USA overpowers Latvia in Group A

29 Dec 2024Henrik Lundqvist»

In their second Group A game of the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship, Team USA maintained their flawless record against Latvia with a commanding 5-1 victory at the Canadian Tire Centre. Latvia, coming off an emotional and exhausting upset over Canada less than 24 hours earlier, struggled to keep up with the relentless American attack.

Latvia - USA 1-5

The game started with Latvia showcasing the same defensive grit that secured their historic win over Canada. However, it took just 1:58 for Danny Nelson, assisted by Cole Eiserman and Colin Ralph, to break through with a quick goal for Team USA. The Latvians held strong for the remainder of the first period, despite being outshot 8-7. Goaltender Linards Feldbergs stood tall, making key saves and keeping the deficit at one.

The second period, however, saw the Americans shift gears, scoring three unanswered goals. Ryan Leonard struck on the power play at 25:08, followed by Zeev Buium at 31:13 with a slick four-on-four finish. Danny Nelson capped the period with his second goal just before the buzzer, a backhanded beauty that left Latvia down 4-0.

Latvia’s energy surged in the third period, highlighted by Dāvids Livšics’ high shot at 48:22 that finally beat Hampton Slukynsky, who made his World Juniors debut in net for Team USA. However, the Americans quickly extinguished any hopes of a comeback when Max Plante finished off a two-on-one rush at 55:31, sealing the 5-1 victory.