It was another slower day at the World Junior Championship in Malmo, Sweden, with only two games on the docket, but for the teams from Germany and Normay, those games couldn’t end soon enough.
The United States kicked the day off with a 8-0 romp over Germany, while Sweden cruised to an even more impressive 10-0 cruise over Norway.
United States – Germany:
The US started off the game a little shaky, giving up a 5-3 powerplay less than two minutes in, but killed it off successfully and took complete control of the game from there. They led 2-0 after one, 6-0 after two, and added two goals in the third period just for good measure. A whopping six of the US’ goals came on the powerplay, going 6-for-11 in the game.
It was a complete team effort from the Americans, with seven different players scoring goals. 2012 Chicago Blackhawks 6th round pick Vince Hinostroza led the team in points with two goals and two assists. Anthony Stolarz got the start in net in place of a resting Jon Gillies, and easily turned aside all 15 shots that he faced.
The US now has Monday off, allowing them plenty of time to prepare for an another epic traditional New Year’s match versus Canada.
Sweden – Norway:
The second game of the day didn’t differ too much from the first.
Sweden jumped out to a 3-0 lead by the end of the first and kept their foot on the gas for the remainder of the game, providing quite a spectacle for their home country fans. It was never even close. Sweden led the game in shots by a considerable 45-13 margin.
Seven different Swedish players registered three-point games, showcasing their remarkable forward talent: four of those players – Elias Lindholm, Filip Forsberg, Andre Burakovsky and Alexander Wennberg – are all 1st round NHL draft picks, while two others – Sebastian Collberg and Nick Sorensen – are 2nd rounders.
Sweden’s toughest challenge of the round robin comes on Tuesday against the high-flying Russians. For Norway, their return to the top level of international junior hockey has been a forgettable one. They have been outscore by 26-1 in the tournament so far.