The first elimination round in the 2020 IIHF World Junior tournament is complete and, for a few more Kings prospects, their tournaments are over.
In wins that were expected, Canada defeated Slovakia by a score of 6-1 to advance. Neither Aidan Dudas nor Akil Thomas registered any points in the game, though both received slightly more ice time than they’ve been averaging as of late.
Sweden beat the Czech Republic in a 5-0 shutout. Samuel Fagemo had five shots on goal and recorded two assists, including the primary assist on the Swedes’ opening goal.
🚨 Nils Höglander PP
1-0 SWE
🎥 @TSN_Sports #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/JIHPCZMvvi— Here’s Your Replay ⬇️ (@HeresYourReplay) January 2, 2020
Tobias Bjornfot had four shots recorded and was a +2 in the win.
Czech goaltender Lukas Parik did not dress for the game after sustaining an injury in his previous match against Canada.
In what was sort of an upset, but also sort of not that surprising, the United States lost 1-0 to Finland. Arthur Kaliyev and Alex Turcotte continued to see minimal ice time throughout the game. Finnish defenseman Kim Nousiainen recorded three shots in the win.
The Semifinal round will be played on Saturday, January 4. Winners will play for the gold medal on Sunday; losers will compete for the bronze. All games will air on the NHL Network.
Saturday, January 4
- Sweden vs. Russia, 6:00 a.m. Pacific
- Canada vs. Finland, 10:00 a.m. Pacific/
Sunday, January 5
- Bronze Medal, 6:00 a.m. Pacific
- Gold Medal, 10:00 a.m. Pacific/