WORLD DOMINATION COMPLETE: USA Beats The Brakes Off Of Sweden To Win Gold At The World Juniors
ADAM IHSE/TT. Getty Images.Who: USA vs Sweden
What: World Juniors gold medal game
When: 1:30pm EST
Where: Gothenburg, Sweden // NHL Network
Why: Because God put the United States of America on this planet to kick the shit out of everybody else.
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Well, boys and girls, we're finally here. The game that everybody has been waiting for. But first, let's get ourselves properly pumped up.
Over the years, USA vs Sweden has quickly become the best rivalry in hockey. At the 2022 U18 World Championships it was Sweden winning gold over USA. At the 2023 U18 World Championships it was USA winning gold over Sweden. At the 2023 World Juniors it was Team USA winning the bronze medal over Sweden. So these group of '04 and '05 birth years have been going to war against each other for a while now, and this is the biggest matchup of them all--the gold medal game at the World Juniors, and it just happens to be in Sweden this year.
This game is going to rule so fucking hard. There are stars all over the ice today. Axel Sandin-Pellikka (DET '23, 1st rd) is probably the best defenseman at this tournament. Cutter Gauthier (PHI '22, 1st rd), Gavin Brindley (CBJ '22, 2nd rd) and Jimmy Snuggerud (STL '22, 1st rd) have all been as lethal as it gets offensively so far. Jonathan Lekkerimäki (VAN '22, 1st rd) led the 2022 U18 Worlds in scoring when Sweden won gold, and now he's tied for 2nd in scoring at this tournament with Brindley. Will Smith (SJS '23, 1st rd) led the 2023 U18 Worlds in scoring when USA won gold, and now he's headlining the most dangerous line in the game with BC teammates Gabe Perreault (NYR '23, 1st rd) and Ryan Leonard (WSH '23, 1st rd). Just high end, future NHL all star talent all across the ice today. It's going to be an insane game with an insane crowd.
Now even though both these teams are loaded, these are still a bunch of 18 and 19-year-old kids we're talking about. So there will probably be some mistakes early, there will be a few jitters going on. But once both these teams settle into the game, anything can happen. Obviously my heart wants USA for this one, but my brain has no idea what to make of it. So clear your schedule, buckle up, and let's watch the one game this tournament was coming down to all along. Live blog is activated.
End of the 1st: USA 1 -- Sweden 0
Sweden was dominating for the first half of that first period. They were all over the puck and it looked like Team USA was sleep walking. But the best way to get the boys buzzing out there is to put one in the back of the net out of nowhere to steal some momentum. And that's exactly what they did here 6v5 thanks to a delayed penalty against Sweden.
The Boston College line does it again! Filthy clap pass from Will Smith (SJS '23, 1st rd), and a great redirection from Gabe Perreault (NYR '23, 1st rd) to get the Americans on the board first. Huge goal.
It wasn't the prettiest period by any stretch, but it's always great going back into the locker room with a lead. 20 down, 40 to go.
End of the 2nd: USA 3 -- Sweden 2
Trey Augustine has been nails this tournament, but the play against him is definitely just to get pucks on net. Because even though he'll come up with some huge saves 95% of the time, sometimes a little deflection like this one from Otto Stenberg (STL '23, 1st rd) get through his five hole.
It's a great tip, and now we've got a tie game.
The one thing Team USA is leaps and bounds better than any other team in this tournament is getting behind defensemen to spring themselves on breakaways. They do it time and time again. This time it was Drew Fortescue (NYR '23, 3rd rd) sending Isaac Howard (TBL '23, 1st rd) in all alone and The Ice Man buried it.
That goal was as USA hockey as it gets.
And if one goal in the period wasn't enough already, Isaac Howard did the damn thing again just a few minutes later to give the boys a 3-1 lead.
Great work by Gavin Brindley (CBJ '22, 2nd rd) and the fellas dominating the possession that shift. They had the Swedes running all over the place and the Ice Man delivered once again. The villains are cooking right now. And the villains are also bodying the shit out of these soft little Swedes out there.
That's just big boy hockey right there. They don't teach that in Europe.
The game is getting heated out there, and unfortunately a little too heated. So USA takes a tripping penalty late in the period, and here comes Jonathan Lekkerimaki (VAN '22, 1st rd) to make this a game again on the powerplay.
Massive got in the final 10 seconds of the period to give the Swedes life and get the fans all the way back into this thing. These final 20 minutes are going to be a battle. Lock in.
End of the Game: USA 6 -- Sweden 2
There's only one kid on this US roster who hasn't been drafted by an NHL team already. That's because he isn't old enough yet. Zeev Buium is eligible for the 2024 NHL Draft, and he may have just sent his stock skyrocketing after getting the 2-goal lead back for USA here.
What a shot. Absolute piss missile. There's a reason why he's one of the best point producing defensemen in college hockey this year as a freshman, and you saw it right there.
HOLY SHIT RYAN LEONARD (WSH '23, 1st rd). WHAT AN INDIVIDUAL EFFORT. WHAT A LEGEND. WHAT A CELLY.
That kid is an absolute stud. And that right there is the dagger. Captain America, Rutger McGroarty (WPG '22, 1st rd), provides another empty netter for insurance. But shoutout to Ryan Leonard for ripping Sweden's heart right out of their chest and stomping all over it.
THE BOYS HAVE DONE IT. OUR BEAUTIFUL BOYS ARE GOLDEN. USA HOCKEY IS DO OR DIE, THE THE BOYS DID.
Shit got a little hectic at the end of the game, but the men took care of business. Added a little extra ass kicking in there for good measure. Fuckin' see ya, Sweden.
Crown the kings!