Spencer Knight and the Americans put together a record shutout streak this year.
photo: Matt Zambonin/HHOF-IIHF Images
The IIHF.com’s experts continue to follow the games, the players, and the stories of this historic 2021 World Junior Championship, and today we check in with them as the semi-finals and medal games approach. Here is what Andrew Podnieks and Lucas Aykroyd have to say about the final four games of the tournament.
We are down to four teams, and only one won’t win a medal. Which one?
AP: All the teams talk about it but few deliver. In Finland, we have a team that pretty much has gotten better with every game, thanks in part to the schedule, but also to their play. Thinking this through, the Russians also have no problem getting up for a bronze-medal game, so counter-intuitive though it may be right now, I think the U.S. will finish fourth.
LA: The Finns may have left a little too much on the table in their late 3-2 comeback win over Sweden, and in the semi-finals, they’re facing a U.S. team that has shown better discipline and outperformed them offensively, on special teams, and in goal. After that? The Finns used to be happy with a bronze medal, but now they’re gold or bust (2014, 2016, 2019). So sorry, Suomi.
Has this been the year of the goalie, or what?
LA: Hard to believe it’s been 15 years since Canada’s Justin Pogge set the shutout record (three) in Vancouver. Devon Levi and Spencer Knight have two shutouts apiece, so there’s a decent chance one of the North American starters will equal Pogge’s record. I can’t foresee either of them getting to four, however.
AP: Ten of 24 games so far have seen a shutout, and Knight and the U.S. also set shutout streaks in last night’s win over Slovakia. Levi played his best game in the quarters for Canada, but several other goalies have turned in excellent games. In fact, maybe the two biggest “names”—Hugo Alnefelt, Yaroslav Askarov—have been the least impressive, but overall the goalies have stood out.
We are down to four teams, and only one won’t win a medal. Which one?
AP: All the teams talk about it but few deliver. In Finland, we have a team that pretty much has gotten better with every game, thanks in part to the schedule, but also to their play. Thinking this through, the Russians also have no problem getting up for a bronze-medal game, so counter-intuitive though it may be right now, I think the U.S. will finish fourth.
LA: The Finns may have left a little too much on the table in their late 3-2 comeback win over Sweden, and in the semi-finals, they’re facing a U.S. team that has shown better discipline and outperformed them offensively, on special teams, and in goal. After that? The Finns used to be happy with a bronze medal, but now they’re gold or bust (2014, 2016, 2019). So sorry, Suomi.
Has this been the year of the goalie, or what?
LA: Hard to believe it’s been 15 years since Canada’s Justin Pogge set the shutout record (three) in Vancouver. Devon Levi and Spencer Knight have two shutouts apiece, so there’s a decent chance one of the North American starters will equal Pogge’s record. I can’t foresee either of them getting to four, however.
AP: Ten of 24 games so far have seen a shutout, and Knight and the U.S. also set shutout streaks in last night’s win over Slovakia. Levi played his best game in the quarters for Canada, but several other goalies have turned in excellent games. In fact, maybe the two biggest “names”—Hugo Alnefelt, Yaroslav Askarov—have been the least impressive, but overall the goalies have stood out.
Spencer Knight helped Teams USA set a World Junior record with a shutout streak of 218:53.
photo: Matt Zambonin / HHOF-IIHF Images
Which team will come back stronger next year, Switzerland or Austria?
AP: Experience is always an important ingredient for success, and both teams, by virtue of not being demoted, have a once in a lifetime chance to right the wrongs of this year right away. But the other eight teams aren’t getting worse and both Switerland and Austria will have the same problems to overcome—namely score goals and keep pucks out. The Swiss played their best hockey in the last ten minutes of their final game and showed some character. They’ll also have more key players returning while Austria’s greatest star, Marco Rossi, won’t be back. The groups will be different as well, which should help Austria which was trapped in the group of death this year. Advantage Switzerland, though.
LA: Switzerland, which finished fourth in 2019 and fifth in 2020. The Austrians still haven’t won a game since their 1981 World Junior debut. With top prospect Marco Rossi set to graduate to the pro ranks, that doesn’t help their odds. I’m eager to see what returning Swiss forwards like Lorenzo Canonica and Attilio Biasca will bring next year in Edmonton and Red Deer, along with potential newcomer Noah Greuter.
Which captain from the final four has been most impressive?
LA: Using the most liberal definition of “captain,” since Canada still designates Kirby Dach as its captain, I’m saying Dylan Cozens. He’s scored the crucial first goal in Canada’s last two outings – 4-1 over Finland, 3-0 over the Czechs – and is chasing Trevor Zegras for the tournament scoring title. That said, Bowen Byram’s been skating miles, and I wouldn’t want to take a faceoff against Anton Lundell in a dark alley.
AP: Cozens has been fantastic, for sure, as has Lundell. Cam York has quietly gone about his business with the U.S., though. He’s a defenceman who leads his blueliners in scoring with six points and also is number-one on the team in ice time, logging more than 20 minutes a game. On a team that has given up two goals in the last four games and is in the semis, that says a lot.
AP: Experience is always an important ingredient for success, and both teams, by virtue of not being demoted, have a once in a lifetime chance to right the wrongs of this year right away. But the other eight teams aren’t getting worse and both Switerland and Austria will have the same problems to overcome—namely score goals and keep pucks out. The Swiss played their best hockey in the last ten minutes of their final game and showed some character. They’ll also have more key players returning while Austria’s greatest star, Marco Rossi, won’t be back. The groups will be different as well, which should help Austria which was trapped in the group of death this year. Advantage Switzerland, though.
LA: Switzerland, which finished fourth in 2019 and fifth in 2020. The Austrians still haven’t won a game since their 1981 World Junior debut. With top prospect Marco Rossi set to graduate to the pro ranks, that doesn’t help their odds. I’m eager to see what returning Swiss forwards like Lorenzo Canonica and Attilio Biasca will bring next year in Edmonton and Red Deer, along with potential newcomer Noah Greuter.
Which captain from the final four has been most impressive?
LA: Using the most liberal definition of “captain,” since Canada still designates Kirby Dach as its captain, I’m saying Dylan Cozens. He’s scored the crucial first goal in Canada’s last two outings – 4-1 over Finland, 3-0 over the Czechs – and is chasing Trevor Zegras for the tournament scoring title. That said, Bowen Byram’s been skating miles, and I wouldn’t want to take a faceoff against Anton Lundell in a dark alley.
AP: Cozens has been fantastic, for sure, as has Lundell. Cam York has quietly gone about his business with the U.S., though. He’s a defenceman who leads his blueliners in scoring with six points and also is number-one on the team in ice time, logging more than 20 minutes a game. On a team that has given up two goals in the last four games and is in the semis, that says a lot.
Cozens has stepped in and filled the score sheet in captain Kirby Dach's absence.
photo: Andrea Cardin / HHOF-IIHF Images
What makes the bronze game so difficult to play (and sometimes watch)?
AP: Two teams crushed by defeat in the semi-finals must wake up and get motivated less than 24 hours later. It’s brutal. For fans, the anticipation of the gold-medal game is overwhelming. The bronze game almost always features two fantastic teams, but mentally it’s tough for players and fans.
LA: It’s tough to get motivated when you had your heart set on gold. It’s all about whoever gets the hot start, or whoever snaps out of their funk first and realizes something is better than nothing. One good thing about a bronze-medal game is that you never see a winner throw his medal into the stands. Ahem.
Because of the pandemic and bubble, the entire officiating crew is Canadian. How’s that been going?
AP: Like the players, this tournament is a fantastic opportunity for the on-ice officials. This year features several who have previous IIHF experience. Consider that Olivier Gouin had the whistle for the gold-medal game of the 2018 World Championship between Sweden and Switzerland. Alexandre Garon reffed the 2017 U18 gold game, and Michael Campbell was in the bronze-medal game of last year’s World Juniors. They have had a steadying influence on the game, particularly in scrums after whistles. European refs don’t hesitate to call roughing minors in these situations, but the Canadians have been more forgiving.
LA: It’s been fine. There has been little comment on the officiating overall, which is exactly how it should be. Also, hockey has swung so much toward speed, skill, and puck possession. People are used to our game being called by the book. So you just don’t get those situations anymore where a Dion Phaneuf or Zack Kassian blows up a Czech forward with a hit that’s illegal under IIHF rules and gets the Don Cherry wannabes moaning about how Canada’s ostensible biggest advantage is being taken away. Canada is routinely among the least-penalized teams in IIHF competition nowadays, regardless of where the referees hail from.
If the IIHF had a Directorate Award for Best Coach, who would get it this year?
LA: No matter who wins this thing, you can argue that Tobias Abstreiter did more with less than any other coach at these World Juniors. Apart from that horrific 16-2 shellacking by Canada, the depleted Germans – who would have been underdogs even with a full roster – were competitive in every other game. To beat Slovakia 4-3 with nine forwards and five defencemen was impressive. To stay within a goal of Russia until the buzzer in the quarter-final was even more impressive.
AP: Well, on one level, Joel Ronnmark should win hands down. I mean, the guy had no clue he was going to coach the team until a couple of weeks ago when the true head coach, Tomas Monten, was ruled out of the tournament because of a positive covid test. And then there’s Igor Larionov. He should be exempt from winning any coaching honour because he’s spent 40 years in hockey, winning everywhere. Russia should win just because of him! But more to the point, I’ll take the obvious choice, Andre Tourigny. Four times an assistant, he has learned from his predecessors, and he had the chutzpah to give Levi the chance to be the man in goal. And that’s worked out okay!
AP: Two teams crushed by defeat in the semi-finals must wake up and get motivated less than 24 hours later. It’s brutal. For fans, the anticipation of the gold-medal game is overwhelming. The bronze game almost always features two fantastic teams, but mentally it’s tough for players and fans.
LA: It’s tough to get motivated when you had your heart set on gold. It’s all about whoever gets the hot start, or whoever snaps out of their funk first and realizes something is better than nothing. One good thing about a bronze-medal game is that you never see a winner throw his medal into the stands. Ahem.
Because of the pandemic and bubble, the entire officiating crew is Canadian. How’s that been going?
AP: Like the players, this tournament is a fantastic opportunity for the on-ice officials. This year features several who have previous IIHF experience. Consider that Olivier Gouin had the whistle for the gold-medal game of the 2018 World Championship between Sweden and Switzerland. Alexandre Garon reffed the 2017 U18 gold game, and Michael Campbell was in the bronze-medal game of last year’s World Juniors. They have had a steadying influence on the game, particularly in scrums after whistles. European refs don’t hesitate to call roughing minors in these situations, but the Canadians have been more forgiving.
LA: It’s been fine. There has been little comment on the officiating overall, which is exactly how it should be. Also, hockey has swung so much toward speed, skill, and puck possession. People are used to our game being called by the book. So you just don’t get those situations anymore where a Dion Phaneuf or Zack Kassian blows up a Czech forward with a hit that’s illegal under IIHF rules and gets the Don Cherry wannabes moaning about how Canada’s ostensible biggest advantage is being taken away. Canada is routinely among the least-penalized teams in IIHF competition nowadays, regardless of where the referees hail from.
If the IIHF had a Directorate Award for Best Coach, who would get it this year?
LA: No matter who wins this thing, you can argue that Tobias Abstreiter did more with less than any other coach at these World Juniors. Apart from that horrific 16-2 shellacking by Canada, the depleted Germans – who would have been underdogs even with a full roster – were competitive in every other game. To beat Slovakia 4-3 with nine forwards and five defencemen was impressive. To stay within a goal of Russia until the buzzer in the quarter-final was even more impressive.
AP: Well, on one level, Joel Ronnmark should win hands down. I mean, the guy had no clue he was going to coach the team until a couple of weeks ago when the true head coach, Tomas Monten, was ruled out of the tournament because of a positive covid test. And then there’s Igor Larionov. He should be exempt from winning any coaching honour because he’s spent 40 years in hockey, winning everywhere. Russia should win just because of him! But more to the point, I’ll take the obvious choice, Andre Tourigny. Four times an assistant, he has learned from his predecessors, and he had the chutzpah to give Levi the chance to be the man in goal. And that’s worked out okay!
Head coach Tobias Abstreiter helped guide a depleted Germany roster to the quarter-finals.
photo: Matt Zambonin / HHOF-IIHF Images
Let’s try this again. What will be the score in the two medal games?
AP: Canada and Finland have each won three gold in the last seven years, so I see this being the final game. To that end, I see Canada winning 4-2 in the ultimate game. And since I have to be consistent with my earlier prediction, I’ll say Russia beats the U.S. 6-3 in a bit of a shootout for bronze.
LA: Russia 4-U.S. 2 for gold. Canada 5-Finland 2 for bronze. My concern about the Canadians right now is that they still haven’t found that next gear. There’s no way their wins over the Slovaks (3-1) and Czechs (3-0) should have been that tight. And while Canada was territorially dominant against the Finns (4-1), they struggled to cash in on their chances. For the U.S., things have been a little too routine since the opening 5-3 loss to Russia. You can get complacent when you don’t allow a goal for 218:53. With all that said, the Russians always seem to crank it up at this stage, and under Igor Larionov, they have that winning experience against men from November’s Karjala Cup. Russia is overdue for gold.
No more messing around. One name—who will be this year’s MVP?
LA: Zegras is racking up so many points – he’s just three career points away (24) from Jordan Schroeder for the all-time U.S. lead (27) – that he’ll be an easy choice for many voters.
AP: Dylan Cozens. He has risen to the occasion, played better and better, and seems really comfortable leading the team. And he’s scoring when the team needs it.
AP: Canada and Finland have each won three gold in the last seven years, so I see this being the final game. To that end, I see Canada winning 4-2 in the ultimate game. And since I have to be consistent with my earlier prediction, I’ll say Russia beats the U.S. 6-3 in a bit of a shootout for bronze.
LA: Russia 4-U.S. 2 for gold. Canada 5-Finland 2 for bronze. My concern about the Canadians right now is that they still haven’t found that next gear. There’s no way their wins over the Slovaks (3-1) and Czechs (3-0) should have been that tight. And while Canada was territorially dominant against the Finns (4-1), they struggled to cash in on their chances. For the U.S., things have been a little too routine since the opening 5-3 loss to Russia. You can get complacent when you don’t allow a goal for 218:53. With all that said, the Russians always seem to crank it up at this stage, and under Igor Larionov, they have that winning experience against men from November’s Karjala Cup. Russia is overdue for gold.
No more messing around. One name—who will be this year’s MVP?
LA: Zegras is racking up so many points – he’s just three career points away (24) from Jordan Schroeder for the all-time U.S. lead (27) – that he’ll be an easy choice for many voters.
AP: Dylan Cozens. He has risen to the occasion, played better and better, and seems really comfortable leading the team. And he’s scoring when the team needs it.
Tournament top scorer Trevor Zegras is among the MVP candidates.
photo: Matt Zambonin / HHOF-IIHF Images
The 2022 World Junior Championship starts in 356 days. Early favourites?
AP: Canada and Russia/Soviets have won 31 of 44 gold medals. There is huge depth to both countries such that year after year there is no worry about filling the rosters with the best possible players of the highest calibre. These nations are the early favourites, the late favourites, the perennial favourites.
LA: Before the 1972 Summit Series, Globe and Mail columnist Dick Beddoes wrote: “If the Russians win one game, I will eat this column shredded at high noon in a bowl of borscht on the front steps of the Russian Embassy.” He followed through after the USSR won Game One, 7-3, at the Montreal Forum. Anyway, if one of the usual five teams doesn’t win, I will eat my laptop.
AP: Canada and Russia/Soviets have won 31 of 44 gold medals. There is huge depth to both countries such that year after year there is no worry about filling the rosters with the best possible players of the highest calibre. These nations are the early favourites, the late favourites, the perennial favourites.
LA: Before the 1972 Summit Series, Globe and Mail columnist Dick Beddoes wrote: “If the Russians win one game, I will eat this column shredded at high noon in a bowl of borscht on the front steps of the Russian Embassy.” He followed through after the USSR won Game One, 7-3, at the Montreal Forum. Anyway, if one of the usual five teams doesn’t win, I will eat my laptop.