Following an inspired effort and a shootout win against host nation Canada in its capital last night, Latvia rolled into its second tournament matchup against the United States with loads of confidence. On the other side of the ice, Team USA completed a scoring clinic in its opening win against Germany as it looks for back-to-back IIHF World Junior Championships.
Following a 5-1 win over the feisty Latvian squad, the United States can focus on a tough battle against Finland tomorrow. Meanwhile, Latvia can take a few positives away despite the loss to one of the strongest squads in the competition, including confidence in their goalie.
Hagens Looks Like a High Draft Pick Against Peers
Through two games at the World Juniors, it is clear why James Hagens is viewed as one of the best available undrafted prospects when playing against his peers. The Boston College product leads Team USA with six points in two games after adding two assists in the victory over Latvia. Those two helpers over six minutes helped extend the USA lead to 3-0, forcing Latvia to start to veer away from their defensive-minded game plan in a bid to tie the game.
Related: Standouts From the First Two Days of the 2025 World Juniors
The 18-year-old defenseman has been influential in the team’s 29% power play percentage (2-for-7), which ranks second behind Sweden’s 33% mark (2-for-6). Hagens nearly scored on a one-time blast with the man advantage, but a fantastic glove save by the Latvian goaltender stopped it. Expect the New York-born forward to be essential to Team USA’s repeat gold medal hopes.
WHAT A SAVE 😱
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 28, 2024
Linards Feldbergs makes an incredible stop on James Hagens.#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/2mt2mK68WB
USA Defenseman Cole Huston Is Everywhere
Although he didn’t factor into the scoring on Saturday afternoon, Team USA blueliner Cole Hutson was everywhere on the ice against Latvia. Hutson, a second-round selection by the Washington Capitals in the 2024 Draft, helped to move the offense with slick skating and smooth zone entries, allowing the offensive-minded shooters to go to work.
The United States ranks second in shots on goal with 97 through two games, trailing Canada by one lonely shot through an even number of contests in Ottawa. The defense’s breakout passes and zone entries heavily assist some of those shots, allowing Team USA to create opportunities for offensive chaos.
Latvia Defense Solid Last Two Nights
A solid defensive team getting good goaltending can make some noise in a short-format tournament. Latvia has put Germany and its final opponent, Finland, on notice at the halfway mark of this group stage. If not… they are in for a surprise. Latvia owns a 3.36 goals-against average (GAA) after facing two of the best clubs in the IIHF World Junior Championship, a mark that ranks seventh after two games.
Over the last two nights, Latvia has done a fantastic job shutting down the middle of the ice to force lower-chance scoring opportunities. Team USA was visibly frustrated near the end of the first period due to the stingy defense on the other side of the puck. It wasn’t until the United States established a multi-goal lead that they looked comfortable against Latvia’s defensive pressure.
United States head coach David Carle was ready for Latvia’s middle-clogging game plan. “It’s what we expected,” the U.S. bench boss said postgame. “They defend the inside ice really well and I thought we showed some growth in some of our puck management decisions in trying to get to the inside, and get more pucks there. But a ton of compliments to Latvia and how hard they played.”
Lindards Feldsbergs Could Be a Name to Watch at Draft
After stopping 91-out-of-98 shots against superior competition in the first two games in Ottawa, the 19-year-old Latvian netminder could be a name to keep an eye on at the 2025 NHL Draft as a re-entry selection. Feldsbergs has a favorable 11-4-2 record, a 2.51 GAA, and a .899 save percentage in 21 games for Sherbrooke in the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). The Phoenix are 19-9-1-3 after 32 games this season.
The 6-foot-2 goalie flashed impressive athleticism moving side-to-side in Ottawa that could intrigue a front office to send scouts through the QMJHL for a first-hand view of the lefty. His next opportunity to impress the NHL scouts and front office members in attendance comes on Monday afternoon in an important Group A showdown with Germany.
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