2014 World Junior Championships

[mikey287]

It kicked off with a thud as a zamboni malfunctioned to start and it delayed the start of the first pre-tournament game by an hour...

There's some pre-tournament stuff today (20th), one game you missed (Can/Fin) but will be replayed at 10:30 EST tonight I believe...USA-SWE will start at about 2:00 pm. Both are on TSN.

Sunday at 7:30 AM (Fin-USA) and then at 11 am (Can-Swe), Monday at noon (Can-Sui)...all on TSN or TSN2...

Why the "weird" times for us 'Mericans? The games are in Malmo, Sweden this year...and I believe they are six hours ahead of us in the Eastern time zone...

Real thing gets kicked off on Dec. 26, Canada vs. Germany at 7:30 am Eastern, first USA game is at 11:30 am vs. the Czech Republic. I think NHLN will simulcast TSN's broadcast which will feature two of the best: Gord Miller and Ray Ferraro. Both do a terrific job. If NHLN does it themselves, Steve Mears and E.J. Hradek will handle it and that would be a real shame...Mears is decent, but not a pxp guy, and Hradek is just dreadful...

Group A
USA, Canada, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany

Group B
Sweden, Russia, Switzerland, Finland, Norway

Change in tournament style this year: we got round robin, keep the top four of each (8 in total of 10) and go to the quarterfinals...no play-in or byes or anything...the bottom two play a best of three - I believe - loser is relegated...

If I had to guess, the relegation will probably come down to Slovakia, Germany and Norway...Germany might be able to get by on Leon Draisaitl and Marvin Cupper, depending on how it goes...

Anywho...elimination games are on Jan. 2 from 6 am to 1:30 pm start times, all QF matches...

Semis are Jan. 4, 9 am and 1 pm starts...

Bronze is 9 am Jan. 5, Gold follows it at 1 pm.

--------

Are there any Penguin prospects in this?

Uhhh...the only two I can think of are Derrick Pouliot (CAN) and Oskar Sundqvist (SWE)...did I miss someone? Or potentially someone?

Pouliot was paired with young man child Aaron Ekblad, who is considered to be a potential top pick in the 2014 draft. I saw this kid at 16 years old, he could donate a beard every day at 5 o'clock sharp...just a mountain man...not a dazzling skater, but he's a big rugged kid and if they remain paired together, Pouliot will be able to roam and frolic and everything else he does...

More info and organization can be found at http://www.worldjunior2014.com

[Mango Salsa]

Thanks for taking the time to do that Mikey.

I miss the days when half of the players in the tournament were Pens prospects!

[pittsports87]

The captain of team USA, Riley Barber, is from Pittsburgh

[Crankshaft]

Anaheim Ducks: Nicolas Kerdiles(USA), Nick Sörensen(SWE)

Boston Bruins: Matt Grzelcyk(USA), Linus Arnesson(SWE), Peter Cehlárik(SVK)

Buffalo Sabres: Rasmus Ristolainen(FIN), Nikita Zadorov(RUS), Mikhail Grigorenko(RUS)

Calgary Flames: Jon Gillies(USA)

Carolina Hurricanes: Jaccob Slavin(USA), Erik Karlsson(SWE), Elias Lindholm(SWE)

Chicago Blackhawks: Vince Hinostroza(USA), Ryan Hartman(USA), Teuvo Teräväinen(FIN), Robin Norell(SWE)

Colorado Avalanche: Will Butcher(USA), Chris Bigras(CAN)

Columbus Blue Jackets: Kerby Rychel(CAN), Josh Anderson(CAN), Marko Dano(SVK), Markus Søberg(NOR), Oscar Dansk(SWE), Alexander Wennberg(SWE)

Dallas Stars: Radek Faksa(CZE), Esa Lindell(FIN)

Detroit Red Wings: Jake Paterson(CAN), Anthony Mantha(CAN)

Edmonton Oilers: Anton Slepyshev(RUS), Bogdan Yakimov(RUS)

Florida Panthers: Ian McCoshen(USA)

Los Angeles Kings: Valentin Zykov(RUS), Hudson Fasching(USA)

Minnesota Wild: Matt Dumba(CAN), Gustav Olofsson(SWE), Christoph Bertschy(SUI)

Montreal Canadiens: Zachary Fucale(CAN), Charles Hudon(CAN), Martin Reway(SVK), Artturi Lehkonen(FIN), Sebastian Collberg(SWE), Jacob de la Rose(SWE)

Nashville Predators: Zach Stepan(USA), Janne Juvonen(FIN), Juuse Saros(FIN), Mikko Vainonen(FIN), Saku Mäenalanen(FIN), Filip Forsberg(SWE)

New Jersey Devils: Steve Santini(USA), Stefan Matteau(USA)

New Rork Islanders: Adam Pelech(CAN), Griffin Reinhart(CAN), Ville Pokka(FIN)

New York Rangers: Brady Skjei(USA), Pavel Buchnevich(RUS)

Ottawa Senators: Curtis Lazar(CAN), Marcus Högberg(SWE), Quentin Shore(USA)

Philadelphia Flyers: Anthony Stolarz(USA), Taylor Leier(CAN), Scott Laughton(CAN), Valeri Vasilyev(RUS), Robert Hägg(SWE)

Phoenix Coyotes:

Pittsburgh Penguins: Derrick Pouliot(CAN), Oskar Sundqvist(SWE)

St. Louis Blues:

San Jose Sharks: Danny O'Regan(USA), Mirco Müller(SUI)

Tampa Bay Lightning: Adam Erne(USA), Jonathan Drouin(CAN), Henri Ikonen(FIN), Andrei Vasilevski(RUS)

Toronto Maple Leafs: Frédérik Gauthier(CAN), Andreas Johnson(SWE), Fabrice Herzog(SUI)

Vancouver Canucks: Bo Horvat(CAN)

Washington Capitals: Connor Carrick(USA), Riley Barber(USA), Thomas DiPauli(USA), Christian Djoos(SWE), André Burakovsky(SWE)

Winnipeg Jets: Andrew Copp(USA), Josh Morrissey(CAN), Nic Petan(CAN), Jan Kostalek(CZE)

[Crankshaft]

The captain of team USA, Riley Barber, is from Pittsburgh

Really? All his bios say he is from Michigan.

[pittsports87]

The captain of team USA, Riley Barber, is from Pittsburgh

Really? All his bios say he is from Michigan.

It looks like he was born in Michigan, but on his player profile page for the Redhawks his hometown is listed as Pittsburgh.

[Idoit40fans]

Canada had a rough first half. Then the game went as expected. I've barely been paying attention to the US so far.

[Mango Salsa]

The captain of team USA, Riley Barber, is from Pittsburgh

I had to look into that. I coached a kid with the same name a few years ago. He would be about 20 now.

Not the same kid.

[Gaucho]

Oscar Sundqvist with a goal in Sweden's 5-3 win over Switzerland.

[lemieuxReturns]

The captain of team USA, Riley Barber, is from Pittsburgh

Really? All his bios say he is from Michigan.

It looks like he was born in Michigan, but on his player profile page for the Redhawks his hometown is listed as Pittsburgh.

I think it is technically Washington pa... But only about 20 mins from Pittsburgh.

[mikey287]

Yeah, Riley says he's from the Pittsburgh area...

[meow]

Really exciting US-Slovak game going on. Anyone else watching?

[PghSkins]

Really exciting US-Slovak game going on. Anyone else watching?

Watched the first period. That goal with a second was huge.

Big fan of Providence College goalie/Flames prospect Jon Gillies

[meow]

4-2 now US. Sabol is keeping SVK in it right now. He's playing very well.

[meow]

Barber makes it 6-2 with some change left in the 3rd. The Slovaks just ran out of gas.

[the wicked child]

That was a pretty sweet headbutt on the Czech goalie by Canada.

[meow]

Canada - Czech in a shoot out after a 4-4 end. The Czechs have led 4 seperate times.

[shoeshine boy]

Canada - Czech in a shoot out after a 4-4 end. The Czechs have led 4 seperate times.

and the Czechs come away with the 2 points!!! nice move from the kid that won it in the shootout!

[meow]

Canada - Czech in a shoot out after a 4-4 end. The Czechs have led 4 seperate times.

and the Czechs come away with the 2 points!!! nice move from the kid that won it in the shootout!

You need to have some serious marbles to try that with the game on the line. I like it.

[PghSkins]

USA 8 Germany 0. You know who's next on New Year's Eve....

[shoeshine boy]

I can't believe that Czech kid that shoved the linesman out of the way to get to McDavid only got 2 minutes. he should send the linesman flowers after the tourney.
also related: McDavid was dbag for shooting that puck after the whistle. he knows better than that. good on the coach for benching him.

[mikey287]

Upset specials today...the Germans shutout the Czechs 3-0 (Germany has looked awful so far, porous defensively, just bad...this was extremely unexpected) and then the Russians coast around aimlessly (minus, maybe Valentin Zykov) with their backup goalie (Nalimov) and lose to Finland 4-1...

Next up now: Canada vs. Slovakia then Switzerland and Norway at 1 pm Eastern

[meow]

I can't believe that Czech kid that shoved the linesman out of the way to get to McDavid only got 2 minutes. he should send the linesman flowers after the tourney.
also related: McDavid was dbag for shooting that puck after the whistle. he knows better than that. good on the coach for benching him.

?? I thought he got a match. He is definitely suspended for their next game.

[Gaucho]

So Leon Draisaitl is hot stuff?

[mikey287]

Yeah, great vision. He's been on my radar for a couple years now...only thing is his footwork...little bit of the bambi legs, high center of gravity, not really fast...but he can move the puck well...him and Dominik Kahun have been a terrific duo thus far for the Germans...