Tony Ferrari gives the world juniors quarterfinal preview of Czechia versus Canada, USA versus Switzerland, Sweden versus Latvia and Finland versus Slovakia. Danny Nelson [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjExODAwODcyMzU3NzM0Mzc2/dannynelson-ak.jpg] Danny Nelson The final day of the round-robin is now complete at the world juniors, which locks in the standings and sets up the quarterfinals. Team USA outlasted Canada to win 4-1 and take Group A. As has been the theme for Canada at the world juniors in recent years, they couldn’t stay disciplined and out of the penalty box, which led to a loss despite largely outplaying the Americans. Three power-play goals on seven opportunities were too much to overcome for the Canadians against a strong U.S. roster. Canada took 22 minutes of penalties, which is utterly unacceptable. Sweden stayed undefeated against Czechia to take Group B. Herman Traff scored two quick goals to start the second period, and Sweden added two more in the final two minutes of the period to go up 4-1. Czechia added one in the third, but the Swedes handled Czechia relatively easily to set up a matchup with the Latvians in the quarters. Finland defeated Latvia with full control. Once again, goaltender Linards Feldbergs provided a solid performance. However, Latvia will finish fourth in Group A, while the Finns sit second. Switzerland defeated Kazakhstan in the day’s first game, deciding who would advance to the quarterfinals and who would advance to the relegation round. Germany and Kazakhstan finished at the bottom of their respective groups, and they will play in the relegation round. Here are the quarterfinal matchups. USA VS. SWITZERLAND Jan. 2, 2:30 p.m. ET The American team is so talented across the board that they can win games in various ways, whether they attack with offense the way they handled Germany or allow their goaltending to steal a game like they did against Canada. The Boston College line of James Hagens, Gabe Perreault and Ryan Leonard have been unreal. Cole Hutson looks creative and cerebral at all times. Goalie Trey Augustine, while shaky early in the tournament, has gotten better and better. Once again, the Americans are a legitimate gold medal threat. The Swiss didn’t bring their strongest group of players to the world juniors, but they managed to stay out of the relegation round with their win over Kazakhstan. Ludvig Johnson has been solid on the back end for them. Leo Braillard and Simon Meier have come up clutch for the Swiss squad when they’ve needed it. Switzerland doesn’t have much of a shot against the USA when you look at the rosters on paper, but don’t count the Swiss out. The USA should be able to take care of business against one of the less talented Swiss squads in recent years, but they have to stick to their game. FINLAND VS. SLOVAKIA Jan. 2, 5 p.m. ET Finland had a bit of a typical tournament. They may not have won out, but they were in every game, and the one loss they had was against the Canadians in their first game, a tight affair overall. Petteri Rimpinen has been stellar in net for the Finns while they’ve gotten scoring by committee, with Jesse Kiiskinen, Konsta Helenius and Emil Pieniniemi leading the charge. The strength of the Finns, as always, has been their commitment to the defensive side of the puck and their overall structure. This Slovak squad isn’t quite at the level of the last few years, but they have found a way to third in their group, and they are the most rested team heading into the quarterfinals. Dalibor Dvorsky has been good, but everyone has been waiting for him to really ascend and take over a game or even a period. Juraj Pekarcik has been very good for the team, and their defensive group has put together enough effort to stay in each game, even when they’ve lost. This game has the potential to be a very good quarterfinal as both clubs play a strong team game, and the top-end talent is comparable. Finland and Slovakia will be happy to get to the medal rounds, but only one of them can get there. It may not be the most exciting hockey, but there is potential for a very even battle between the two European nations. SWEDEN VS. LATVIA Jan. 2, 12:00 p.m. ET Although this game seems like a lopsided affair on paper, the Latvians have had their most successful tournament to date, and they could be poised to upset the Swedes. Latvia has had some excellent performances from some of their top players. Eriks Mateiko has been fantastic when the team has needed a goal, consistently coming up big. But the team’s MVP has been their netminder, Linards Feldbergs. He absolutely showed out against Canada and Germany. Feldbergs' 127 saves are well ahead of anyone else in the tournament. Sweden has looked tactical and efficient in their four wins to sweep the group. Captain Axel Sandin-Pellikka and Tom Willander lead the team on the back end, while Anton Wahlberg and Otto Stenberg have been impressive up front. The depth of the Swedes is their strength. They’ve been able to methodically take care of business at every turn because not only is their top-end talent better than just about everyone’s, but their ability to run four lines and maintain offensive pressure is what will lead them to victory. The Swedish squad should be able to continue their dominant stretch of hockey, but the threat of the Latvians keeping the magic alive and going on a run to the semifinals is legitimate. If Sweden isn’t able to stay disciplined and they take their foot off the gas, they could be in trouble. If they can keep their foot on the gas, they should be able to make their way to the semis with ease. Carter George [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjExODAwOTM0NjM0NzU5NzE1/cartergeorge-akd.jpg] Carter George CZECHIA VS. CANADA Jan. 2, 7:30 p.m. ET After finishing with the bronze medal last year, Czechia finished second in the group with just one loss, and they’ll take on Canada. Their team has once again proven that they deserve to be mentioned among the best teams at this tournament. Jakub Stancl and Eduard Sale have been very solid for the team up front, while Tomas Galvas and Jakub Fibigr have held things down on the back end. Micheal Hrabal has been solid in net as well. Czechia can take down one of the tournament’s traditional powers as they assert themselves as a modern-day force at the world juniors. Canada saved their best for last, putting their most complete effort together against the American team, but they couldn't come away with the win. This Canadian team has quite a bit more talent on paper than the team that lost in the quarterfinals last year, but they are again at risk of a similar exit this time. Gavin McKenna hasn’t quite been as dominant as many expected, and the defense has been underwhelming for much of the tournament. Carter George has been a saving grace for the team that hasn’t been able to provide much scoring. With plenty of questions about the coaching staff’s decision-making and line combinations, a second consecutive exit in the quarters against the same team as last year would be an embarrassment for Hockey Canada. This game could be the best of the quarterfinal matchups with evenly matched rosters and plenty of recent history between the two teams. Czechia will look for a repeat of last year, when they took down the Canadians in the quarters, this time doing so in front of the Canadian fans in Ottawa. Canada will seek revenge for last year, sending the Czech squad home without a medal after three consecutive years with a medal. Get the latest news and trending stories right to your inbox by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here [https://info.thehockeynews.com/mail/microsites/951/1/gTeQVf?_gl=1*ustlbj*_ga*NjkyMzUxMy4xNjYzNjIwMzQ3*_ga_PK63FB1PME*MTcxMzUwOTExNi40NDguMS4xNzEzNTA5MjA5LjU5LjAuMA..]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or by visiting our forum [https://thehockeynews.rtb.io/THNHOME/posts].
