World Juniors Preview: Canada vs. Latvia
Wednesday, December 27 | 1:30 p.m. ET | Gothenburg, Sweden | Preliminary Round
GAME NOTES: CANADA VS. LATVIA (DEC. 27)
Canada’s National Junior Team is correct again to motion on the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship as takes on Latvia for simply the fourth time ever in its second preliminary-round recreation.
Last Game
Canada kicked off the World Juniors with a 5-2 win over Finland in entrance of a raucous (and largely Canadian) crowd of 9,837 on Boxing Day. Nate Danielson and Maveric Lamoureux had a aim and help every. Owen Allard, Macklin Celebrini and Matthew Poitras rounded out the scoring, whereas Mathis Rousseau made 24 saves within the victory.
Latvia fell to Sweden 6-0 in its match opener on Monday. Deivs Rolovs made 29 saves within the Latvian aim, whereas Rodzers Bukarts, Kristfers Krumins and Emil Veckaktins led the best way with three pictures on aim apiece.
Last Meeting
Canada’s final assembly in opposition to Latvia was a 5-2 win within the opener of the 2022 World Juniors. Connor Bedard, Ridly Greig, William Dufour, Lukas Cormier and Olen Zellweger all discovered the again of the online because the Canadians peppered Latvian goaltender Patriks Berzins with 44 pictures on aim, breaking the sport open with three unanswered objectives within the second interval.
What to Watch
If historical past is any indication, we ought to be in for loads of offence. Canada and Latvia have met three different instances, through which the Canadians have outscored the Latvians 31-4 and outshot them by a large 130-59 margin.
Latvian ahead Dans Locmelis is one participant to keep watch over. The 19-year-old is a 2022 fourth-round draft choose of the Boston Bruins who’s presently enjoying NCAA hockey on the University of Massachusetts, the place he’s received 5 factors in 4 video games. Another one to look at is 19-year-old Florida Panthers prospect, Sandis Vilmanis. Currently enjoying within the OHL with the Sarnia Sting, the winger has 28 factors in 30 video games.
A Look Back
As talked about earlier, these groups have a really temporary historical past, having solely confronted off three earlier instances (2010, 2017 and 2022).
Canada’s first assembly in opposition to Latvia on Boxing Day 2009 was a 16-0 victory through which Gabriel Bourque put up a record-tying seven factors (3-4—7) whereas Jordan Eberle, Brandon Kozun, Patrice Cormier, Nazem Kadri and Luke Adam every scored twice. At the 2017 World Juniors, 16 gamers, together with Taylor Raddysh – who tied a Canadian report with 4 objectives – picked up a minimum of one level in a 10-2 win.
All-time report: Canada leads 3-0-0
Canada objectives: 31
Latvia objectives: 4
