Ostlund, Wahlberg advance to gold medal game vs. Team USA
Buffalo Sabres prospects Noah Ostlund and Anton Wahlberg will have a chance to win gold on home ice at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden on Friday, as Tre Kronor defeated Czechia with Jiri Kulich 5-2 on Thursday.
Ostlund (the Sabres 2022 first-rounder) and Wahlberg (Buffalo’s second-rounder in 2023) were front and center in Sweden’s third-period three-goal outburst that broke a 2-2 tie. Wahlberg assisted on Jonathan Lekkerimaki’s game-winner, Ostlund added an insurance marker on a breakaway with eight minutes left in the game and assisted on Lekkerimaki’s second goal 62 seconds later.
Kulich led Czechia with five shots on goal in 19:23 but was -2 in the game.
In other World Junior-related news, Matthew Savoie, who was eliminated on Tuesday with Team Canada’s 3-2 loss to Czechia will be playing for a different team when he returns to the Western Hockey League this week. The 19-year-old was dealt by the Wenatchee Wild to the Moose Jaw Warriors for seven draft picks spread out over the next four seasons.
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