While two quarterfinal matchups were blowouts, two others were drama-filled, including Connor Bedard playing the hero in an instant classic against Slovakia.

Are you not entertained?

The elimination rounds have begun, and one of the finalists from the summer event heads home from the World Junior Championship. The silver medalists from the summer, Finland, were sent home in dramatic fashion as Sweden got the game-winner with 65 seconds left. The Czech squad came out hot against the Swiss and controlled the game from start to finish.

The late afternoon games featured the Americans taking it to the Germans, simply outclassing them, while the Canadians and Slovaks played one of the most entertaining games of the tournament in the final game of the day, with Connor Bedard's heroics putting Canada on top in overtime.

Sweden and Finland Play to the Last Minute

In a matchup of bitter rivals, Finland and Sweden played one of the more drama-filled games of the tournament.

Captains scored, goalies made big saves and young players made their impact.

It all came down to an improbable goal in the final minute by a team being outplayed in a major way to end it. Finland goes home after giving up a shorthanded goal with about a minute to play in the third period. It was a disappointing result for the Finns and a fortunate finish for the Swedes.

The Swedes seemed completely off-kilter in the first period. They couldn’t generate any offense, their passing was lackluster and they truly looked unable to get to the middle. The Finns were structured, sound defensively and intelligent with the puck on their sticks. They understood what must happen to take out a team with a bit more firepower: keep them to the outside, and take advantage of your opportunities.

Finland broke through early and scored on Carl Lindbom, a candidate for best goalie of the tournament, just over three minutes into the game. Captain Oliver Kapanen scored after a point shot bounced off a defender’s foot and onto Kapanen’s stick on the back door. The Montreal prospect swept the puck into the net before the Swedes even had a shot on goal.

The Swedes only had two shots through 20 minutes, but it was their second that tied the game. Ludvig Jansson set up the goal with a shot-pass from the point to the immovable Leo Carlsson at the back door. Carlsson redirected the puck in for his first of the tournament. Despite being outplayed and outshot, the Swedes finished the period tied at one.

The second period was much more even as the Swedes seemed to wake up a bit. Both teams had scoring chances, but it was a sloppy period by both teams. Missed opportunities and small miscues combined with a solid netminder in both creases held both teams scoreless in the middle frame.

The game truly ignited with drama in the third period. After being the better team for much of the game, Finland again grabbed the lead. Four minutes into the final period, Niko Huuhtanen took a pass at the offensive blueline and wired a shot past the Swedish goalie. His pinpoint snipe put the Finns back on top. With the Finns’ structure and consistent ability to thwart any offense Sweden attempted to generate, they were in an excellent position to hold on and advance to the semifinal.

That was until Sweden’s 2023 draft-eligible star, Carlsson, struck again. Fabian Wagner collected the puck behind the Finnish net, circled out along the boards and found Filip Bystedt in the faceoff circle, who blasted a one-time shot on net. The Finnish netminder kicked out his leg to make the save, but it went right to Carlsson, who crashed the net and buried the rebound. The Swedes’ youngest player tied the game with under four minutes to go.

The Swedish push in the final minutes was seemingly hindered by a Fabian Lysell high-sticking penalty with under two minutes to play. That was until, with just over a minute left in the game, the Finnish power play moved the puck around before it was bobbled at the point by Aleksi Heimosalmi. Swedish captain Victor Stjernborg got on his horse. Battling the panicked and retreating Heimosalmi, Stjernborg grabbed the puck, rushed up ice and beat Jani Lampinen in the Finnish net. With a screaming celebration, Sweden prevailed in a game they probably didn’t deserve to win.

Czechia Dominates Switzerland

The first versus fourth-seed matchups in the quarterfinal are usually a bit lopsided at the world juniors. With Czechia playing as dominantly as they have in co-ordination with the Swiss team winning their games by the skin of their teeth, this one was setting up to be another lopsided game. Then, just 22 seconds into the game, Louis Robin put on the jets, chased down a loose puck in the Czech zone and beat Thomas Suchanek to give the Swiss an early lead.

Unfortunately, that lead was short-lived, as the Swiss were out of the game the rest of the way.

Just over two minutes later, Stanislav Svozil rushed up ice and carried the puck behind the Swiss net before sending a pass out to Jiri Kulich, who made no mistake. Marcel Marcel went coast-to-coast while shorthanded and scored a highlight reel goal about five minutes later, undressing a Swiss defender and the netminder.

Czechia added a third goal in the first period as Marcel attacked the net, holding off a defender before being dragged down, passing the puck across the crease and off the foot of Petr Hauser’s skate, who was coming to a stop. After a review, the goal was good, and the rout was on.

Less than 30 seconds into the second period, David Jiricek stepped into a puck that bounced up to the point, blasting it by the Swiss netminder. Kulich added another goal just over five minutes into the period, followed by goals from Gabriel Sztruc and Eduard Sale to finish the middle frame. The Czech players decided it was time to eat because the Swiss were cooked.

Marcel and Szturc added two more goals in the third period, and Czechia took the game 9-1 in what was one of their easiest games of the tournament. After the early Swiss goal, the pushback never really seemed strong enough to even make the Czech squad flinch.

Germany Withers to the Americans

Eighteen seconds into the game, Luke Hughes sent Cutter Gauthier into the offensive zone, and he had an excellent scoring chance. Despite missing the net, that would be the theme of the night. The Americans speed and pace simply outclassed the Germans.

Logan Cooley, who has a point in every game in the tournament thus far, opened the scoring on an outstanding offensive play just under four minutes into the game. Ryan Ufko sent a pass to the high slot where Cooley resided before Cooley dangled a defender while attacking the slot, and he placed his shot perfectly.

The Americans wouldn’t let up. Jimmy Snuggerud scored on a puck that went off a German defender's skate as he attempted to find Chaz Lucius in the slot on the power play. Red Savage added another on a beautiful cross-seam pass from Ryan Ufko that he put into the open cage.

Two 2023 draft-eligible prospects teamed up as Gavin Brindley sent a beautiful feed out front to Charlie Stramel, who buried it from in tight. The goal would be challenged successfully for being offside, but the American attack overwhelmed the Germans. The shots were 9-0 after the called-back goal, and the Americans would ended the period up 3-0 on the scoreboard.

The second period started with more of the same from the U.S. squad. They brought an onslaught of offensive pressure before finally breaking through and filling the net. At the nine-minute mark of period 2, Jackson Blake scored to open the period's scoring. They added two more from Cooley and Gauthier in the next 2:16. Savage and Gauthier scored their second goals of the game before the period ended.

The Americans added three more goals in the third period, highlighted by Cooley’s hat-trick goal. The Germans would add a shorthanded goal late in the game, but the Americans still won by double digits. This was the biggest talent discrepancy of any quarterfinal matchup on paper, and it turned out to be just that on the ice. 

Canada and Slovakia Play the Game of the Tournament

With Connor Bedard running away with the tournament scoring lead and setting records with nearly every point, the Slovaks had a clear goal in the lead-up to this game. They needed to be physical and use their size and strength to stop his scoring tear. The Slovaks held to their promise. Almost.

The game started with Slovakia controlling the first few minutes of play, recording the first five shots on goal and seemingly having Canada on their heels. Slovakia was playing physically and winning the battles along the boards. After the Canadians got their first couple of shots on goal, they broke the scoreless tie.

After some offensive zone time, the Slovaks began to break the puck out, but Logan Stankoven intercepted the breakout pass. Bedard, recognizing what was happening, turned back towards the net, and Stankoven pushed the puck up to him. Bedard gets a partial break and then makes no mistake, beating Adam Gajan to give Canada the early lead.

The Slovaks continued their physical play, though. They threw cross checks and shoved after the whistle. They got into Bedard’s face whenever they could. The Slovaks' physicality was led by Robert Baco, a big physical presence on the blueline. Martin Misiak was called for two penalties after the whistle at the 7:53 mark of the first period, and they managed to get Bedard in the box as well. Not only was Bedard intent on scoring but he ensured that he wasn’t going to be pushed around, pushing back when needed to send the message.

In the second period, the game was back and forth. Dylan Guenther scored on the power play with a nice shot at the side of the net, falling to the ice as he almost overskated the pass. The Canadians were on the verge of taking over the game.

That was until a couple of minutes later, Guenther took a tripping penalty, and it took the Slovaks three seconds on the power play for Simon Nemec to score on a point shot that hit someone in the crowd out front of the net. The Slovak squad was fighting for their lives.

Zach Ostapchuk responded for Canada a few minutes later. The Ottawa Senators prospect grabbed the puck in his end and rushed up ice. He slowed up to allow his teammates to join him before sniping to give Canada a lead again.

The Slovaks would push harder, up the physicality and continue to search for the tying goal. Just past the halfway mark, Filip Mesar found Libor Nemec in front of the net for a chance in tight, and Nemec would make no mistake. Despite being outshot 41-19, the game was tied with under 10 minutes to go.

First, it was Slovakia, pushing and creating havoc around the Canadian net. Throwing pucks on net, beating the Canadian defenders to the puck and generating chances at will. They forced Thomas Milic to make a number of massive saves. Canada then pushed back, forcing Gajan to do the same. The havoc of the last eight minutes will help make this game an all-time classic.

With less than a minute to go, Logan Stankoven broke into the Slovak zone, attacking the net. The puck came to Bedard a number of times, and he hit the post. Then Olen Zellweger had a chance. All hell broke loose. As the play came to an end, Simon Nemec cross-checked Bedard in the numbers with 34 seconds to go. Originally called a five-minute major, the referees reviewed it and revised it to a two-minute minor.

The Slovaks killed off the first 34 seconds, and then they went into overtime having to kill 1:26. The Canadians attacked with pace and looked for chances. Shane Wright almost had a goal. Bedard had a couple of looks. Nemec left the box, and the Slovak squad killed the penalty.

The rest of the overtime was a wild ride. Bedard was robbed on a beautiful drag-and-pull shot. Gajan had a huge outstretched pad save on Zellweger. Filip Mesar almost connected on a chance. Milic had to come up with a massive save on Petrovsky.

But it seemed inevitable for Connor to do something special.

He deked out the entire Slovak squad en route to scoring what may go down as one of the most amazing goals in Team Canada’s World Junior Championship history. 

It was fitting on the night he passed Jordan Eberle for the all-time goal-scoring record for Canadians at the event.

What a game. Simply hockey at its best. 

Three Stars:

1st Star: Connor Bedard, RW, Canada

He scored one of the greatest goals in world juniors history, had a three-point night and rewrote the record book.

Bedard’s goal set the record for most all-time goals in Canadian world juniors history with 16, passing Jordan Eberle. It also set the new all-time points record with 33, passing Eric Lindros. 

Bedard set the record before even being drafted and in 13 games compared to Lindros’ 21. Bedard is also the highest-scoring Canadian ever at a single world juniors tournament, with 21 points, breaking the previous record of 18. 

Those 21 points also passed Jaromir Jagr (18) for the most points at a single World Junior Championship for a player under 18 years old. Then, his 13 assists passed Jason Allison for the most at a single world juniors by a Canadian as well. 

Name a record. Bedard is breaking it or challenging it.

2nd Star: Adam Gajan, G, Slovakia

It was one of the guttiest and most outstanding goaltending performances in recent memory. Gajan stopped 53 shots to keep Slovakia in the game. He made so many massive saves on the Canadians to keep his team alive. It wasn’t fair to Gajan that he was handed a loss in this game, but the undrafted netminder has certainly earned himself a look in the upcoming draft. What a performance for the 2004-born netminder.

3rd Star: Carl Lindbom, G, Sweden

The Swedes were not the best team against Finland. They were pushed around at times. The Finns controlled play most of the night and outshot Sweden 35-20, with Lindbom making 33 saves to help the Swedes to the semifinals. Carlsson scored twice but none of that would have mattered if Lindbom didn’t stand tall in net.