2024 IIHF World Championship Roundup: Standouts from Day 11

We’ve got one day left in the round-robin fight, baby.

Sweden started the fun in Czechia on Monday afternoon with a tight 3-1 victory over France. Sweden had control of the shots, but France made sure to keep things tight in an attempt to dethrone the heavyweight favorites.

In the evening, Finland needed the win to give them a bit more breathing room on Tuesday. They beat Denmark 3-1 thanks to two goals early in the third, but will still need at least one point against Switzerland tomorrow to earn the last spot in Group A.

We also found out which teams will be relegated for the 2025 tournament. Great Britain put up a fight against Norway, but ultimately lost 5-2. They’ll play Austria on Tuesday in an attempt to hold their heads up high and secure just one win before everything is said in done. Later in the day Poland lost to Kazakhstan 3-1, with Poland finishing with just one point after an overtime loss to Latvia in their first game.

Here’s what you need to know about Tuesday’s matchups:

• A win in any fashion will give Czechia first place in Group A.
• Austria will advance if Austria beats Great Britain and Finland loses to Switzerland in regulation.
• Sweden has clinched Group B but can keep their perfect run alive against Slovakia.
• Latvia can overtake Slovakia for the final spot in Group B if they win in regulation against the United States and Slovakia loses in regulation.

With that in mind, here’s who stood out on Monday:

Finland

#33 Emil Larmi, G: Larmi was busy from the get-go, making a big stop early on a Danish scoring chance. In a game with little scoring, Larmi couldn’t afford to have a bad period because the Finns entered Monday still needing a victory against a Danish team determined to shake things up.

#24 Hannes Björninen, C: Björninen was a force in front of the net, making himself difficult to move out around the crease. That paid off with the 1-0 goal when he outmuscled a Danish defender in front, picked up the loose puck on the rebound and got him team on the board. In a game where everyone looked snakebitten, Björninen showed up.

Denmark

#43 Mathias Seldrup, G: Seldrup was thrust into his first start of the tournament in a game where the Danes found themselves still in the playoff push. He was great early with 11 stops in the first and then stood tall again in the second as the Finns kept pushing.

Kazakhstan

#43 Andrey Shutov, G: Shutov was busy early as the Poles tried to get off to hot start. They scored on the power play but then Shutov shut the door to help Kazakhstan pull off the victory. Shutov was barraged in every game, so this was actually a quieter showing for him, but they couldn’t afford to lose and Shutov gave the Kazakhs everything he had.

Poland

#31 John Murray, G: Poland needed a major game from the guy who helped them get to this tournament in the first place and he gave it everything he had. He wasn’t particularly busy, but in a game where bad goaltending could sink you, Murray played held down the fort for a Polish team desperate for a victory.

Great Britain

#9 Brett Perlini, LW: Perlini had another good game, with the veteran leader scoring the 4-1 goal to give his team some life. He was GB’s best backchecker in a game where the Brits found themselves scrambling around their own net. Perlini and Co. will look to finish the tournament off on a high note on Tuesday.

Norway

#41 Patrick Thoresen, C: The 40-year-old has had such a great tournament, showing why he used to be an NHLer earlier in his career. He’s been seizing opportunities in the offensive zone on a regular basis and it finally resulted in his first goal of the tournament on a nice shot. His goal helped put Norway in complete control early, which helped them avoid relegation.

#28 Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, RW (2024 NHL Draft): Projected to go in the first round this year, MBN was on it today. He scored the 4-1 goal with an excellent shot, taking Thoresen’s feed to make it happen. He also assisted on two other goals for good measure, going out hot just like he did in the World Junior relegation game. This was the last game before the draft combine for Brandsegg-Nygard so it was good to see him finish off with one of his better games with the puck that we’ve seen all tournament long.

#71 Eskild Bakke Olsen, C: Norway’s fourth-line center had a pair of goals and landed some decent hits in his most noticeable game of the World Championship. Norway’s bottom line wasn’t there to just bring energy, though – they’re quite skilled, with Olsen leading the charge. Today was the best game I’ve ever seen from EBO.

Sweden

#23 Lucas Raymond, LW (Detroit Red Wings): Raymond had three goals in his first two periods, with his third shot finally helping to break the deadlock. The Swedes managed their lines well by not overworking anyone, and that seemed to help Raymond bring the energy needed in the third period to help contribute at both ends. It was a good all-around effort from someone the team needs to step up come playoff time.

#65 Erik Karlsson, D (Pittsburgh Penguins): Karlsson looked great in the first 40 minutes but had nothing to show for. That changed in the third period when his blast beat a crowd in front to make it 2-1 Sweden. He was great in his own zone in the first frame and kept France away from the net in the second but it was the third where he finally found his way onto the scoresheet.

#16 Felix Unger Sorum, RW (Carolina Hurricanes): Sorum had a quiet night on the scoresheet, but for having to come in and play on the top line after sitting throughout most of the tournament had to be daunting. But Unger Sorum played so effectively today, chasing after pucks and setting up Joel Eriksson Ek and Adrian Kempe for chances in front. FUS was one of the fastest-moving players on the ice, and it was easy to notice him despite him being one of the youngest players out there.

France

#32 Quentin Papillon, G: With 24 saves in the first two periods alone, Papillon was the primary reason why France didn’t wither away. It was a rather meaningless game for both teams but Papillon played the best any French goalie had in this tournament – and that’s been a strength for the team, actually.

#3 Charles Bertrand, C: Bertrand was buzzing in the second period and he managed to score on his own rebound after outdueling goaltender Samuel Ersson. Bertrand has been a staple of the French national team but he has struggled to cause much damage around the net. Today was better.