It was a best case scenario for the Florida Panthers prospects at the World Junior Championship in Edmonton on Saturday as four out of the five advanced to the semifinal round.
Devon Levi stopped 29 shots for his second shutout of the tournament as number one seed Canada posted a 3-0 win over the Czech Republic to set up a final four meeting with Russia, who edged a game Germany by a 2-1 count.
The Czechs almost squeeze one by Devon Levi pic.twitter.com/r5NZgoACSK
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 3, 2021
Levi, an unheralded seventh round pick in 2020, is now 5-0 with a 0.64 GAA and a .966 save percentage, all tournament bests.
Spencer Knight turned aside 16 of the 18 shots he faced in the United States 5-2 win over Slovakia, who put up a decent fight.
Knight, a sophomore at Boston College, is now 3-1 with a 1.70 GAA, .924 save percentage and 2 shutouts.
Moments before Slovakia scored their second goal, Spencer Knight may have made his best save of the game after two blocked shots from the Americans. #USAWJC #WorldJuniors #FlaPanthers pic.twitter.com/KZb3DjSQhb
— Stars n’ Stripes Hockey (@StarsStripesHKY) January 3, 2021
Anton Lundell scored the game-tying goal on a a power play with 8:56 remaining in regulation as Finland went on to nip arch-rival Sweden 3-2 to set up a Monday meeting with the Americans.
🚨 TIE GAME!!!
Anton Lundell ties it up for Finland and we’re in for a big ending. pic.twitter.com/8bP6xdx198
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 2, 2021
Lundell finished the game with four shots on goal, went 11 of 22 on faceoffs, and posted a +1 rating in 20:27 of ice time, which was tops among Finland’s forwards.
The 19-year-old center has 4 goals and 3 assists in five games. He leads the Finns in goals and is tied with defenseman Topi Niemela in points.
Defenseman Kasper Puutio played on Finland’s third pairing and logged 13:16 TOI and finished the game with a -1 rating.
Emil Heineman will return to Leksands of the Swedish Hockey League following Sweden’s loss. Heineman took the tripping penalty that led to Lundell’s goal. He finished the tilt with one shot and an even rating in 14:43 TOI.
The 19-year-old Heinemann played on Sweden’s third line during the tournament and scored a shorthanded goal and totaled seven shots and a +1 rating.
Monday’s semifinals
Canada (Levi) vs. Russia 6 p.m. NHL Network
United States (Knight) vs. Finland (Lundell, Puutio) 9:30 p.m. NHL Network