Last Word’s 2024 World Juniors Predictions continues into the relegation games. The final game for both Norway and Germany has arrived. A match that will determine the fate of both nations and whether they will stay among the top ten nations. Given the fact the game is being played in Sweden using the ABBA song “The Winner Takes It All” seems appropriate for this match. Because it is true that in this match the winner will celebrate like they won gold, while the loser has to fall. A fall which sees the loser face Denmark, Austria, France, Hungary and Slovenia rather than Canada, Sweden and Czechia. It’s the match with the most on the line and both teams will do everything to win.
2024 World Juniors Predictions: Norway vs. Germany
Team Norway
It’s been a rough tournament for the newcomers, who have had moments of brilliance and great play but struggled to keep consistency. They didn’t register a single point in their group and were outscored 8 to 26. While eight goals scored aren’t terrible, they have been leaking in goals all tournament. 11 of which have been on the penalty kill, which is sitting at 45% after the group stage. They also took far too many with 20 in total this tournament, and it cost them dearly against Switzerland. They had a lot of momentum after the first period, where they were ahead 2-1, but three penalties cost them the lead and game in the second. To win against Germany and book their ticket for Ottawa, they have to be able to stay out of the box and be better shorthanded.
Player to Watch
One of the leaders of Team Norway is Petter Vesterheim. He has been around the under-20 team for the last two years and has been their go-to guy for creating things offensively. Together with Michael-Brandsegg-Nygård, he is the top goal scorer for Norway and they need that to continue. They need a deadly duo to supply the goals for Norway. Vesterheim also is one of the players from Norway who needs to control his emotions. He has spent too many minutes in the penalty box and they need him on the ice. For Norway to win, Vesterheim needs to be at his best in terms of behaviour and ability.
Team Germany
To many, it’s a shock that Germany is facing relegation. After a wonderful start to the tournament with an upset win over Finland and a respectable loss to Sweden, everything went wrong for Germany. Against Latvia, the key match for Germany to win, they were shellshocked in the first period and where they were down 3-0. A scoreline they never recovered from and they ended up losing 6-2. Despite a heroic fight to get a point to avoid last place in the group, they lost to Canada in the last game of the group. Statistically, Germany has been the 7th best nation but all that doesn’t matter. They lost in the game they couldn’t lose and now they face Norway for survival. A game that has flashbacks to how they lost in 2014 and since spent four years out of the Juniors.
Player to Watch
The save of the tournament came from an unexpected source. It’s not a goalie who made it, but rather German forward Roman Kechter, who slid through the crease to make a brilliant stop against Canada. It was a brilliant display of effort and is exactly what Germany needs to stay up. The play shows Kechter’s willingness to go all out for his team and it was what was lacking against Latvia. Kechter also has two goals and another from the highly energetic forward from the DEL would do a lot to prevent relegation.
Prediction
This will be a tight game with a ton of physicality and battles all over the ice. Nothing is given for free and it will require a herculean effort to gain any space. On paper, Germany is the better team, but Norway will be working hard to create the upset. Over three games Germany would have been heavy favourites, but with it being a single-game showdown anything can happen. This game has intensity, drama and overtime written all over it.
Germany wins 4-3 in overtime
Main Photo: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
