Shouldn't even be a debate anymore

Wallstedt>>Askarov

Am I missing something with Slafkovsky? He was really good in the last ten minutes and was always pretty solid with the puck all game but is just terrible off the puck IMO. Why was he player of the game? Nemec isn’t bad defensively, was wrong about that, his off puck offensive play isn’t great though. Frequently just drops too low in the zone aimlessly or fails to hold the line. Mesar is the same complaint as always. Sometimes overskates the play before it happens. The good for all three is as previously stated with Slafkovsky. With Nemec, hes got a really good breakout pass, good in the offensive zone, good defensively just all around solid besides my previous complaint. Mesar is a puck hound, almost Mangiapane like. I love his game.

Knight>>Askarov

Askarov is criminally overrated

2022 rankings today

1. Filip Mesar
2. Simon Nemec
3. Juraj Slafkovsky

No Wright, Jiricek, Cooley

Didn’t see Lambert, Kemell

Watched one shift of Yurov, looked solid

Overall 2022 rankings this tournament

1. Brad Lambert
2. Simon Nemec
3. Logan Cooley
4. Filip Mesar
5. Joakim Kemell
6. Juraj Slafkovsky

Still haven’t watched Wright or enough of Yurov

I really like Xavier Bourgault but EDM should have picked Wallstedt

Agreed

I wonder what the Preds will do with him based on Saros' emergence and Askarov's disappointing play

He was already breaking SHL records and so onto the next achievement be the best WJC Swedish goalie seen in like forever lul

is that an actual person

No, it's just Ivan Ivan, plays for Czechia

ah

still a funny yet awesome name

his middle name is, in fact, Ivan, which was revealed during the game and led to this photo

https://www.reddit.com/r/hockey/comments/rpadr2/gord_miller_reveals_ivan_ivans_middle_name_during/

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that was debunked after, it's not actually true

I'm going to forever rub salt in the eyes of Oilers management for that asinine trade-down. Bourgault's a much more fun player than I had anticipated but for a team that needed that x-factor in net with Wallstedt staring them right in the face? Galaxy brain.

I'm glad Skinner has at least shown the makings of an NHL net minder. Hopefully the fans in Oil Country don't make it his fault in 5 or 6 years when Jesper becomes synonymous with the Vezina.



They give Askarov time. It's the pinnacle of luxuries if you're a Predators fan: let Ingram show his stuff while you give Yaro every opportunity he needs. If Saros is thrivingand holding the fort they don't need Askarov to be a starter overnight.

Kemell was hurt for all of November which may explain him not quite looking like himself

Personally, while pretty bold, compare the Xavier > Wallstedt to the Boucher pick. Not EVEN CLOSE TO the ludicrous idea of selecting Boucher - but in terms of flat out dumb, I think it was nearly as dumb as picking Boucher. Xavier is obviously gonna be a good prospect to watch and he has potential to be a top6 mainstay. But Wallstedt - the drum I’ve basically beaten the **** out of so much I’m just swinging at air - is flat out franchise level. He’s not a guarantee but that kid is sick. I loved his debut last year in the WJ and I’m excited to see what he’ll do this tourney (with already a strong showcase).

Jesper Wallstedt stopped all 48 shots he faced en route to a 3-0 Sweden SHUTOUT win over Slovakia! He was by far their best player. He now improves to 2-0 in the World Junior Tournament. Overall, he has stopped 75/78 SOG in the tourney. #mnwild pic.twitter.com/vQssQiSecC

— Wild Prospects & Young Players (@mnwprospects) December 28, 2021

He’s 6’3 so not massive but he’s thick, plays incredibly skilled in the net and is active yet calm. He’s an exciting goalie to watch because of the pure potential he possesses. His ceiling is basically your franchise calibre goalie imo.

Askarov has posted just a .897 SV% over 12 WJC games spread over three tournaments.
He has a career mark of .936 spread over 15 KHL games
I would advise fans not to get too hung up with World Junior performances.

Leaf fans know all to well how that can play out: Justin Pogge 6-0-0 with an astounding 1.00 GAA and a .952 SV% in the six games, three of which were shutouts.

Yeah, look at how they play and not just the base stats as WJC's depending on which team you play for can be misleading

I am shocked by my own self. I got at least one score right in each game, and I got the Sweden game score right entirely. Anyways, here are my predictions for today:

USA beats Switzerland 5-0
Canada beats Austria 7-0

Gonna be bold and predict two shutouts today.

I mean, depending on who's in net for Canada, may be a bit bold

Expect Logan Stankoven (DAL) to make his World Juniors debut tonight against Austria. With Xavier Bourgault and Justin Sourdif out, Canada down to just 12 forwards.

— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) December 28, 2021

Yesssir!

I'll go 4-1 USA over the Swiss, 5-0 Canada over Austria.

Day 2 Recap

Finland 7, Austria 1
Finland goals: Ville Koivunen (Carolina Hurricanes) (2), Samuel Helenius (Calgary Flames), Kasper Simontaival (Los Angeles Kings), Kalle Vaisanen (New York Rangers), Topi Niemela (Toronto Maple Leafs), Brad Lambert(2022)
Austria goal: Martin Urbanek

Finland goalie: Juha Jatkola, 8 saves on 9 shots faced
Austria goalie: Sebastian Wraneschitz, 41 saves on 48 shots faced

Russia 4, Switzerland 2
Russia goals: Danila Yurov(2022), Dmitri Zlodeyev (Vancouver Canucks), Pavel Tyutnev, Matvei Michkov(2023)
Switzerland goals: Attilio Biasca, Fabian Ritzmann

Russia goalie: Yegor Guskov, 16 saves on 18 shots faced
Switzerland goalie: Kevin Pasche, 28 saves on 32 shots faced

Germany 2, Czechia 1 (OT)
Germany goals: Alexander Blank(2022)(2)
Czechia goal: Jan Mysak (Montreal Canadiens)

Germany goalie: Florian Bugl(2022), 39 saves on 40 shots faced
Czechia goalie: Jan Bednar (Detroit Red Wings), 30 saves on 32 shots faced

Sweden 3, Slovakia 0
Sweden goals: Theodor Niederbach (Detroit Red Wings), Albert Sjoberg (Dallas Stars), Daniel Ljungman (Dallas Stars)
Slovakia goals: None.

Sweden goalie: Jesper Wallstedt (Minnesota Wild), 48-save shutout
Slovakia goalie: Simon Latkoczy(2022), 24 saves on 26 shots faced (58:07)

Top Performances
Jesper Wallstedt, G, Sweden (MIN)
Florian Bugl, G, Germany
Topi Niemelä, D, Finland (TOR)
Ville Koivunen, LW, Finland (CAR)
Brad Lambert, RW, Finland (2022)
Alexander Blank, LW, Germany (2022)
Dmitri Zlodeyev, RW, Russia (VAN)
Simon Nemec, D, Slovakia (2022)
Juraj Slafkovsky, RW, Slovakia (2022)

USA beats Switzerland 5-0
Canada beats Austria 10-0 (Stankoven hat trick)

Sounds like there may be a testing issue with Team USA at #WorldJuniors. Awaiting further word after coach Nate Leaman’s availability was postponed, but possible that today’s game against Switzerland is in doubt.

— Chris Peters (@chrismpeters) December 28, 2021

And so it begins

Here’s what I am hearing: USA 🇺🇸- SUI🇨🇭 today is, for now, “postponed.” Efforts being made to maintain USA-SWE tomorrow and reschedule USA-SUI but if it can’t be rescheduled it would be a USA forfeit because the issue today is on the American team. https://t.co/MpI4z2QRAR

— Bobby Margarita (@TSNBobMcKenzie) December 28, 2021

Not looking good. Word is that it involves the U.S. goaltending group.