WJC Three Stars Day 5: Pair of Blues step up for Slovakia

The penultimate day of preliminary spherical play on the 2025 World Junior Championship featured simply two video games: Slovakia versus Kazakhstan and Germany towards Latvia.

Slovakia claimed the day’s first sport 5-4 after Kazakhstan mounted a third-period comeback to pressure extra time, securing their first level of the event by means of three video games.

With Slovakia’s fourth sport of the event within the books, the group wraps up the preliminary spherical with one regulation win, one extra time win and two losses, incomes 5 factors to position third in Group B standings behind Czechia and Sweden, who will conflict on New Year’s Eve for the highest spot.

The Slovaks began Monday’s sport robust, netting three unanswered objectives within the first interval earlier than Kazakhstan managed to get their first on the board two minutes into the second body. After having their lead trimmed down to 1, Slovakia restored their three-goal cushion with one other tally about midway by means of the interval. 

Kazakhstan, nevertheless, wasn’t finished but, discovering the online once more to beat Slovakia’s Samuel Urban for the second time with lower than 4 minutes remaining within the second. In the third interval, what would have been Kazakhstan’s third aim was instantly waved off and confirmed as disallowed after overview resulting from what the referees dominated a kicking movement on the puck. 

But one other overview was required after Kazakhstan’s Assanali Sarkenov crosschecked Slovakia’s Frantisek Dej within the face, incomes him a five-minute main and sport misconduct. While the prolonged energy play appeared like the best likelihood for the Slovaks to seal the sport with one other aim — or perhaps a few — it was Kazakhstan who capitalized, scoring twice shorthanded. They stripped the puck on two separate events, changing each into breakaway objectives and in the end forcing extra time.

Tied 4-4 in additional time, Slovak defenceman Maxim Strbak performed hero for his nation. With simply over two minutes remaining earlier than a shootout could be needed, Strkbak acquired a cross up ice, raced in the direction of the Kazakhstan web alone, and fired a pointy wrist shot to seal the win.

The second sport additionally went to extra time, although one group had technically already misplaced earlier than the ultimate outcome. Sitting on the backside of Group A, Germany wanted a regulation win to safe all three factors and preserve their playoff hopes alive. 

However, with two factors already from their shootout win over Canada, Latvia clinched security as quickly as Monday’s sport prolonged previous regulation, making certain Germany would play within the relegation sport as an alternative. Latvia then sealed the 4-3 victory in extra time anyway.

The matchup between Germany and Latvia began off quietly, except for German ahead Simon Seidl scoring off the faceoff simply 19 seconds in towards a Latvian aspect that originally appeared unprepared to compete. Germany then prolonged their lead later within the second interval with a aim from captain Edwin Tropmann.

But, lower than a minute later, Latvia lastly beat German goaltender Linus Viellard to chop the lead in half. In the third interval, they managed to tie the sport, and from there, issues began to get rather more full of life. After a dangerous choice by the Germans to tug their goalie whereas already on the facility play, Latvia scored an empty-net aim to take their first lead of the sport.

And simply as one began to surprise to themselves if Latvia might maintain on from there, Germany responded a mere 20 seconds later to tie issues up once more. The Germans subsequently made a frantic push to seek out one other aim and preserve their playoff hopes alive, however as the ultimate seconds ticked away, the rating remained deadlocked. The buzzer dashed these hopes, and in extra time, Latvia’s Eriks Mateiko had the decisive aim.

Here are the three stars from Day 5 of the World Juniors. 

third star: Kazakhstan’s effort as a complete

The Kazakhstan group deserves general credit score for his or her effort towards Slovakia.

As already famous above, forcing extra time earned them their first level of the event, however the sport additionally noticed them permit their fewest objectives whereas scoring their most to this point. Kazakhstan’s two earlier outcomes have been blowout losses — an 8-1 defeat by the hands of Sweden and a 14-2 takedown by Czechia.

And their two shorthanded snipes — scored by Davlat Nurkenov and Kirill Lyapunov – throughout Slovakia’s five-minute energy play may go down because the spotlight of the event. While already entertaining and comparatively shut, the sport turned must-watch hockey at that time because of the sudden flip of occasions.

Because of their single level earned Monday, Kazakhstan now wants both a regulation win or an extra time win over the presently pointless Switzerland on Tuesday to keep away from ending final in Group B and having to play within the regulation spherical. It could be a disappointing setback for the nation to return to Division I-A for 2026 after simply being promoted.

2nd star: Olivers Murnieks, Latvia

The 16-year-old Latvian had his finest sport of the event towards Germany, showcasing each ability and composure beneath stress.

Eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft, Murnieks recorded secondary assists on every of Latvia’s first two objectives earlier than making a heads-up play to ice the puck after profitable the faceoff in his personal finish. The ensuing empty-netter got here at an important level for Latvia, with Germany desperately pushing with two additional skaters on the time. His three factors marked his first-ever on the world juniors.

Beyond his offensive contributions, Murnieks’ general sport stood out on Monday, as he performed a key position within the defensive zone, notably making essential shot blocks within the remaining moments of the third interval to assist protect his group’s possibilities. 

Murnieks presently performs for the USHL’s Sioux City Musketeers, the place he has 15 factors (9 objectives, six assists) in 25 video games this season. Luckily for Latvia, he nonetheless has a number of years of eligibility left within the event, and it will likely be fascinating to see if he steps up as soon as once more on Tuesday because the group appears to be like to edge out Finland for third place in Group A.

1st stars: Dalibor Dvorsky and Juraj Pekarcik, Slovakia 

Two Slovak St. Louis Blues prospects left their mark throughout Monday’s sport towards Kazakhstan, every tallying two objectives and two assists.

Dvorsky, Slovakia’s 19-year-old captain, opened the scoring eight minutes into the competition with a slick backhand shot that he roofed previous netminder Vladimir Nikitin. Just 5 minutes later, he notched his second of the sport, firing one other fast shot from the highest of the circle after a rush alternative that Pekarcik largely orchestrated.  

Pekarcik, additionally 19, then scored Slovakia’s third and fourth objectives — a power-play marker with eight seconds left within the first interval and his personal roofed backhand within the second — with Dvorsky incomes the first help on each.

Currently enjoying in his fourth world juniors, Dvorsky’s 4 factors on this sport introduced his event complete to seven, including to the aim and help he had amassed over Slovakia’s first three video games. He leads his group in factors and sits tied for first tournament-wide, alongside two gamers from Czechia and one from Sweden.

Meanwhile, this marks Pekarcik’s second time enjoying on the world juniors, and he had registered only one level on this 12 months’s event earlier than Monday’s sport. Receiving participant of the sport recognition for his efforts, Pekarcik additionally made the cross to Strbak in extra time that led to the game-winner. 

Pekarcik and Dvorsky have been each drafted by St. Louis in 2023 — with Dvorsky chosen tenth general and Pekarcik going 76th. Both gamers have since signed three-year, entry-level contracts.

Dvorsky, enjoying for the Blues’ AHL affiliate the Springfield Thunderbirds, has a decent 21 factors (11 objectives and 10 assists) in 27 video games this season, his first as a professional in North America. Pekarcik, nonetheless enjoying in juniors with the QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats, has amassed 35 factors (12 objectives and 23 factors) by means of 29 video games this season.