WJHC semifinals: Sweden vs. Czechia, USA vs. Finland
Sweden defeated Switzerland 3-2 in overtime to wrap up the quarterfinals Tuesday at the 2024 World Junior Hockey Championship.
With that, the two semifinal matchups are known: The United States will take on Finland, and host Sweden will battle Czechia.
| Higher seed | Lower seed | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| No. 2 Sweden 🇸🇪 | No. 5 Czechia 🇨🇿 | 9 a.m. |
| No. 1 United States 🇺🇸 | No. 6 Finland 🇫🇮 | 1:30 p.m. |
Both semifinal matchups will take place Thursday before the medal games Friday. Wednesday is an off day.
The United States and Sweden will both enter their matchups as favorites. The Americans are undefeated and averaging a robust 7.2 goals per game. The Swedes have yet to lose in regulation and have been stingy defensively, allowing a tournament-low 1.4 goals per contest.
Neither the Czechs nor the Finns should be taken lightly, though. Czechia is coming off an impressive upset over two-time defending champion Canada, and Finland is the only team to beat Sweden.
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