WJC 2021: Three mouthwatering matchups to watch in Gold Medal Showdown

2. Cam York Vs. Bowen Byram

We’ve gone with obvious choices here but, let’s face it, you need your biggest stars to turn up in the biggest situations and Team Canada and Team USA will need their two biggest studs on the backend to deliver in the championship game.

The good news is that both Cam York and Bowen Byram has delivered for Team USA and Team Canada respectively, at the 2021 WJC so far, with York second among all defensemen in points with six (1 G, 5 A) in six games.

York has been a juggernaut for Team USA both at 5-on-5 and on the power play, performing a key role in the United States’ absolute dominance on the man advantage where they are 9-for-21 (42.86%), which is good for best in the tournament.

Gold Medal games are normally incredibly competitive and comes down to the fine margins, so Team USA will need York to be on top of his game again, especially on the power play, with Special Teams likely to play a huge role in tonight’s Gold Medal game.

Team USA will also need York to be responsible in his own zone given the plethora of lethal weapons at Canada’s disposal, including the red-hot Dylan Cozens, Quinton Byfield and Peyton Krebs to mention just a few.

Meanwhile, Bowen Byram has just been a beast for Team Canada all tournament long with five points (1 G, 4 A) in six games, while he leads all players in plus / minus with +14.

Byram just does everything well and the Colorado Avalanche prospect really is something special, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him unleashed on the NHL fully in 2020-21.

But, for now, Byram’s focus will be on helping Team Canada win Gold for the second consecutive year and he will be relied upon in all situations, from shutting down the likes of Trevor Zegras to joining the rush and making big plays at both ends of the ice.

1. Peyton Krebs Vs. Matthew Boldy

Now, you may be wondering why we haven’t gone with Trevor Zegras and Dylan Cozens who both lead the entire 2021 WJC with 16 points each.

Good question. But, please hear us out.

It all comes down to this in the Gold Medal game with nothing left to worry about after, so both teams will be devising their best game plans and both teams will be focussed on shutting down their opponent’s best players.

As a result, both Cozens and Zegras will probably have a much tougher job to find open ice in tonight’s championship game, thus leaving the door open for other players to step up and become a hero, as Akil Thomas did for Team Canada last year.

And this is where it gets interesting.

Because, it is fair to state that both teams are absolutely loaded and stacked with both rosters boasting an abundance of riches in all areas of the ice.

Both teams have had valuable contributions from up and down the lineup, and that’s why Peyton Krebs and Matthew Boldy will be huge for Team Canada and Team USA respectively tonight.

Krebs, who was taken with the No. 17 overall pick by the Vegas Golden Knights at the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, has been enjoying a coming-out party at this tournament with eight points (3 G, 5 A) in six games, providing a real added offensive punch for Team Canada.

You can say the same about Minnesota Wild prospect Matthew Boldy, who has emerged as a real rising star for Team USA in Edmonton.

Through six games Boldy has seven points (5 G, 2 A) and he’s been lights out, beating goaltenders with sublime skill and bringing a boatload of creativity to the table for Team USA.

And, on a night where depth and role players could play a starring role in what could be an offensive explosion, players in the ilk of Matthew Boldy and Peyton Krebs could be huge for their teams.

Let the battles commence!