The defending champion United States is off to a dominant start at the 2024 World Junior Hockey Championship, improving to 2-0 in Group A play with a commanding 5-1 victory over Latvia. Notre Dame forward Danny Nelson led the way with two goals, while Western Michigan goaltender Hampton Slukynsky turned aside 25 shots to secure the win.
Team USA Offense Clicks Against Latvia
In addition to Nelson’s pair of tallies, Team USA got goals from three other rising stars. Boston College’s Ryan Leonard, Denver’s Zeev Buium, and Minnesota Duluth’s Max Plante each found the back of the net to pace a balanced American attack. The U.S. peppered Latvian netminder Linards Feldbergs with 41 shots, building off their tournament-opening 7-1 romp over Germany.
You’ve got to take it one game at a time, just like we did last year. So, hopefully we’ll get the same result. But you can’t really look too far ahead.
Ryan Leonard on Team USA’s mindset as defending champions
Slukynsky Solid in Net for U.S.
While the American offense continued to click, Slukynsky provided a steadying presence between the pipes. The Western Michigan sophomore was sharp when called upon, allowing only a second-period tally to Latvia’s Davids Livsics. The Broncos backstop has now stopped 45 of the 47 shots he’s faced through two tournament games.
Group A Outlook
At 2-0, Team USA sits atop the Group A standings and looks poised for another deep run as they seek back-to-back gold medals. Here’s a look at the remaining preliminary round games for the U.S.:
- Dec. 29 vs. Finland
- Dec. 31 vs. Canada
The New Year’s Eve showdown with the host Canadians looms especially large, as Canada looks to rebound from a stunning shootout loss to Latvia in their opener. As the stakes continue to rise, Team USA will lean on their impressive depth and championship experience in their pursuit of consecutive titles.
