MONCTON, New Brunswick – The World Junior Championship is underway, but like so many across the globe, my tournament started late due to travel. However, throughout the tournament, I’ll be delivering some daily observations including thoughts on teams, results and a lot of comments about players and prospects I’m watching throughout this tournament.

I’ve had to catch up on games on video, but I’m on the ground now and will be providing extensive Team USA coverage, plus analysis of the tournament at large all the way through the gold medal game including several of these kinds of columns on various observations throughout the tournament.

These posts will often be shorter, quick-hitting pieces, but since I had some catching up to do...

Panic In Canada?

I have a general rule when it comes to the World Juniors: No sweeping conclusions based on the first game. You should never really make drastic conclusions on any one game – not about a player or a team. It was, however, jarring to see Canada not only lose, but lose by three goals to Czechia in front of a home crowd in a game that you knew they were amped up for.

I know a lot has been made about two failed attempts at The Michigan, but that’s not why Canada lost. The 13:42 Czechia got on the power play sure had a lot more to do with it. And unfortunately for Canada, the position that looked like their Achilles heel was as Ben Gaudreau (SJS) gave up five goals on 17 shots in less than 30 minutes between the pipes. Thomas Milic did come in and stop all 10 shots he faced and looked sharp enough, but it was already too late.

I don’t want to hang this on Gaudreau, because that’s not fair. Canada needed to be much better in front of him, but they needed saves, too. 

Being humbled is not often a bad thing in this tournament. Czechia is a team with legitimate medal hopes and are good enough where if you’re not on your game and they are, you’re in big trouble. That was the case in the first game and now Canada has the wakeup call perhaps they needed after everyone, including yours truly, saying how good of a team they had. 

A lot of us also said the best teams on paper don’t always get the result, not at the World Juniors at least. Canada gets a chance to get back on track against Germany Wednesday. The Germans actually gave Sweden a little scare, holding the Swedes to just one goal but not being able to score one of their own.

There’s no reason to panic, but there should be a reasonable expectation of some accountability for the disappointing finish against the Czechs. Canada is just too talented and too deep to not bounce back from that first result. Also, when you have a scorer of Connor Bedard's quality, you're never really out of any game. 

CONNOR BEDARD🚨

Bedard cuts Czechia's lead to 1 making a 3-2 game.#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/LubvJc5asd

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 27, 2022

The Czechs Are For Real

I promise I’m not breaking my rule about sweeping observations off of one game. I thought the Czechs were for real before that game and now it’s only more believable. Czechia scored three goals at even strength to start pulling away from Canada and then buried them with two power-play goals on the major penalty to Zach Dean (VGK). They followed that up with a 9-0 drubbing of Austria to improve to 2-0-0-0, matching Sweden at the top of Group A through two days.

This team has great balance and when they get the goaltending, as they did against Canada, they’re going to be a very tough out. During my regular co-hosting spot on The Athletic Hockey Show's prospect series last week, I picked the Czechs to medal for the first time since 2005 in large part because I believe in their defense corps. It is one of the tournament’s best.

Stanislav Svozil strikes in the first minute of the 2nd to make it a 3-1 game for Czechia.#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/cOzDBJogIo

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 27, 2022

Led by David Jiricek (CBJ), who played against Canada after his equipment arrived mere hours before the game, the Czech blue line can move pucks, they can jump into plays and they can take care of their own zone. 

Jiricek gets a lot of the publicity as the No. 6 pick in the last draft, but Stanislav Svozil (CBJ) is experienced and makes an impact at both ends of the ice. As Czechia's captain, he had a huge game against Canada with a goal and assist with strong defensive play. Svozil's partner David Spacek (MIN) also had two points and led the Czechs with over 22 minutes in the game and might be their best pure defender. Meanwhile, David Moravec, Jiri Tichacek and Tomas Hamara (OTT) can all move pucks with ease and engage in the play in all zones.

That D corps is the engine that drives a team that also has a top line that can hang with anybody’s and a goaltender in Tomas Suchanek who has proven in the past he can steal them a game. They won’t catch anyone off guard now, but Czechia is legit and a real threat in this tournament.

Canada comes close on the power play, but Tomas Suchanek stands tall with a couple of huge saves! #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/EwZLdjxDc6

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 27, 2022

Lian Bichsel Taking Charge

The first live game I got to see after my travel woes was Latvia vs. Switzerland. While that might not sound like the most exciting matchup, it was an incredible game and actually an incredibly important game when it comes to group seeding in the tournament. The Swiss won in a shootout after tying the game in the final two minutes of regulation. After upsetting Finland in overtime in the tournament opener, the Swiss are currently in first place in Group B with four points. 

While that place in the standings may not hold, the Swiss are making a lot of noise in this tournament and few are a bigger reason for it than Lian Bichsel (DAL). Picked 18th overall by the Stars in 2022, his immense frame and skating ability were two big reasons for the lofty selection. At this tournament, he’s playing massive minutes and has shown that he has enough offensive elements that his low stat line in Swedish pro hockey is likely not a big cause for concern.

This OT sequence from Lian Bichsel to win the game for Switzerland was something else. #WorldJuniors #TexasHockey pic.twitter.com/Atrc7YotYe

— Lassi Alanen (@lassialanen) December 26, 2022

Bichsel has been a horse for the Swiss to start this tournament, averaging over 27 minutes for the first two games and that’s without playing on the Swiss power play. Basically at even strength or shorthanded, you’re getting a heavy dose of Bichsel.

He has so many tools at his disposal. Bichsel is an extraordinary skater, especially for someone that is 6-foot-5. He can close on pucks quickly, recover when he’s up ice and he’s almost never in trouble in his own zone at this level because of the combination of his size with his feet. Bichsel also has two assists, which he’s getting in part by being aggressive in the offensive zone and taking charge of his shifts.

Lian Bichsel with a fantastic defensive play to stop the breakaway chance!#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/35GT9Kktdj

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 27, 2022

Bichsel will always stand out more because he’s far and away the best prospect on his own team, but the control he plays with puts him among the elite players in this tournament at large. Switzerland may go as he goes in this tournament.

News, notes and more...

• Nikita Quapp (CAR) made 43 saves on 44 shots against Sweden in Germany’s opening game of the tournament Tuesday. Considering Sweden scored 11 goals the day before, that is some kind of performance from the Hurricanes prospect.
• Stanislav Svozil (CBJ) is the tournament’s leading scorer through the first two days with five points. He had two against Canada and three against Austria.
• Austria is being outscored 20-0 through two games at this tournament. Relegation is back this year, with a best-of-three series between the last place team from each group. It’s not looking good for Austria now that we’ve seen all 10 teams play at least one game.
• Thursday’s game between Sweden and Czechia suddenly looks like a massive one. Both teams have won their first two games in regulation. A Czechia win all but clinches Group A since they’ve already secured a win over Canada and Sweden has to play the Canadians on New Year’s Eve. It just shows you how quickly things can accelerate even in the preliminary round at the World Juniors.