Finland vs. Slovakia

Team Finland (2-0-1-0) faces off against Team Slovakia (0-1-0-2) at HSBC at 12:30p.m on Friday afternoon. Finland is looking to continue their momentum by winning their third straight game to finish strong in the preliminary round and gain three points to remain in second place in the Group A standings. Team Slovakia is hoping to win their first game in regulation.

Through three games, Finland has received strong goaltending from Joni Ortio, who is ranked 4th in the tournament with an impressive 1.31 goals against average and has stopped 70 out of the 74 shots he has faced through three games. Finland will look to forwards Joonas Donskoi, Teemu Pulkkinen, and Joonas Nattinen to continue their offensive production. The trio has produced 6 goals in 3 games. Finland hopes to carry their strong defensive play, scoring from their successful trio and solid goaltending from Ortio in an effort to add a third win to their record.

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What To Do: New Years Eve

No plans on New Years Eve? Ring in 2011 with tens of thousands of Buffalonians and people from all over the world who have traveled to Buffalo for the 2011 IIHF World Junior Championship!

The city of Buffalo will ring in the new year with a ball drop and fireworks at Buffalo's historic Electric Tower located downtown. The ball drop has been a tradition in Buffalo for over 20 years, and is the second largest New Years Eve gathering in the United States, second only to New York City's festivities in Times Square.

The family-friendly event will take place at Roosevelt Square in front of the Electric Tower, with stage performers and live music beginning at 10:30 p.m.

Looking for something to do before the ball drop festivities? If the weather permits (the ice rink is subject to close if there is rain and/or temperatures reach over 45 degrees), downtown Buffalo's only outdoor ice rink, Rotary Rink is just a few blocks from the Electric Tower. Rotary Rink extends its skating hours from 11 a.m. all the way to 12:30 a.m. on New Years Eve and admission is free if you have your own ice skates. If you need to rent skates, rental is only $2 for children and $3 for adults. Snacks and beverages are also available for purchase.

For the adult crowd, continue your New Years celebration by heading just a few blocks over to Chippewa, where more fun awaits!

Downtown Buffalo is always buzzing and full of excitement on New Years Eve, and it should make for an even more interesting and fun crowd with so many international visitors in town for the World Juniors!

USA vs. Germany

Tournament powerhouse Team USA will challenge Team Germany at HSBC arena tonight to remain undefeated and earn three points that would again place them at the top of the standings in Group A.

The two teams are at opposite ends of the standings, USA commanding Group A at the top with five points while Germany holds the bottom with one point from an overtime loss to Slovakia.

The Americans last battled Tuesday night against Slovakia and won 6-1 in regulation. USA peppered two Slovak goaltenders with a tournament-record 57 shots on goal.

American Kyle Palmieri led the team with two goals and an assist, while teammate Charlie Coyle netted a goal and two assists on the night as well.

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Norway vs. Russia

Russia (0-2) and Norway (0-3), two teams still seeking their first victory of the tournament, will face off at Dwyer Arena tonight at 7 PM.  Norway, likely destined for the relegation round regardless of the outcome, will be looking to gain some confidence in their fourth and final preliminary contest.  Team Russia, meanwhile, is virtually in a must-win situation for each of its next two games in order to qualify for the quarterfinals.

The Norwegians have had a tough time in their first appearance in the top division since 2006.  Heading into tonight’s action, they have been outscored 19-2 overall and are coming off a lopsided 10-1 loss to Team Canada last night in which their only goal came off the stick of Rasmus Juell.  Goaltender Steffen Soberg pulled himself in the first period after surrendering 5 goals on 12 shots and was replaced by Lars Volden.  Volden finished the rest of the game between the pipes, facing 31 shots and giving up 5 goals.

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Czech Republic vs. Sweden

Team Sweden (2-0-0-0) faces off against Czech Republic (1-0-0-1) at Niagara University at 3:00 p.m on Thursday afternoon. The Czech Republic looks to beat Sweden and gain 3 points to tie them for second place in the Group B standings. Sweden hopes to push ahead in the standings by winning in regulation to tie Canada for first place in Group B.  Sweden has won two games back-to-back and is looking to continue that momentum by winning their third straight game to remain undefeated.

Through two games, Sweden has received stellar play from goaltender Robin Lehner, who leads the tournament with a 100% save percentage, stopping all thirty shots he faced in the team’s 2-0 victory versus Russia.  Sweden dominated Norway in their first game of the tournament by a 7- 1 score. They are led offensively by their top line, Anton Lander, Gabriel Landeskog, and Patrick Cehlin. This line is proving too much for some teams to handle as the trio combined for three goals and four assists in the Norway game.  Sweden’s forward Cehlin has been dominant through two games and leads the team with two goals and two assists for a four point total. Sweden will need the trio to produce offensively and also need strong goaltending from Lehner to move towards the medal rounds.

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Slovakia vs. Switzerland

Slovakia and Switzerland will have to put their recent struggles behind them, as the two countries play each other in an important preliminary matchup on Thursday afternoon.

Both teams share a 1-1 record, but only one team can move to 2-1 and advance in the Group-A bracket.  

Slovakia is coming off of a 6-1 loss to Team USA where the Americans chased goaltender Dominik Riecicky from the net and out-shot the Slovaks 57-18 in their landslide victory on Tuesday night.

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Day Four: Canadian Invasion

As the 2011 IIHF World Junior Championship progresses, it seems there are more and more Ontario license plates and people donning red and white jerseys roaming the streets of Buffalo. The Canadians certainly seem to be enjoying each others company in Buffalo, with fellow Canadians waving at passing cars with familiar Ontario plates, and Americans seem to be hospitable and acknowledging this "Canadian Invasion".




Canadians packed in the lodge prior to puck drop.

Entering the lodge tonight, I was greeted by hundreds of excited Canadians waiting for their beloved team to take on Norway, and there were a few USA jerseys sprinkled throughout the crowd. The mood was still friendly with a few playful jabs here and there, but as the quest for the gold medal is coming closer, the tensions between these rivals have been mounting.

Both teams are on a quest for the same title, but for two different reasons. There's no doubt that Canadians are proud of their roots and their hockey history, but over the past several years, hockey has grown in the US and American fans are looking to show the world that American born and bred players and USA hockey programs are making serious strides in the hockey world.




Canadians in HSBC Arena's atrium entering the Canada-Norway game.

With many people hoping for and anticipating another USA-Canada gold medal game, I'm hoping that the game (if it happens) wouldn't get too ugly in the stands. While hockey fans from around the world are proud of the sport's culture that produces fisticuffs and the hard hitting "old time hockey" atmosphere, let's hope that the fans will try and keep it clean in the crowd.

What To Do: Chippewa

For the 21-and-over crowd, Chippewa is probably the best bet on where to go to enjoy the nightlife. On the weekends, people pack the street roaming up and down hopping from bar to bar. Ranging from Irish pubs, sports bars, night clubs and with last call being at 4 a.m., Chippewa is a premier entertainment district.



With Chippewa only being steps away from several downtown hotels, and just a short free metro rail line ride from the arena, its prime location makes it perfect for IIHF World Junior hockey fans looking to spend a night out on the town.


Banner on Chippewa welcoming IIHF World Junior fans to Buffalo.

Chippewa's entertainment district starts from the corner of Delaware Avenue and Chippewa, and expands to Pearl Street. There you'll find a strip packed with plenty of bars as well as some located on side streets such as Franklin and Pearl.

With the street always buzzing until the wee hours of the morning on the weekends, you're bound to have a great night out with your friends when you visit Chippewa. And with the strip being within walking distance of many hotels and with plenty of taxis waiting to pick up patrons, there is no worry about drinking and driving.

Canada vs. Norway

Team Canada challenges Team Norway for both teams’ third game of the tournament today for a 7:30 p.m. contest at the HSBC Arena.

Canada looks to today’s game as an opportunity to steal three key points and advance past Sweden for the lead in the Group B division. Canada hopes to increase their lead to pressure the Swedes,who have today off and face-off against Czech Republic on Thursday afternoon.

Team Canada is ranked highest among the 10 teams in the Championship for scoring efficiency and for power-play opportunities. Canada leads goals for with 13 goals on 81 shots, resulting in a goal scoring percentage of 16.05%. The closest team behind Canada is Switzerland with 11.11%. The Canadians have capitalized on 7 of 11 power plays for a 63.64% efficiency, Team USA trails with 36.36%.

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Germany vs. Finland

Team Finland (1-0-1-0) sealed their first win of the tournament with a 4-0 shutout of Switzerland (1-0-0-1), earning second place in the Group A division, only one point behind Team USA. Finland looks for a second victory as they play host to Team Germany (0-0-1-1), who looks to break into the win column for the first time this year, after falling 2-1 in overtime to Slovakia on Dec. 27.

Germany starts today’s game with two tough losses against two solid opponents. The Germans were edged by Slovakia and Switzerland, but only lost by one goal in both games. Germany outshot Slovakia 48-39 but could not capitalize for the game-winning goal. Goaltending proved to be a problem in the game versus Switzerland. The Germans chose their goaltender with the most experience over momentum in net.  In the game against Switzerland, Philipp Grubauer and Team Germany surrendered four unanswered goals to the opposition. Grubauer was relieved by backup Niklas Treutle, whose stellar play helped give the Germans a comeback opportunity, but could not net a tying goal and fell 4-3. The Germans are looking to rebound and build off these tough losses with hopes of winning today and claiming a crucial three points.


For the full game preview, click here.