World Juniors Quarterfinals: Losers Wrap-Up
World Juniors Quarterfinals Took Place Saturday, Yielding Interesting Results
World Juniors Quarterfinals kicked off Saturday in Helsinki, Finland. Denmark drew Russia in game one. Slovakia faced off against Sweden. Canada and Finland locked horns. Czech Republic went to battle with the United States.
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The seeding favorites prevailed in each match-up, but fans were treated to exciting, edge of your seat entertainment.
A couple of teams were blown out, while another one went goal-for-goal in a high scoring affair. One unlikely opponent almost made way for the biggest World Juniors Quarterfinals upset in history.
DENMARK
The Danes finished fourth in Group A, drawing Russia in the quarterfinals. What should have been a blowout, was arguably the days most exciting game. Denmark had the Russians on their heels, and held the lead for much of the game. Much praise lands on goaltender Thomas Lillie’s shoulders, who almost single-handedly won the game for Denmark.
Among important subtractions from this year’s roster were Oliver Bjorkstrand (overage) and Nikolaj Ehlers (NHL). Two players that could have changed the Danes fortunes immensely. Standing out in 2016 for Denmark was Anders Krogsgaard, Mathias From, and Alexander True.
SLOVAKIA
Slovaks drew Sweden after finishing fourth in Group B. Looking more like a typical 1/4 matchup, the Swedes dominated Slovakia to a 6-0 shellacking.
A team starved for offensive talent, few players emerged for Slovakia. Matus Sukel lead the way in scoring with four points, while Christian Jaros, Juraj Siska, and Radovan Bondra had decent tournament’s.
An overall disappointing showing for the Slovaks, Kristian Pospisil and Erik Cernak were among the disappointing individual performers.
CANADA
The Canadians are used to a better finish in preliminary rounds, drawing an easier opponent in the quarterfinals. The loss to host nation Finland was hardly surprising after a disappointing overall showing in this year’s tournament.
Top performers on Canada included Mitch Marner, Dylan Strome, Lawson Crouse, and Brayden Point.
Among the disappointments were Brendan Perlini, Jake Virtanen, and Rourke Chartier.
CZECH REPUBLIC
A third place finish in Group B saw the Czech Republic draw the Americans in the quarterfinals. The Czech’s had a somewhat disappointing showing in this year’s tournament, making their 7-0 loss to the United States less than surprising.
Their top performers were Michael Spacek, Jiri Smejkal, and Dominik Masin. David Pastrnak also played well, putting up four points in four games. He was a late loan by NHL’s Boston Bruins, who were hoping the experience would be helpful as a conditioning stint upon return from injury. The experiment worked out for them, although the same cannot be said for the Vancouver Canucks and Jake Virtanen.
Among the biggest disappointment for the Czech Republic was Pavel Zacha. The highly coveted New Jersey Devils prospect severely underwhelmed on the scoresheet. He was expected to be a top producer for the Czech heading into this year’s tournament.
Next: WJC: Canadian Disappointment
The relegation round concluded today (Jan.3) with Switzerland defeating Belarus in a two-game sweep that began on Saturday. Belarus is relegated for next year’s tournament. Semifinals begin on Monday in Helsinki, Finland. The first game of the day is Sweden versus Finland. The second features Russia squaring off against the United States. The winners will play for gold and silver, while the losers battle for bronze.