainly hope for a collective effort from the entire team, but Celebrini and Rousseau will find themselves carrying additional responsibility and pressure to beat Czechia.
Related: 2024 Guide to the World Junior Championship
While Canada will be expected to finish the game victorious, they need to play a stronger defensive game, shoot the puck more, and stop trying to be flashy with the puck. Otherwise, Czechia will capitalize on Canada’s mistakes if they aren’t careful. Production from the top players and minimizing the penalties taken will be the ultimate factor in deciding who advances to the semifinals.
United States vs. Latvia
Latvia has given teams like Germany and Finland trouble. They will hope to replicate these performances, but nothing is guaranteed. Team USA is coming off a 10-2 win over Slovakia, and this game will most likely have a similar score. The Americans are the heavy favorites in this quarterfinal game, but we’ve seen them struggle in a 4-0 victory over Norway. This 10:00 am CST matchup will most likely have the most goals out of any matchup, but if we’ve learned anything at the WJC, anything can happen.
Latvia went scoreless for nearly 10 periods in the 2024 WJC. They found success against Germany, scoring six goals to advance to the quarterfinals. Dans Locmelis leads Latvia with three assists and points. That’s nothing impressive, but that’s what happens when you don’t score until your final preliminary game. For Latvia’s goaltending, Deivs Rolovs has appeared in three games, posting a 4.0 GAA and .881 SV%.
Latvia will need to lock down its defence if they want a fighting chance against the Americans. Rolovs strong play across three games and experience in this year’s tournament will be relied upon to keep the game within reach. As for scoring, the entire Latvian team needs to step up. They played nearly 200 minutes of hockey before scoring their first goal, which means everyone will be expected to give a 100 percent effort.
The United States is the only undefeated team leaving the preliminary round in the 2024 WJC. While they had a close call against Czechia and a game against Norway that should’ve been a layup to them, the Americans have to play Latvia like they’re a challenge. Gavin Brindley leads the teams, scoring with six goals and eight points, while Frank Nazar ties him with eight assists.
Isaac Howard has been a dominant goal scorer alongside Brindley. Howard has seven goals and eight points, which solidifies the USA’s scoring. In net for the Americans will be Trey Augustine, who’s posted a 1.5 GAA and .952 SV% in two appearances. Their backup, Jacob Fowler, has posted a 2.88 GAA and .872 SV% in his two appearances.
The Americans will have a clear advantage over Latvia; they will rely on their top scorers to keep the game out of reach. Additionally, Augustine’s strong performance will come in handy to turn away every opportunity Latvia gets. Unless Latvia can tighten up their game to keep the powerhouse Americans at bay, Team USA will be planning their trip to the semifinals.
Sweden vs. Switzerland
The final matchup is set between the hosting country, Sweden, who will be facing off against Switzerland at 12:30 pm CST. Sweden is the favorite to win this game and advance to the semifinals. They’re coming off a 5-4 overtime loss to Finland after three consecutive shutout wins. The Swedes won’t take this game lightly, either. They’ll swarm the Swiss players and score as much as they can to make a statement to the other teams. Sweden is the heavy favorite to end up in the gold medal game, but the path there isn’t clear.
Switzerland has faced Slovakia, the United States, and Czechia as their tougher opponents but have only collected one win across four games. Gregory Weber leads the Swiss in scoring with one goal and four points. While they haven’t been known for their high power-scoring offence, Switzerland has been able to score goals when needed. They’ve found success from goaltender Alessio Beglieri, who’s posted a 2.36 GAA and .905 SV% in three appearances.
Sweden has strong scoring on their entire roster and can run away with this game on command. Switzerland will need to put in a similar effort to their preliminary matchup against Slovakia if they want to pose a challenge to Sweden. Strong performances from their defence and goaltender Beglieri will be Switzerland’s best chance at moving onto the semifinals.
Sweden had beat Latvia, Germany, and Canada in shutout fashion and only lost their one game in overtime to Finland. Sweden’s top scorers is a four-way tie between Otto Stenberg, Theo Lindstein, Noah Ostlund, and Felix Unger Sorum, who each have six points. The net has been split between Melker Thelin and Hugo Havelid. Both goalies have appeared in two games and have both played incredibly well. Havelid will most likely get the start against Switzerland, as he’s posted two shutouts in his two games. Thelin has posted one shutout across two games; his 2.4 GAA and .886 SV% will be the deciding factor as to giving Havelid the start against the Swiss.
Like the USA/Latvia game, Sweden will have a clear advantage over Switzerland and will rely on their top scorers to keep the game out of reach. There isn’t a clear path for Switzerland to give Sweden a challenge, but their perfect record was broken by Finland and could bring the hosts back down to reality.
With the preliminary games completed, the quarterfinal matchups are set in stone at the 2024 WJC. Teams will look to extend their stay in Gothenburg, Sweden, with a victory over their opponents. Games are set to begin at 5:00 am CST when teams begin their quest for gold.
