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Canada advanced to the IIHF World Junior Championship gold medal game with a 6-2 win over the United States on Wednesday. The Canadians will face Czechia on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Corey Pronman, Jesse Granger and more

Summary

Canada advanced to the IIHF World Junior Championship gold medal game with a 6-2 win over the United States on Wednesday. The Canadians will face Czechia on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. ET. The United States will play Sweden for bronze.

Canada's offense was fueled by Joshua Roy, Connor Bedard and Logan Stankoven. Roy led the way with two goals and two assists, while Bedard, Stankoven, Adam Fantilli, Brandt Clarke all added a goal and an assist.

Earlier, Czechia defeated Sweden 2-1 to advance to the gold medal game.

Required reading

(Photo: Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images)

Top three players of the tournament, as selected by the teams in advance of the medal games

USA:

Luke Hughes (NJD)

Jimmy Snuggerud (STL)

Logan Cooley (ARZ)

Canada:

Joshua Roy (Canadiens)

Connor Bedard (2023)

Logan Stankoven (Stars)

Canada's top line with the clean sweep. And well-deserved.

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The crowd shows love to Thomas Milic

Great moment here for Thomas Milic, who got a roar from the crowd when he was announced as player of the game for Canada.

Joshua Roy (Canadiens) has been outstanding tonight

Thomas Milic was the difference, stopping 43 of 45 shots including a diving stop from behind his own net to advance Canada to the final. It was a fun, back-and-forth game. You could even argue the U.S. had the more dangerous chances, but Canada got a few more saves. The 6-2 scoreline isn't indicative of how close this game was. Sad to see an ultra-talented American team bow out, but on the bright side we all get to watch Connor Bedard in the Gold Medal Game.

Team USA concerns

The storyline for USA coming in was concerns about their defense and goaltending. In the end they couldn't get big saves from a 17 year old and their smaller blue line that lacked mobility was exposed. It was a predictable ending.

Canada leads by three

Brandt Clarke. Canada has a three-goal lead. Talked earlier about him not shying away from this stage, and he comes up big. Canada is hardly playing Bedard as they try to hold this lead, and their depth guys have come up big. Now their defence has too.

What a play by Milic

Canada's goalie misplaying the puck on a big stage? Never heard of it.

What a play by Milic to save his own bacon, though.

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Tough breaks for Team USA

Wow.

Can’t fault the USA effort in this game. They’ve been all over it. Tough breaks.

Canada has 2-goal lead going into third

Two-goal cushion for Canada into the third, but this game feels far from over.

Milic really has been the difference tonight.

Adam Fantilli is everywhere

Fantilli has saved his best game for one of the most important moments. The 2023 draft eligible has been flying out there.

Milic has 30 saves before intermission

Thomas Milic has topped the 30-save mark before the second intermission. He's stealing this game right now.

Updated fourth line

Owen Beck (Canadiens) only played two shifts in the quarterfinal after getting the late call to fill-in for the injured Colton Dach, but he has taken Reid Schaefer's spot on the fourth-line in this game and has played a regular shift.

That fourth line of Fantilli - Bankier - Beck has played with a lot of jump for Canada

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Thomas Milic must keep it up for Canada

Canada's goaltender Thomas Milic has been their best player so far. He will need to keep it up because there will be plenty more USA chances coming.

Trey Augustine interference

For the record, Trey Augustine was also interfered with on that goal.

Only difference is it was his own teammate, as the sliding U.S. defenseman crashed into his own netminder as Roy roofed his shot.

Joshua Roy expands Canada's lead

There has been a lot of talk about Bedard and Stankoven in this tournament, and deservedly so, but Joshua Roy (Canadiens) has played well on that line, been great tonight, and just scored a massive one for Canada. 4-2.

No goal

I'm a little surprised they'd take that goal off the board, but Blake's skates were in the blue ice and it did prevent Milic from getting his pad across.

Three unanswered goals for Canada

Oh my. Three unanswered for Canada. And there's Adam Fantilli, getting that big moment. Good for him. He has been great since moving down to the fourth line.

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A spectacular save by Thomas Milic

What a blocker save by Thomas Milic to stone Chaz Lucius on the breakaway. He was patient, let Lucius make the first move, then projected his blocker in front of him to take the angle away. He was huge during that entire penalty kill for the Canadians.

We couldn't of asked for more

With four goals and 33 combined shots on goal already in the first 22 minutes, this game has lived up to its hype early. Here's hoping they keep this pace for the final 38 minutes.

Canada nearly almost took its first lead there. Top 2023 NHL Draft prospect Adam Fantilli, who is due for a big moment given his talent and pedigree, rips one off the post.

The last couple of minutes have been unbelievable. A monster penalty kill shift from Joshua Roy (Canadiens). A big block from Brandt Clarke (Kings). Some big stops from Thomas Milic. Back and forth at both ends.

Logan Stankoven .... Tie game

Maybe the Connor Bedard and Logan Stankoven (Stars) line will just do it all?

Tie game. Stankoven at the back post. Credit to Brandt Clarke (Kings) for walking off the line to create the rebound for Stankoven.

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