USA vs. Czechia: Live score, highlights, updates from 2022 World Juniors quarterfinals game

By | August 17, 2022
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The knockout stage of the 2022 World Junior Championship is here. Wrapping up Wednesday’s action is the final quarterfinal of the day, a matchup between the USA and Czechia. 

USA finished first in Group B with a perfect 4-0-0-0 record, defeating Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Finland. It has been a group effort for the Americans, who are aiming to win back-to-back gold medals for the first time at the World Juniors.

Thomas Bordeleau leads the team with seven points; the Sharks draft pick has a goal and six assists heading into the quarterfinals. Behind him are Carter Mazur and Matt Coronato, who each have four goals and two assists. 

MORE: Watch the 2022 World Juniors live with fuboTV (free trial, U.S. only)

“Team chemistry is really high, I think that is the biggest thing with our team,” Bordeleau said. “Coach (Nate Leaman) has done a great job, obviously (bringing the team together), but also just a little bit of the circumstances of this tournament. Middle of the summer. We’re all about summer vibes, but (we) know that it’s grind time and it’s competing time.”

Goaltending was the biggest question mark coming into the tournament, but Kaidan Mbereko has answered the questions. He went 3-0-0-0 with a 1.33 goals-against average and a .939 save percentage in his three preliminary-round starts. 

Czechia is stumbling into the quarterfinals following an upset loss to Latvia. A win would have secured a No. 3 seed for the Czechs and a quarterfinal matchup against Sweden. Instead, Latvia leapfrogged them for third place in the group and Czechia now has to face the USA.

The team won just one game in the prelims, 5-4 over Slovakia. Jan Mysak leads Czechia with five points (three goals, two assists). Michal Gut and Stanislav Svozil each have three points. 

The Sporting News will provide live scoring updates and highlights throughout the contest. 

USA vs. Czechia score

Matchup P1 P2 P3 OT F
USA 1 0 0 0 0
Czechia 1 2 0 0 0

USA vs. Czechia live updates, highlights from 2022 World Juniors

3rd period

12:30 a.m. — Big break for the USA, as Stanislav Svozil is called for hooking. As he comes in on the forecheck, he gets the stick in on the hands on the American defenseman. It’ll be 4 on 4 for two minutes before the Czechs get back on the power play. 

12:28 a.m. — Five and a game for Berard. That’s not only an incredibly dumb penalty to take, but a dirty one by Berard. Now the USA have to fight off a five-minute power play. 

12:26 a.m. — Not the start the USA was looking for. Brett Berard slew-foots David Jiricek behind the play for literally no reason at all. He’s called for a major, but it’s going to review. Whether it’s a minor or major, a stupid, stupid penalty by Berard. 

12:23 a.m. — Luke Hughes remains on the ice for the third period, but he’s not 100%. He’s trying to play through it, but we’ll see how much he sees the ice if he isn’t effective. 

2nd period

12:05 a.m. — After two periods, Czechia holds a two-goal lead over the USA. Czechia thoroughly outplayed the Americans in that frame. The Czechs are being responsible with the puck and quickly getting it up and out of their own zone. Both goals in that period came off of rushes. 

11:58 p.m. — Credit to Luke Hughes for fighting through it, but he’s not the same. It’s clear the leg is limiting his skating ability, which is arguably his greatest strength. We’ll see what his ice time is like as this game rolls on with the U.S. down. 

11:54 p.m. — This is just not at all the Team USA we saw in the preliminary round. Czechia isn’t letting them play their game, as they are baring down and have been a lot tougher in the corners and winning 1 on 1 battles. USA’s forecheck has been their bread and butter, and Czechia is not allowing them to retrieve pucks and get offensive zone possession. 

11:48 p.m. — GOAL! Another goal coming off the rush for Czechia as Matyas Sapovaliv’s shot squeaks through Mbereko and crosses over the goal line. A clean breakout for Czechia leads to the chance and that’s one Mbereko is going to want back. 3-1 Czechia with about nine minutes left in the middle frame. 

11:41 p.m. — GOAL! Petr Hauser rips a shot off the rush that goes off the post and in and Czechia is up 2-1. Coming down on a 3 on 2, Hauser took a pass from Ivan Ivan and had plenty of time to grip it and rip it. It’s the first time all tournament that the USA has fallen behind in a game, and they deserve to be behind right now as Czechia has been great this period. 

11:37 p.m. — Excellent scoring chance for Berard, who finds himself behind the Czech defensemen in their zone, but his attempt is denied by Suchanek. A great feed from James found Berard cutting towards the net. He pulls back to his forehand, but Suchanek flashes the pad for the stop. 

11:35 p.m. — This is by far the most competitive game we’ve seen the USA face. Czechia has been the better team thus far in the second period. USA just doesn’t seem to have that jump that we’re used to seeing. 

11:32 p.m. — Luke Hughes, who was hurt at the end of the first, came out on the ice in the second, skated a shift, but it’s clear he’s shaken up. We’ll keep an eye on him. 

End 1st period: USA 1, Czechia 1

11:08 p.m. — A very even period played, but it was Czechia carrying the momentum by the end. USA was the better team for about 15 minutes, but not by much. Czechia strung together a few good shifts at the end to get the equilizer and it’s a tie game after 20 minutes. 

11:06 p.m. — GOAL! After a couple of really strong shifts, Czechia gets on the board. It’s the captain Jan Mysak, who has been far and beyond Czechia’s best player at the tournament. He tips a shot from Jiri Tichachek high in the slot and it bounces by Kaiden Mbereko. With about two minutes left, we have a tie game. 

11:04 p.m. — Good response from Czechia after the Cooley goal. They haven’t had a super close chance, but they are getting sustained pressure on the Americans. 

10:58 p.m. — GOAL! USA strikes first, as Logan Cooley capitalizes off an unlucky turnover by Suchanek behind the net. As the puck was dumped in behind Czechia’s net, Suchanek passed the puck along the boards. It took a weird bounce off a stanchion and went right on the stick of Matt Coronato. He immediately turned and fired it on Suchanek who stopped the first shot, but Cooley knocks in the rebound. It’s 1-0 USA with about eight minutes left in the first. 

10:56 p.m. — A competitive, back-and-forth period so far. Carter Mazur nearly got the USA on the board, as Tomas Suchanek came out of his crease to swipe away a puck from Landon Slaggert. The puck is knocked down and Mazur just couldn’t handle it; he was looking at an open net. 

10:46 p.m. — The USA’s speed on the forecheck is one thing, but the team finishes every check. It’s not just that they are on you quickly, it’s that they’re coming to either take the puck or take the body. Czechia’s defensemen are going to have to be on high alert when retrieving pucks in their own zone. 

10:41 p.m. — First good chance comes for the USA as Dominic James is open on the back door for a pass from Mackie Samoskevich, but he’s on his backhand and can’t handle it cleanly. There just wasn’t enough time for him to open up for a one-timer, and Samoskevich’s pass was out in front of him in his feet. It starts with an excellent pass from Brett Berard to Samoswkevich. 

Pregame 

9:30 p.m. — Team USA rolls out the same lineup as we’ve seen to ends the prelims. 

What channel is USA vs. Czechia on today?

  • Canada: TSN4
  • United States: NHL Network

TSN has all the World Juniors action in Canada. In the United States, viewers can find the games on NHL Network.

E.J. Hradek will be on the call for NHL Network. He’ll be joined by analyst Dave Starman and reporter Jon Rosen. 

How to live stream World Juniors hockey games

Fans in Canada can stream all World Juniors games on TSN.ca or the TSN app. U.S. fans can stream the tournament on fuboTV (which comes with a free trial), NHL.tv or the NHL app.

USA vs. Czechia start time

  • Start time: 10:30 p.m. ET (8:30 p.m. local)

The quarterfinal between the U.S. and Czechia will start at 10:30 p.m. ET, 8:30 p.m. local time, from Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alta., home of the NHL’s Oilers and WHL’s Oil Kings.

MORE: Team USA 2022 World Juniors roster, results

USA vs. Czechia odds

  • USA: -3.5 (+119)
  • Czechia: +3.5 (-164)

The puckline stands at 3.5 for Wednesday’s game between the USA and Czechia, according to Sports Interaction. The U.S. failed to cover the puckline against Germany and Sweden but covered it in its wins over Switzerland and Austria.  

USA World Juniors schedule 2022

(All times Eastern)

Date Opponent Result TV info
Aug. 9 Germany W, 5-1 10 p.m. (TSN, NHLN)
Aug. 11 Switzerland W, 7-1 10 p.m. (TSN, NHLN)
Aug. 13 Austria W, 7-0 2 p.m. (TSN, NHLN)
Aug. 14 Sweden W, 3-2 10 p.m. (TSN, NHLN)
Aug. 17 Czechia (quarterfinals) — 10:30 p.m. (TSN, NHLN)
Aug. 19 Semifinals — TBD (TSN, NHLN)
Aug. 20 Bronze/gold — TBD (TSN, NHLN)

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