WJC 2025 Medal Round PREVIEW: Revengeance!

01/05/2025 10:00 AM

There's nothing left to do but find out who is the best. Let's do this.

Bronze Medal Game: Group B Rematch as Czechia and Sweden face off!

How do we get to a place where Group B's final matchup gets a re-do for the Bronze Medal?

For Czechia, it was the simple ugly reality of having to play a Team USA that seems destined to repeat their gold medal performance. They did show up and gave their best shot, but the difference between the two squads was night and day. Barring an absolutely catastrophic collapse on the States' part, I really don't think there was a meaningful chance for the Czechs to pull it out. While they can easily call themselves a Power country in the sport, I don't think right now with the US firing on all cylinders, can they say they have a chance to be in the top 2. At least at this level. World Championships? Maybe they repeat if something interesting happens.

For Sweden? It's just...rotten f#!king luck. Unimaginable, cruel luck of meeting your Scandinavian brother for a good, fun, tight game...and losing it on a one in a million shot from an absurd angle.

This sport can be so cruel sometimes. Beautiful, but cruel.

So here we are. The Bronze Medal game against two familiar teams. In their previous meeting, Czechia struggled to mount much offense in the wake of Sweden's overwhelming offense, and the dam finally broke in the 2nd period; giving Tre Kronor the unassailable lead they used to cruise over the Czechs. Now, Sweden's had their confidence shaken twice in rapid succession; first in having to somehow hold out against Latvia, and then lose like they did against Finland.

Will this game be any different? Or will Czechia complete Sweden's humiliation?

Let's find out together at 3:30pm EST.

Gold Medal Game: USA's chance to defend their title has them face their only blemish

Here we are, Team USA.

A chance to set the record straight.

While Team USA mostly killed everything in front of them this tournament, only one team dared defy them and actually managed to pull it off. Only one managed to force the United States to play on the back foot for a good 60 minute hockey game, and yes; only one managed to actually steal points away from them.

That team is the one across the faceoff dot from the US once again. Leijonat.

Finland.

Finland after their slow start to the tournament has played like their hair is on fire just about every game; and if they can't get that kind of manic play out of themselves early, they have Petteri Rimpinen in net who's been an absolute brick wall that's allowed the Finns a foothold in just about every game they've played, getting Leijonat all the way to where they are now. Oh, and don't you worry; Finland's perfectly ready for all that high-octane talent on the power play; boasting the tournament's best penalty kill. The Americans are going to have their hands full; they know this team can handle them. Hell, they've handled them before. On the other hand, Finland has had to play some wild games in order to even get here; from barely hanging on to absolute torrents of shooting and goalscoring. They are as difficult to pin down on anything other than minor penalties (which they are pretty good at getting), and as such should be treated as a major threat; there is simply no telling what they choose to show up as if they know they can trust their goaltending to make up for whatever their game looks like.

This will be a battle that Team USA will have to bring their very level best in order to win Gold again.

Can they do it? Or will Finland's magical run stymy the US' bid for true dominance?

Go on ahead and find out for yourself at 7:30pm EST.