5 things learned from Day 4 of World Juniors

Friday was the fourth day of the 2018 World Junior Championship, which is being held in Buffalo.

Five things we learned

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United States proves resilient

The United States rebounded with a 4-3 come-from-behind shootout win against Canada in a Group A preliminary-round game played at snowy New Era Field, one day after a 3-2 loss against Slovakia.
Scott Perunovich (2018 NHL Draft eligible) and Brady Tkachuk (2018 draft eligible) scored in the third period to tie the game at 3-3 for the United States before winning the tiebreaker on goals by Kieffer Bellows (New York Islanders) and Tkachuk.

"We weren't too happy about [Friday], so we tried to put it behind us and focus on the new day and we wanted to play our best from the very start so I think we went out there, worked for each other and were really happy with the outcome," Tkachuk said. "We were pumping each other up during the second intermission, saying this is going to be an awesome story in the end. We got out there and everyone was talking on the bench and excited and I really think that transferred over."
Goalie Jake Oettinger (Dallas Stars), who was making his debut at the World Junior Championship, made 19 saves in regulation and didn't allow a goal against four Canada shooters in the tiebreaker.
"You have to have resiliency in that locker room and everyone has to believe in one another and keep battling and keep fighting," Bellows said. "There's a lot of passion and heart and guys sticking up for each other. The guys were motivated the second that game ended [against Slovakia]. We wanted to bounce back. This group looked ready at breakfast; everyone had that look in their eye that this was important to us."

Mittelstadt soars in Buffalo

United States center Casey Mittelstadt, chosen in the first round (No. 8) of the 2017 NHL Draft by the hometown Buffalo Sabres, leads all players at the 2018 WJC with six points (three goals, three assists) in three games.
"I got high expectations for myself, probably higher than anyone else," Mittelstadt said. "So, coming into it, I expect myself to play good. I expect myself to be one of the better players."
Mittlestadt assisted on all three regulation goals by the United States in the 4-3 win on Friday.
"He's a big player coming up big time; that's the type of player he is," Bellows said. "He's a guy that a lot of guys look up to during games, and he's stepped up huge."

Daly enjoys WJC winter wonderland

NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly was on hand to witness the first outdoor game played at any top-level IIHF world championship, at New Era Field.
"We love this tournament," Daly said. "It's become a staple on the hockey calendar and something all our clubs look forward to. It's a fun tournament to watch, for sure. The level of junior hockey and prospects has become so popular and there's a big difference in the popularity of this tournament today versus what is was 20 years ago. Everybody is very much interested in the future of the game and we're seeing the future of the game on the ice."
Daly was asked about the steady snowfall that brought back memories of the 2008 Winter Classic when the Pittsburgh Penguins won 2-1 in a shootout against the Buffalo Sabres at New Era Field (then Ralph Wilson Stadium). Penguins captain Sidney Crosby scored the winner in the tiebreaker amid heavy snowflakes.
"The snow is reminiscent of what we saw in Buffalo 10 years ago; I can't believe it's been 10 years already," Daly said. "But it's a great backdrop for this game."

Friends turn combatants

Teammates Max Jones (Anaheim Ducks) and Victor Mete (Montreal Canadiens) of London in the Ontario Hockey League won't forget getting together to watch on television the gold medal game between the United States and Canada at the 2017 WJC at Jones' billet house.
Little did they know, they'd be opposing each other one year later in that exact matchup on an outdoor rink in a steady snowfall at New Era Field -- Jones as a forward for the United States and Mete as a defenseman for Canada. Jones also invited fellow London teammates and current Canada forwards Alex Formenton (Ottawa Senators) and Robert Thomas (St. Louis Blues) to watch the game last year, won by the United States 5-4 in a shootout.
"[London] goalie Tyler Parsons was also playing for the United States in the 2017 tournament so we were cheering him on but some of the Canadian guys didn't know whether to root for Canada or Parsons, but in the end, they decided to root for Canada but hope Parsons did well," Jones said. "It kind of worked out against them because Parsons played really well and was the reason the United States won the gold medal.
"It was cool to watch it, and it was cool to be a part of it."

Russia wins second straight

Russia won its second straight game in Group B, 5-2 against Belarus at HarborCenter.
Klim Kostin (St. Louis Blues) scored two goals, German Rubtsov (Philadelphia Flyers) and Artur Kayumov (Chicago Blackhawks) each had a goal and an assist and Andrei Svechnikov (2018 NHL Draft eligible) had two assists for Russia, which will conclude group play against Sweden on Sunday at KeyBank Center (8 p.m. ET; NHLN, TSN, RDS2).
Russia has medaled at every WJC since last winning the gold medal in 2011 in Buffalo. It has won the silver medal three times (2012, 2015, 2016) and the bronze three times (2013, 2014, 2017).

What's next | Complete schedule

Saturday

Czech Republic vs. Belarus (12 p.m. ET; KeyBank Center, NHLN, TSN, RDS)
Sweden vs. Switzerland (2 p.m. ET; HarborCenter, TSN5, RDS)
Finland vs. Slovakia (4 p.m. ET; KeyBank Center, NHLN, TSN, RDS)
Canada vs. Denmark (8 p.m. ET; KeyBank Center, NHLN, TSN, RDS)