Top standouts from Finland vs. Germany at 2024 World Junior Championship
Germany entered Wednesday’s contest having lost all 25 previous meetings with Finland.
Today, they’re now 1-25 after beating Finland 4-3 in the wildest game of the 2024 World Junior Championship so far.
The Finns are now 0-2 this year, putting them in a difficult position heading into their game against Latvia on Friday. Suddenly, that game could be important in seeing who’ll have to play in the relegation round. And while the win doesn’t guarantee anything for the Germans, who many expected to finish last in Group A, it does give them some extra breathing room, with the expectation that they might just need one more point to stay alive.
The game was a true back-and-forth affair, with Veit Oswald scoring at 5:58. Three minutes later, Tommi Mannisto scored on a breakaway to make it 1-0, giving the Finns some life after getting outshot 13-6 in the first. The second period started as wild as it gets. Kasper Halttunen scored at 21:27 to give the Finns their first lead, but Germany’s Niklas Hubner and Finland’s Samu Bau both scored to make it three goals in 98 seconds.
The Germans then fought back, with Roman Kechter scoring to make it 3-3 at 33:07. A minute and a half later, Oswald’s second proved to be the game-winner, with the Germans doing enough to hang on for the 4-3 victory.
In more unfortunate news, Germany’s projected No. 1 goaltender, Simon Wolf, returned back to Germany due to health reasons. That means Nico Pertuch would take his spot, with Philipp Dietl taking over as the starter.
Finland
#34 Tommi Mannisto, LW (Undrafted): Mannisto is one of the best skaters in the tournament, and the first Finnish goal was a perfect example of that. He forced a turnover and created a breakaway chance, scoring on his team’s second shot of the game. The way he used his speed to break past the defenders in front was impressive, helping to give the Finns some life after a brutal start. He kicked off the tournament as the 13th forward but saw his opportunities grow on the fourth line, a solid energy trio with Samu Bau and Emil Hemming.
#21 Samu Bau, C (Arizona Coyotes): Bau was beaten on Germany’s first goal, but the 6-foot-5 center made his presence known the rest of the way. He nabbed two assists, adding on to what’s been a solid U-20 team year for him. While his game isn’t built on offense, few players in this tournament can be as difficult to steal the puck from. Special shoutout to Emil Hemming, who has looked good in both games.
#22 Kasper Halttunen, RW (San Jose Sharks): Halttunen has one of the best shots in the tournament, and it led to Finland’s 2-1 goal after he whistled it past goaltender Philipp Dietl’s head and in. He had five shots in the first two periods alone and had a good chance on a breakaway with eight minutes to go, but only had the goal to show for. It feels like it’s just a matter of time until he gets one on the power play.
Germany
#13 Veit Oswald, LW (Undrafted): It’s easy to place him here just because he scored, but Oswald does a lot of good things around the net. His relentless effort to keep his eyes on the puck led to Germany’s go-ahead goal in the first period. He then nearly scored 30 seconds into the second on a great chance that Kokko somehow kept up. Oswald would score a second goal later in the frame to make it a 4-3 game, giving the momentum back to the Germans after struggling to get chances on net. With Germany having very few offensive weapons to draw from, the WJC returnee is key to keeping Germany in the top division.
#27 Niklas Hubner, D (Undrafted): With no goals of any kind since 2022, it didn’t seem likely that Hubner would be one of Germany’s goal-scorers here. But I thought he looked good on his goal, pinching in on a rush he started himself from around the German net. He’s difficult to push around, and his game is built more about staying at home, but that had to feel good in the push to win this game.
#14 Kevin Bicker, LW (Detroit Red Wings): Bicker had an assist today, setting up Hubner’s goal that made it 3-2. He was good on the rush today, setting up teammates for scoring chances throughout the first 40 minutes in particular. I’d like to see Bicker take a bigger leap with this German team, but I thought he did a good job defensively.
#24 Roman Kechter, C (Undrafted): Kechter is one of Germany’s hardest-working players. He looks for chances in front to net, but then he’ll battle back to break up a chance at the other end. His goal today was exactly what we’ve come to see from him this season, poking in a rebound from Moritz Elias at 33:07 to make it a 3-3 game. Kechter just didn’t give up at any point today, so it was nice to see him rewarded.
#29 Philipp Dietl, G (Undrafted): Dietl entered the tournament as the projected backup, but was suddenly thrust into the starter’s gig. He had a great start, but it was his third-period effort where he made 16 saves that helped secure the win. No pressure to Dietl, but he’ll need another performance like that to keep Germany in this tournament, but that was one heck of a start.
Nation Gear’s Boxing Week Bonanza is BIGGER and BETTER than ever! From Dec 26th-31st, 2023, save 15% on ALL merch & unlock FREE shipping on orders over $200. Check out the collections and grab some gear at nationgear.ca