NHL Network will broadcast every game of the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship in Gothenburg, Sweden.
This includes comprehensive coverage of the United States, which will face Finland in the semifinal round at Scandinavium on Thursday (1:30 p.m. ET). The United States clinched the top spot in the tournament, defeating Latvia 7-2 in the quarterfinals on Tuesday. Finland advanced to the quarterfinals with a 4-3 overtime victory over Slovakia.
Dave Sturman, a longtime NCAA hockey analyst who co-hosts the broadcast with EJ Hradek, John Rosen and John Morosi, will be announcing the U.S. victory lead before each game in the 11-day tournament. Let’s talk about the keys.
“Finland is a nightmare matchup with a ‘one shot’,” Sturman said. “They play hard, they play to win, not not to lose, and they never give up. However, in the words of my late friend Dennis “Red” Gendron, “They play the best team and they play to win. This is the team that gets off.” The player usually wins. ‘In this tournament, it’s the United States. He said every NHL executive I spoke to this week in Sweden is too good to lose at any position.
“We all know we don’t know what’s going to happen on any given day, but it’s tough to see the U.S. lose. I think Finland is the U.S.’s biggest rival at the moment. Their matchup is That’s excellent.”
Here are Starman’s three keys to the US-Finland victory.
1. Goaltending
“It’s no secret. Trey Augustin (Detroit Red Wings) will start for the United States. He’s been great, as has Jacob Fowler (Montreal Canadiens).” [Augustine] He was calm and made all the saves the U.S. needed when they needed them. He brings confidence to the bench, is nearly unbeatable on tight surfaces and along ice, and has excellent rebound control. A goalkeeper must have the memory of a bartender, but he seems to have completely forgotten last year’s 8-7 match against Sweden in the bronze medal match. This Trey Augustin, who makes Michigan State a legitimate contender to win the Big Ten this year, is a brick wall that allows America to play a little faster, a little looser, a little more risk-reward. ”
2. Get out of the gate quickly
“Aside from a 4-1 win over Norway in the tournament opener, the U.S. has been strong from the moment the puck dropped, and that’s a credit to their leadership and coaching staff. “They developed the game quickly and took control early. It’s important to do that. They’re also very good at protecting and extending leads. If they develop quickly, Finland will have to chase the game down. It’s not a roster you want to chase.”The Finns don’t have players who can score goals out of nowhere, whereas the U.S. has some.”
3. Stay disciplined
“American coach David Karl has always emphasized penalties to his team. Every time we had a conversation before a game, his three points of emphasis always included not staying in the box. Considering the way the Finns play, that might be more important.” “It’s a challenge. Finland is like a mosquito that buzzes in your ear when you’re sleeping. And to shoo it away.” It just wears you out. That’s the way the Finns are too. So it’s important to think outside the box and play with discipline against ground game type teams.”