The quarterfinals for this game were filled with physicality, great goaltending, and competition from both teams. Team Finland matched up against Team Slovakia for the fourth game of the day.
Finland:
Finland has shown that they can play as a five-man unit on the ice for the entirety of the 60 minutes. Finland dominated the game from the very start against Slovakia. In the first game of the tournament, Finland lost in a 4-0 shutout to Team Canada. They finished three wins to finish the preliminary round. Finland also beat Team USA in an overtime battle, 4-3. Finland has a structured game and has been excellent on the penalty kill thus far in the tournament.
One standout player in this game for Finland was Konsta Helenius. He is very good when going off the rush and can see the puck in the offensive zone. Helenius doesn’t stay still, makes quick movements, and can make plays to his linemates. During the preliminary round, Helenius had three assists and averaged nearly 19 minutes per game. Helenius is a prospect for the Buffalo Sabres.
Goalscorers for Finland:
- Jesse Kiiskinen
- Jesse Nurmi x2
- Kasper Halttunen
- Rasmus Kumpulainen
Slovakia:
Slovakia is a physical team and will take advantage of the opposing team if they lack discipline in play. They are a skilled team and can capitalize on powerplays if necessary. Slovakia was slow to get started in the first period but eventually came back in the second period and looked cohesive as a unit.
A stand-out player during the tournament is St. Louis Blues 2023 first-round prospect Dalibor Dvorsky. Dvorsky is in his fourth and final year of the tournament. Dvorsky has played in 27 games for the AHL Affiliate, Springfield Thunderbirds. He has notched 11 goals with 10 assists. Dvorksy earned the “C” on his sweater for this tournament. When time and space plays on his side, he will throw the puck to the net. He can read the ice and locate his teammates and has the ability to keep the puck even when under pressure. Dvorsky is a creative player whose potential is very high for when he hits the NHL with St. Louis.
Goalscorers for Slovakia:
- Juraj Pekarcik
- Robert Fedor
- Dalibor Dvorsky
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