Team USA has been wonderful to start the World Junior Championship which was expected due to the talent and chemistry of the roster.
With stars like James Hagens, Gabe Perreault, Ryan Leonard, and Zeev Buium leading the way, Blackhawks prospect is a depth piece that tells you how deep the team is.
On Sunday, Team USA went up against Team Finland who is always a tough opponent every year. The Americans are a much deeper team but the Finnish play a style that leans on being sound positionally and doing the little things at a high level.
Finland did just that to the Americans on Sunday. It was a close-contested game that saw each team lead during regulation before it went to overtime tied at three.
In OT, the Finnish completed the upset when Tuomas Uronen beat USA goaltender Trey Augustine. It was a stunning moment for Team USA as they got a quick wake-up call telling them that anything could happen at this tournament if you don’t play well for even one shift.
Now both the United States and Canada each have an overtime loss in this tournament and they both entered the event as the favorites (they have combined to win the last five).
So now we know that the Finnish are a team to keep an eye on the rest of the way. Team Sweden has also asserted itself as a legitimate contender.
The bright side for the Blackhawks here is that Oliver Moore found his way onto the scoresheet in this one. He assisted on his Team USA line-mate Brodie Ziemer’s goal that tied the game in the third. Ziemer is also his linemate at the University of Minnesota.
Moore also had an assist one night prior in their 5-1 win over Latvia. He’s been playing a sound defensive game, using his speed to make a difference in all situations, and is continuing offensively. That’s exactly what the Blackhawks are hoping to get from him at the NHL level one day.
Now, Team USA and Canada have their faceoff on New Year’s Eve at the Canadian Tire Center in Ottawa. Both teams are going to advance regardless of the outcome but this is the tournament’s biggest rivalry on the big stage.
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