An Epic Battle Looms

I had written in a previous article that Canada and the USA World Junior teams would most likely end up playing for the gold medal in this year's World Junior Championship tournament. However, thanks to a bump in the road called Sweden, Canada and the USA will square off in the semi-final rather than the final. The USA earned the bye by finishing atop their pool, and had today off. Canada, meanwhile, finished second in their pool, and advanced to the semi-final by downing Finland 4-2 today. Let's preview this battle for right to appear in the Under-20 Championship game.

We're On A Mission

Both teams appear to have one goal in mind: a gold medal. Canada is looking to win their fourth straight gold medal at the World Junior Championships. After having their undefeated streak broken by the Swedes earlier in the tournament, the Canadians seem to have refocused themselves in being committed to winning by doing the little things right. Having been forced to eat some "humble pie" by the Swedes, the sting of that loss may be the catalyst for this hockey team.

The USA have been walking with a swagger in the Czech Republic, and for good reason. The Americans have looked solid thus far in the tournament, dispatching their biggest test in Russia by a score of 3-2. The Americans also have the top three scorers in the tournament thus far in James vanRiemsdyk (4G,6A), Colin Wilson (6G,1A), and Jordan Schroeder (0G,7A). Of the 17 goals scored by the Americans thus far, vanRiemsdyk and Wilson have 10 of them. While there are still some small question marks in the American game, they handled the Finns and Russians in their pool with some ease.

Advantage: USA. They have shown much more offence than the Canadians thus far, and a few goals could sink the ship of the offensively-challenged Canadians.

Offence Versus Defence

If there is one thing that the Americans have shown thus far, it's the ability to score goals, particularly with the two players listed above. They have some excellent grinders and muckers as well, and it could be these guys who make the difference in the game. Wilson and vanRiemsdyk will most likely see a lot of the Canadian defensive pairing of Drew Doughty and Karl Alzner.

Goaltender Joe Palmer has been solid in the USA net, and he'll square off with Steve Mason. Palmer has been good for the Americans, and has received a ton of help from his defencemen in the tournament as well. They've cleared rebounds, kept the front of the net clear, and blocked shots for Palmer throughout the tournament. Steve Mason has a lot more big-game experience than Palmer, however, and should be comfortable in the Canadian net. He's looked solid as well, and should provide the goaltending that Canada needs to advance. The Canadian defensive group has seemed a little shaky at times, but shows remarkable recovery and chase-down speed when an assignment is missed.

The one thing that hurts Canada is its ability to generate offence. The Canadians forecheck well, but get caught looking to make an extra pass sometimes. John Tavares will have to show the talent he showcased in the OHL last year when he scored 72 goals. Kyle Turris, Brad Marchand, and Claude Giroux will have to be buzzing around the net if Canada wants to outwork the mobile American defencemen.

Advantage: Canada. Goaltending and defence can shut down an offence. With the exception of about six minutes in that Sweden game, Canada has played shutdown hockey for the tournament, and this game should be no exception.

Feel The Pain

I have a strong feeling that this game will feature a lot of hits. Both teams will want to play physical to give them an edge. The Canadians have shown that they don't have a problem throwing the body, but Brandon Sutter has been playing hurt and may not throw the body quite as readily. Luke Schenn, Colton Gillies, and Stefan Legein will all be throwing their weight around for the Canadians as well.

The Americans have a few players who can throw the body well. Ryan Flynn looks to put his big 6'3" frame into a few red-and-white clad players. Blake Geoffrion and Jonathan Blum also can dish out a few bone-crushing checks. I expect the Americans to give just as much as they take, making this one of the more entertaining games of the tournament.

Where this game may be decided is in discipline. Both teams have shown a killer instinct on the powerplay, and that might be all that it takes to break this game wide open for one of the two teams.

Advantage: Canada. I just haven't seen enough of the American team to know exactly how physical they play. Canada has taken a few dumb penalties, but their penalty-killing has been great thus far.

The Early Bird

Where I think the Americans have a distinct advantage is their offensive abilities. This may prove valuable in scoring an early goal. The Canadians have been slow starters in their games thus far, and that doesn't bode well against the high-octane offence of the Americans.

If the Canadians continue to struggle to score early on in their games, they could find themselves behind if the Americans can capitalize on some early scoring chances. The Canadians haven't had much adversity besides the Sweden win, so that may play to the Americans' favour.

However, the flip side of the coin is also true. The Americans have yet to face any serious adversity, and it will be interesting to see how they respond if Canada can get up a goal or two early in the game.

Advantage: USA. The Canadians haven't played well in the opening 20 minutes yet, and that plays directly into the hands of the powerful American offence.

Overall Entertainment

Personally, I think this game will end with one team winning by a two-goal margin. It will most likely be due to an empty-net goal. However, another classic shootout is also a possibility, and I'd like to see that as well.

Canada has to come out strong and fast against the Americans, who had today off. If they don't, the Americans will probably swing the game in their favour, and the Canadians cannot afford to let that happen.

All in all, it looks like another epic battle between the two North American nations, and I can't wait for the puck to hit the ice!

Oh yeah, and Canada will win the game. I can't speak against my Canadian pride, can I? Listen to it live on one of the websites listed here (scroll to the bottom), or find a place that's showing the game on TV. It should be a great game!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!