2024 first-round pick by Blues continues to soar at World Junior Championships with goal in Czechia's win over Switzerland; Sweden tops Latvia 6-3
Adam Jiricek continues to score.
The first-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft (No. 16) by the St. Louis Blues scored his fourth goal, as Czechia moves into the semifinals of the 2026 World Junior Championship with a 6-2 win over Switzerland on Friday at 3M Arena at Mariucci on the campus of the University of Minnesota.
The Czechs, who move into the semifinals on Sunday, were down 1-0 and 2-1 before scoring five unanswered goals, includin Jiricek's that gave Czechia a 3-2 lead, a lead they would never relinquish at 11:12 of the second period:
Jiricek now has four goals and an assist in five games and played 20:02 on Friday.
As for goalie Love Harenstam and Sweden, it was a rather comfortable win after a bit of a slow start for the Swedes, who also move into Sunday's semifinal round.
Harenstam improved to 4-0-0-0 in the tournament and has stopped 93 of 103 shots after making 13 saves on 16 shots Friday; he has a 2.50 goals-against average and .903 save percentage.
Observations From Blues' 4-3 Win Vs. Golden Knights
Schenn scores late game-winner; fourth line sets tone with proper play, rewarded with six combined points
Blues Defenseman Philip Broberg "Extremely Honored" To Be Selected To Sweden Olympic Hockey Squad
24-year-old was longshot prior to season, worked his way onto roster with superior play this season, chosen over veterans Mattias Ekholm, Hampus Lindholm
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.