US conquered the Worlds
Team USA capped a riveting run through the World Junior Championship Friday with a 6-2 win over host Sweden in the gold medal game.
The Yanks were heavy favorites coming in and went undefeated through the exhibition, preliminary, and medal rounds.
It was the sixth gold in the history of the tournament for the US, which was rarely tested.
The US squad featured a pair of Massachusetts boys in Will Smith (Lexington) and Ryan Leonard (Amherst), and 10 first-round NHL picks: Smith (Sharks); Leonard (Capitals), Rutger McGroarty (Jets), Sam Rinzel (Blackhawks), Oliver Moore (Blackhawks), Cutter Gauthier (Flyers), Isaac Howard (Lightning), Gabe Perreault (Rangers), Jimmy Snuggerud (Blues), and Frank Nazar (Blackhawks).
Locmelis shined for Latvia
Matt Poitras’s appearance at the World Juniors was well documented, as the Bruins rookie forward represented Team Canada, which was upset by Czechia (which eventually won bronze) in the quarterfinals.
Another competitor with Bruins ties, Latvia forward Dans Locmelis, had a nice tournament. Locmelis, the Latvian captain, had two goals and five points in five games. He scored a sniper goal in a loss to the United States in the quarters.
A freshman at UMass, Locmelis has four goals and five points in 12 games for the Minutemen. Locmelis was selected by the Bruins in the fourth round of the 2022 draft.
Locmelis’s UMass teammate, goalie Michael Hrabal, won a bronze by backboning Czechia. The 6-foot-7-inch Hrabel was a second-round pick of the Coyotes last summer.
Too many men on the ice?
The Bruins have a looming logjam on defense with Derek Forbort (groin) on the mend. There soon will be seven bodies for six slots. The conventional wisdom would be to send the kid (a.k.a. Mason Lohrei) back to Providence.
Another idea would be to create a rotation that would result in both experience (for Lohrei) and rest for the rest of the corps.
Based on matchups, one defenseman sits in the press box every seventh game, allowing him to put his feet up, while also watching the game from a different perspective.
Of course, Lohrei could also benefit from heavy minutes in Providence, but he’s shown he belongs at the NHL level as he’s meshed well with his partners, including Charlie McAvoy and Kevin Shattenkirk.
Lohrei has had some hiccups (i.e. watch out for those close passes in front of the Bruins’ net!), but his offensive creativity and flair, plus his short memory (he doesn’t carry mistakes into his next shift) will suit him well for years.
Shattenkirk has fit in nicely
Speaking of Shattenkirk, he has really grown into his roles as an offensiveminded defenseman and locker room leader.
A 14-year veteran, the always smiling Shattenkirk has easily fit onto a club that lost a lot of leadership from last season’s squad.
“He’s really funny, very observant, very bright. And I think he knows when a guy, especially a teammate that might be struggling, needs to laugh a little. And he also knows when the guy needs a pat on the back and needs a big brother. I think he does a really good job of that,” said coach Jim Montgomery. “He’s really entrenched himself as someone that’s really important to address because of his personality.”
Shattenkirk and fellow veteran James van Riemsdyk have been longtime friends and have enjoyed finally becoming teammates.
“That’s actually been one of the coolest parts about coming here for me, to be honest,” said van Riemsdyk. “I’ve known Shatty since we were kids. So, for us to now get a chance to play together in a situation like this on a great team and organization like this when we have young families together, that’s been a lot of fun for us. And it’s definitely helped with my transition as far as feeling comfortable.”
Van Riemsdyk said Shattenkirk has always had a magnetic personality.
“He’s a guy that, since we were kids, everyone always gravitates to, and it’s a lot of fun to be around. So, I think he’s definitely brought a lot of that here to this group, too,” van Riemsdyk said. “And I’m someone who can tend to be a little shyer at the start. So, I think having someone that I’m super comfortable with, Shatty, has helped me feel more comfortable right away.”
Loose pucks
David Pastrnak closed 2023 with one of the quotes of the year and a hat tip to Patrice Bergeron when asked about his ability to steal pucks without getting called for penalties. “Got a great teacher in my career, has a bunch of Selkes in his pocket,” said Pastrnak . . . Speaking of Pastrnak, did you know he led the NHL in goals (58) during the 2023 calendar year? . . . The Bruins (124-35-14, 262 points) set NHL records for regular-season wins and points over a two-year span, topping the Canadiens (118-19-22) of 1977 and ’78 . . . When Capitals star Alex Ovechkin scored his 830th career goal (for his 1,507th point) against the Penguins Jan. 2, he passed Ray Bourque for seventh-most points by a player with one franchise in league history. Bourque had 395 goals and 1,111 assists in 1,518 games with the Bruins. Ovechkin hit his numbers in 1,382 games . . . In case you missed it, catch up to Brad Marchand’s appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Thursday afternoon. Among the nuggets the captain dropped was how he likes to annoy Bergeron about unretiring.