We’ve reached the knockout stage of the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ottawa.
Eight groups nonetheless have an opportunity at ending the match with a gold medal. The opposite two groups will sq. off for the best to stay within the World Juniors subsequent yr.
Right now, we’re going to interrupt down all of Thursday’s video games. The match doesn’t use a bracket format and the winners of the quarterfinal matchups will probably be reseeded for the semifinals.
Right now’s schedule
• Kazakhstan vs. Germany, 11 a.m. ET/8 a.m. PT
• Latvia vs. Sweden, 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT
• Switzerland vs. United States, 2:30 p.m. ET/11:30 a.m. PT
• Slovakia vs. Finland 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT
• Canada vs. Czechia, 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT
(3A) Canada vs. Czechia (2B)
It’s a rematch of the 2023 World Juniors gold-medal sport which noticed Canada edge Czechia with an extra time winner from Dylan Guenther in Halifax. Two years later, they meet within the quarters.
Canada’s performances at these World Juniors have drawn probably the most consideration, and criticism, from followers and pundits. After a tournament-opening win towards Finland, Canada was upset by Latvia after which dropped a New Year’s Eve clash towards the US. In that sport, the Canadians allowed three power-play targets after being penalized 11 occasions. Canadian head coach Dave Cameron stated solely his gamers may rectify that drawback and it’s not one thing he may “tackle.”
“They know that penalties are penalties,” Cameron stated. “You discuss all you need within the quick time period. They should determine. Easy as that.”
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Canada enters the quarterfinals with 10 targets scored over 4 video games. That ties them with Finland and Switzerland. Solely Latvia, Germany and Kazakhstan have scored fewer targets.
If Canada takes delight in being tight defensively, Czechia ought to show to be a big check.
In the meantime, Czechia entered the ultimate day of preliminary play stage with Sweden at 9 factors. Each groups had been undefeated coming into their preliminary-round showdown. Regardless of dropping that sport towards Sweden, Czechia has scored probably the most targets of any staff at this yr’s World Juniors. Three Czechs maintain a share of third place in scoring: forwards Vojtech Hradec, Jakub Stancl and Eduard Sale, every with seven factors.
These three are additionally tied for the goal-scoring lead (4) with Sweden’s Axel Sandin-Pelikka and Slovakia’s Dalibor Dvorsky. The Czechs are coming off a silver medal in 2023 and a bronze medal in 2022. A gold medal could be their first since 2001 after they defeated Finland.
USA’s Cole Eiserman, Zeev Buium and Ryan Leonard have fun in win over Canada. (Sean Kilpatrick / The Canadian Press by way of AP)
(4B) Switzerland vs. United States (1A)
USA is hellbent on defending gold.
Trey Augustine is coming off his finest sport but, backstopping USA to a 4-1 takedown of the Canadians with 38 saves on New 12 months’s Eve. The highest line of Gabe Perreault, James Hagen and Ryan Leonard obtained rolling in a 10-4 win over Germany and has continued to look stellar, as has match factors chief Cole Hutson and Cole Eiserman. The U.S. convincingly powered by means of Germany, Latvia and Canada with a proficient roster from high to backside, and with an extra time drop to Finland the one blip.
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Switzerland doesn’t have wherever close to the offensive star energy. After dropping the opening sport to Czechia, it managed to keep away from the relegation sport with a 3-1 win over Kazakhstan. The Swiss misplaced a detailed one to Slovakia 2-1 and scored 4 power-play targets in a 7-5 loss to Sweden.
(3B) Slovakia vs. Finland (2A)
This one might be nearer. The Finns have sturdy goaltending in Petteri Rimpinen, who has posted a .947 save proportion and 1.75 goals-against common, second solely to Canada’s Carter George. They had been blanked 4-0 by Canada to open the match, their solely regulation loss, however later edged USA in extra time, handing the People their lone loss. Finland completed second in Group A.
Slovakia completed third in Group B, led by Dalibor Dvorsky (tied for the match lead with 4 targets), Juraj Pekarcik and Maxim Strbak, and performed properly towards their stronger opponents in losses to Sweden and Czechia.
(4A) Latvia vs. Sweden (1B)
Sweden whizzed previous the preliminary spherical, sweeping Group B and coming into the quarterfinals as the one undefeated staff. Captain Axel Sandin Pellikka and Tom Willander lead a strong Swedish again finish, with offensive weapons Anton Wahlberg and Otto Stenberg up entrance, amongst others. Sandin Pellikka, named the highest defenseman on the 2024 World Juniors, leads the match with eight factors. The Swedish energy play is a tournament-leading 7-for-20.
Sweden fell 6-2 to USA final yr on residence ice in Gothenburg, successful silver.
“I believe it is a little receipt of the work we’ve put in, and respect for our staff successful all 4 video games right here,” Sandin Pellikka stated of Sweden sweeping group play. “And we wish to proceed on this practice that has began to roll and searching ahead for the playoffs.”
However … are you able to actually depend Latvia out fully? Linards Feldbergs backstopped the staff to a surprising upset over Canada with an MVP-worthy 55-save efficiency and leads the match with 163 saves. Washington Capitals prospect Eriks Mateiko has come up huge with three targets. The staff pulled off a gutsy extra time win over Germany to keep away from the relegation sport. They’ve emerged as a fan favourite and one of many tales of the match.
“We knew that we are able to do good issues, huge issues. And we knew like as a staff that we are able to try this,” Feldbergs stated. “So, yeah, proper now we simply have to focus on that.”
Relegation sport: Germany (5A) vs. Kazakhstan (5B)
The winner will stay in subsequent yr’s World Juniors whereas the dropping staff will probably be relegated to the IIHF World U20 Championship Division I. Kazakhstan received it final yr to be promoted. The loser will probably be changed by this yr’s Division I winner, Denmark.
Kazakhstan has had some shut calls on the match regardless of not successful a sport. After blowout losses to Sweden and Czechia, Kazakhstan rallied from two targets right down to pressure extra time towards Slovakia of their third sport. An extra time loss denied them from creating one of many greatest shocks of the match thus far. They had been nonetheless alive for the quarterfinals till they misplaced to Switzerland of their last preliminary sport.
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The Germans had been off to a sluggish begin after dropping to the US 10-4 of their first sport. Their subsequent two video games noticed them restrict their deficits, dropping 3-1 to Finland and 3-0 to Canada. They picked up their first level of the match after they went to extra time towards Latvia. However an extra time objective from Latvian hero Mateiko sank them into the relegation sport. Germany hasn’t been in Division I since 2019 after they received to realize promotion.
(Picture of Canada’s Cole Beaudoin, Luca Pinelli and Carter George: Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Photographs)
