In the biggest matchup on the final day of preliminary round play at the 2025 World Junior Championship, Canada and the United States squared off in a game that would determine the number one spot in Group A. The game lived up to expectations, with a physical, fast-paced game taking place. Each team’s netminder was at the top of their game and kept the offenses in check, but the United States’ power play helped lead them to a 4-1 victory.
Game Recap
A back-and-forth start to the first period was met with plenty of physicality and no love lost between the two teams. Neither team had many high-danger chances in the first 10-plus minutes until Cole Hutson (Washington Capitals) made a strong keep-in at the offensive blue line while on the man advantage and made a move to the center of the ice at the top of the circles to rip a wrist shot past Canadian netminder Carter George (Las Angeles Kings) for a 1-0 United States lead. It was Hutson’s seventh point and second goal of the tournament. The chippiness of the game continued, as the first period saw three instances where there were matching penalties called. At the end of 20 minutes, the Americans held a 1-0 lead, albeit outshot 11-5.
Canada kept USA goaltender Trey Augustine busy in the second period, but the Detroit Red Wings prospect stood tall and had a strong period after struggling a bit during his first two starts of the tournament. Augustine made several big saves to keep his team in the lead. The United States had three power play opportunities in the period, failing to cash in on any of them. They had plenty of opportunities, but George continued his strong tournament, making big saves to keep up with his counterpart, Augustine. The two goaltenders battling led to a scoreless middle frame, with Canada holding a 26-18 overall shot lead.
A penalty by the United States at the end of the second put Canada on the power play to begin the third, which they cashed in on with Brayden Yager (Winnipeg Jets) making a strong cross-ice pass to Bradly Nadeau (Carolina Hurricanes) to even things at 1-1 less than two minutes into the period. Untimely penalties by the Canadians ended up being their downfall in the third period though, taking four minors to put the United States on the man advantage. They did kill off two of the four penalties, but the Americans took advantage on the other two, with Danny Nelson (New York Islanders) cashing in on a pass from Hutson from behind the net to make the game 2-1, before Cole Eiserman (New York Islanders ) added one himself to make it 3-1. Ryan Leonard (Washington Capitals) added an empty-net goal to give the Americans a 4-1 win.
Augustine made 38 saves in a massive bounce back for the Americans, and George made 24 on 27 shots he faced.
The United States will take on Switzerland, and Canada will take on Czechia in the quarterfinals on Jan. 2.
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