It was an important day for Finland as each team competed for a playoff spot in the World Junior Hockey Championship or to avoid elimination on the final day of the qualifying round.
Finland surprised host Sweden with a 5-4 penalty shootout victory, but the United States defeated Slovakia 10-2, the Czech Republic defeated Switzerland 4-2, and Canada defeated Germany 6-3.
Both teams will have New Year’s Day off, with quarterfinal games starting on Tuesday.
Canada (2-01-0) will play Czech Republic (2-0-1-1) in one quarterfinal match, while Finland (1-1-2-0) will play Slovakia (3-0-1-0) , Latvia (1-03-0) will play the United States (3-1-0-0) and Switzerland (1-0-3-0) will play Sweden (3-0-0-1).
Finland 5 Sweden 4
For Finland, Tomi Manisto, Leni Hamenaho, Kasper Haltunen and Jani Nijman scored in regulation time. Nyman’s marker with 1:32 left in the game sent overtime and a shootout.
For Finland, Nyman and Konsta Helenius scored in the penalty shootout, while for Sweden, Lekkerimäki scored the only goal.
For Sweden, Isaac Born, Jonathan Lekkerimäki, Theo Lindstein and Filip Bystedt scored. Noah Ostlund and Felix Unger Solm each had two assists.
Finland led 2-0 after the first period, but trailed 4-3 heading into the third period. Sweden defeated Finland 33-30.
Czech Republic 4 Switzerland 2
Thomas Hamara. The Czech Republic led 1-0 after the first period with goals from Matias Sapovalev, Jiri Kulich and Robin Sapošek, but the score was tied at 2-2 in the third period.
Switzerland trailed 35-19 with goals from Simon Meyer and Jurion Rodd.
America 10 Slovakia 2
Rutger McGroarty scored three goals for a strong American team that led 2-1 after the first period and 5-2 heading into the third period.
Gavin Brindley and Isaac Howard each scored twice for the winners, while Cutter Gauthier, Ryan Leonard and Jeev Bouium also added singles.
Slovakia trailed 44-40 with Marian Mosco and Filip Messard scoring.
Canada 6 Germany 3
Jordan Dumais scored the winning goal on a power play in the third period and Macklin Celebrini scored two goals of his own as Canada defeated Germany 6-3 to end the qualifying round.
Brayden Jaeger had a goal and an assist, Owen Beck and Easton Cowan had goals into an empty net, and the rest of Canada’s offense contributed, with Carson Rehkopf and Oliver Bonk having two assists.
Julian Lutz, Roman Köchter and Julius Samp answered for the German.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 31, 2023.
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