World Juniors: It'll Be a Sweden-Canada Title Clash

Published on 4-Jan-2018 by J Square Humboldt

NHL    NHL Daily Update

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World Juniors: It'll Be a Sweden-Canada Title Clash

This is one of those occasions where performance in pool play did indeed foresee which teams were projected to win a gold medal at this year's World Junior Hockey Championship.

Canada topped Pool A, despite suffering a setback to the USA in the WJC's first-ever outdoor game.

Sweden continued its amazing streak of 44 consecutive WJC pool play victories to claim Pool B.

Taken separately, that's correct on both counts.

But we all know there can be only one No 1, and that matter will be sorted on Fri 5 Jan.

Sweden got there by running up a 4-0 lead on the USA before fending off a late challenge to register a 4-2 victory:

This officially put an end to the USA's reign as defending WJC champion.

The speed differential between the two teams was impressive. Here are two of the most striking examples:

  • Early in the game, the Americans had a 2-on-1 break from center ice that, in a seeming instant, became a 2-on-3 to diffuse the advantage; and
  • Two shorthanded goals on the same USA power play speak for themselves.

That factor alone disrupted a significant share of American offensive opportunities.

Canada left even less doubt that they were headed to a gold medal clash by obliterating the Czech Republic, 7-2:

It's not often that a game's first goal is actually the lovely parting gift, but it clearly was the case here.

Perhaps the Great White North needed something compelling for them to shift gears into dominance mode. Whether or not this was the case, that was the result.

The only Czech who wasn't shut down was Filip Zadina, who scored both of their goals.

With Drake Batherson's hatter in this game, these two share the lead for most snipes in the tournament with seven.

Incidentally, Martin Nečas, who got the assist on Zadina's opening goal, is the WJC 2018 points leader with ten. The emergence of those two are another indication the Czechs talent pool is replenishing from its international glory days, but they've still got depth issues.

Most likely, but Canada and Sweden never left.

And they'll be back on Friday to settle who's No 1 right now.