The 2024 World Junior Championship is in the books as Team USA defeats Sweden by a score of 6-2 to win the Gold Medal.
What a game it was. The two best teams in the tournament were facing off for the Gold Medal. These two groups of 2004 players do not like each other. They have a history at the Under 18 World Championships, not to mention last year at the World Juniors in the Bronze Medal Game. This was not going to be a friendly game. There was dislike between these two clubs.
Similar to the Bronze Medal, there were a lot of ebbs and flows to the game, along with swings in momentum. The question was going to be who was going to take the last momentum swing to capture the Gold Medal. However, Team USA made sure the momentum stayed with them.
Early on, Team Sweden dominated Team USA with their forecheck and speed. They were moving the Americans outside the dots to get chances on Trey Augustine. However, Augustine was equal to the test. Augustine has been rock solid for Team USA since giving up the first two goals to Finland in the semifinals.
As in the Finland game, Augustine’s rebound control was excellent. His play kept the Americans in the first period, allowing them to score the first goal on a delayed penalty call. Who else but the Boston College Line. It starts with New Jersey Devils prospect Seamus Casey entering the zone, and from there, Team USA went to work. Will Smith take a shot as Gabe Perreault cuts across the middle of the ice, deflecting the shot past Hugo Havelid.
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However, Sweden’s forecheck got to the Americans and Trey Augustine. Otto Stenberg deflected home a shot from Mattias Havelid from a pass from the other Elias Pettersson, who plays defense for Sweden. Team Sweden tried to use their forecheck to continue to gain momentum and turn the crowd in their favor.
However, that is when Team USA went to work. On a simple dump-in by Sweden, Team USA’s Drew Fortescue ripped a puck up the wall to Howard as he broke into the Swedish zone to score his first of the game. Then Howard got his second of the game on a bad angle shot to make it 3-1 Team USA.
Team USA had gained momentum and looked to have it even more after Rutger McGroarty made the body check of the tournament on Felix Unger Sorum. McGroarty came back on a back check and delivered a clean hit. Swedes were rallied.
HUGE hit by Rutger McGroarty 😳#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/Mflk7OpKx9
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 5, 2024
As McGroarty told TSN, he loves playing the role of the “Villain” on the road.
“Who doesn’t love being the villain.”
Rutger McGroarty spoke with @KenzieTSN after the 1st period.#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/XIAEXI9iW3
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 5, 2024
The pace picked up, and there were missed calls back and forth. It led to chippy play between these two teams. Again, these teams do not like each other. That led Sweden to draw a penalty, leading to Jonathan Lekkerimaki’s power-play goal on a feed from Axel Sandi Pelikka and Noah Ostlund.
It appeared Sweden had the momentum as we saw in the Bronze Medal Game as a late goal changed everything for Czechia. However, the Americans ensured that goal did not change the game as they regained a two-goal lead on a Zeev Buium. Perreault won a draw to Smith, who got it to Buium for the goal.
Team USA did not allow Sweden to find the middle of the ice in the third period, up 4-2. This allowed Ryan Leonard to strip the Swedish defenseman of the puck to make it 5-2. The BC Line dominated this tournament for Team USA. Then McGroarty made it 6-2 as the captain left his mark on the game and the tournament.
The best team in the 2024 World Junior Championship won the Gold Medal as Team USA went undefeated. The 2004 Group can call themselves Golden.
Cutter Gauthier was named the best forward of the 2024 World Juniors.
Jonathan Lekkerimäki was named Tournament MVP
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