Tony Ferrari gives an in-depth preview at the eight teams who made it to the world juniors quarterfinal and what each team must do to win their games.

Now, the fun begins.

The quarterfinal matchups are set at the world juniors, and the elimination round is poised to begin tomorrow. The 2023 edition of the World Junior Championship has been one to remember thus far, with records being set, upsets and great games.

Let’s take a look at the matchups and break down each team’s path to victory as they look to get through the semifinals and eventually earn a spot in the medal rounds.

Sweden versus Finland

The rivalry rekindles as Sweden and Finland face off in an elimination game that will set one up for an incredibly disappointing tournament and the other with a chance at glory.

The Swedes had been one of the tournament’s stronger teams until their game against the Canadians, the only loss they suffered at the world juniors. They outlasted the Czech squad in a shootout, held on to beat Germany in a dominant performance that was only held close because of an insane goaltending performance from Nikita Quapp, and they blew out Austria in a big way.

The Finns had a bit bumpier road through the round-robin. After an opening-night loss to the Swiss in overtime, they turned their game on, handled a feisty Slovak squad and handled business against Latvia. They lost to the Americans on New Year’s Eve, but it had more to do with losing the goaltending battle after a slow start than being wholly outplayed.

The matchup between the two northern European nations will be a good one. The Swedes have more firepower up front and play a more skilled-based game. They are a precise passing team that can play an uptempo game or slow things down and score an ugly goal if necessary. On the other hand, the Finns, as usual, play a more structured and pro-style game. They forecheck effectively and play hard, grinding their opponents out with efficient cycle play and intelligent 200-foot play.

The Finns will need to play their game and not allow the Swedes to dictate the pace of play. They will need to continue to score by committee as they’ve done, and a big performance by Joakim Kemell or Brad Lambert wouldn’t hurt, either.

The Swedes need to get back to their dominant pace-setting ways. Canada pushed them around and took control of that game in a way no one else has at the world juniors. The Swedes have as much skill and talent as anyone at this tournament, and they’ve proven to be stable on the back end and solid in net. The emergence of Fabian Lysell would go a long way.

Prediction: Sweden 4-2 Finland

Czechia versus Switzerland

The Czech squad has been one of the best surprises of the tournament so far. Many expected them to be a competitive group as they returned more players than anyone else. But winning their group with both Sweden and Canada in the group seemed like a long shot.

Switzerland was sneakily resilient, losing only their game to the Americans. They won two games in the shootout against Slovakia and Latvia and another in overtime against the Finns. They haven’t been dominant in any area of the game, but they’ve been able to gut out wins.

With the Czech squad being the tournament’s top seed and the Swiss winning by the slimmest of margins, this matchup looks a bit lopsided on paper. Czechia plays fast, skilled and precise. They play tactical and high-paced hockey, looking to move the puck up ice and attack. The Swiss have done a good job of playing sound defensive hockey and ensuring they take advantage of their opportunities when they present themselves. The Swiss have relied on their top players heavily offensively.

For the Swiss to advance to the semifinals, they will need to play structured defensive hockey and ensure that they aren’t giving up needless chances. Attilio Biasca and Lorenzo Canonica will need to continue being offensive catalysts. The biggest thing the Swiss will need, though, is a couple of bounces to go their way.

The Czech squad will need to do what they’ve been doing. They upset Canada on opening night with a decisive performance, and they pushed the Swedes to overtime before falling on a bad change. Czechia comes in as the better team at every position, and their depth is impressive. They look poised for a deep run.

Prediction: Czechia 6-2 Switzerland

USA versus Germany

The Americans have been up and down throughout the world juniors, playing an inconsistent offensive game and only putting it all together for their final game against the Finns. Germany played their best game against the Swedes, but it was almost completely due to their netminder, Nikita Quapp, playing out of his mind.

The U.S. squad had been plagued by inconsistent offensive play. They look like a highly skilled team one minute and then seem incapable of connecting on passes the next. They have a few key members of their squad that have high-end skills, but they rely heavily on a workmanlike attitude for many of their offensive chances. The back end is where their offensive skill lives, but they also sometimes lack defensive coverage.

The Germans have been a bit overwhelmed throughout the tournament. The only game where they were a cut above their competition was the Austria game, but it wasn’t overwhelming despite coming against a team with ineptitude offensively. They lack the star power and skill of the last few years with Tim Stutzle, J.J. Peterka and Moritz Seider.

The Americans should win this game. This is the most lopsided matchup on paper, and even with the offensive inconsistencies that the U.S. squad has displayed, they should be able to run through the Germans. They just can’t fall asleep and let the Germans surprise them.

Germany will need Quapp to stand on his head and play the game of his life against the United States. Timely scoring by Julian Lutz, Roman Kechter and Phillip Krenning would also go a long way. It’s going to be an uphill battle, but we’ve seen some upsets at this year’s tournament so never say never.

Prediction: USA 5-1 Germany

Canada versus Slovakia

The final matchup of the quarters is one of the most intriguing. The white-hot Canadians take on the spirited Slovaks, who have been exciting to watch throughout the world juniors. The Canadians were upset once, and the Slovaks won as the underdog once. This could get interesting.

Canada plays a fast and physical game while pumping the opposing goalie with shots. They can also skill it up and outclass their opponent in that regard. They have the top two scorers in the tournament in Connor Bedard and Logan Stankoven, and they have figured out their goaltending situation as Thomas Milic has come in and settled in the crease.

Slovakia has some of the tournament’s most exciting and intriguing young talent, such as Filip Mesar, Alex Ciernik and Dalibor Dvorsky. They can also rely on veterans such as Libor Nemec and Servac Petrovsky. They play a fast, uptempo brand of hockey that excited fans and has helped develop their system into a legitimate NHL track. They can beat anyone in this tournament.

If Canada wants to continue their journey of defending the gold medal, the squad will need to play the way they did against the Swedes. Right from puck drop, they need to assert themselves as a puck-dominant, skilled team that isn’t afraid to win a puck battle and fight their way to the high-danger scoring areas. Bedard has been amazing and set and tied some records already, but they will need scoring from everyone on the roster.

Slovakia has upset teams before, and they know the route to doing so. They need to get under Canada’s defense early and attack the net. They have the scoring talent required to beat a team like Canada, and they have been blessed with outstanding goaltending from Adam Gajan, a 2004-born netminder playing in the USHL. Gajan will need to continue playing at the level he has, and the skilled players such as Simon Nemec, Peter Repcik, Mesar, Dvorsky and the rest of the group will need to play their game and not let Canada take over.

Prediction: Canada 4-3 Slovakia