Here's how New York Islanders prospects Quinn Finley and Danny Nelson faired through the preliminary round for Team USA at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championships.

The preliminary round of the 2024 World Junior Championships has come to an end.

Only two New York Islanders prospects are participating in the tournament this year, with forwards Quinn Finley and Danny Nelson both representing Team USA.

Finley, a left winger who the Islanders drafted in the third round (No. 78) of the 2022 NHL Draft, is a native of Indiana and has seven points, with five goals and two assists, as a rookie at the University of Wisconsin.

Nelson, a centerman, was the Islanders' top draft pick in 2023, hearing his name called in the second round (No. 49). The 18-year-old is a freshman at Notre Dame, with 14 points in 18 games, scoring three goals and adding eight assists.

Through the four games with Team USA, the two have remained together on the fourth line. Here's how they performed in the preliminary round:

Quinn Finley

Finley has averaged 12:56 minutes of ice time per game in the preliminary round. He has a quick shot that led to a goal on a one-timer in Team USA's big win over Switzerland to make it a 10-2 score.

The 19-year-old has often been on the ice for penalty kills but scored his goal with one of his few opportunities on the power play. Finley has shown great anticipation for finding the soft spots in the offensive zone, gaining the opportunity for high-danger shots.

He has been especially strong in the defensive zone, keeping strong positioning and backchecking hard. Finley is not afraid to go to areas where he is needed, such as around the crease, to clear the puck away. He is quick on the forecheck as well.

Finley finished the preliminary round with two points -- a goal and an assist -- both of which came against the Swiss. Something of note is that he did score on a breakaway during Team USA's pre-tournament match against Canada.

Danny Nelson

Nelson has had a strong tournament, filling his role on the fourth line nicely. He also can score but could not do so in the preliminary round. 

It was not for a lack of chances, though, as Nelson was often found in the dirty areas around the net and taking shots from all areas.

Nelson averaged 12:45 minutes of ice time in the four games, getting the same opportunities as Finley. Nelson's only point of the preliminary round came in the last game, a 10-2 win over Slovakia. 

He recorded an assist on USA's seventh goal, which was scored by Issac Howard.

Playing center, he won 25 faceoffs on 45 draw attempts (55.56%). 

Nelson is a very strong player and played physically all tournament long. This included many wall battles where he pinned the puck on the boards. He also used his body to protect the puck and drive toward the net, drawing a tripping penalty in the first game against Norway.

One of the biggest standouts for Nelson was on the defensive side of the puck, as he and Finley were both strong in locking down the other teams top players. 

Nelson's physicality is a big add down low, in the corners, and on the penalty kill.

Final Thoughts

The Islanders might have found themselves another solid shorthanded duo. Their two prospects are playing well in the World Junior Championship, playing to the Islander identity and are getting a head-start in building chemistry with one another.

Team USA went 3-1-0-0 (1 overtime win) in the preliminary round and earned the number one seed in Group B. The quarterfinals begin on January 2.