Finland eliminated Canada in heartbreaking fashion at the 2019 IIHF World Juniors in the quarterfinal round — and on Saturday, Canada will have the chance to return the favor against the reigning champions, this time in the semifinal.
Alexis Lafreniere and his teammates advanced to the semifinal round with a crushing 6-1 victory over Slovakia on Thursday. Lafreniere, who had missed Canada's final two group stage games due to a leg injury , potted one goal and one assist in his return to action. Captain Barrett Hayton chipped in two goals and one assist as Canada moved one step closer to a gold medal.
"I think we're getting better every game," Lafreniere told reporters after Thursday's game. "I think the guys are really working together. We work as a team and it's showed out there, we played really good."
MORE: Alexis Lafreniere happy to be back, stresses focus for Canada ahead of semis
Finland advanced to the semifinal after a dramatic 1-0 victory over the United States on Thursday. The country's U20 team no longer includes New York Ranger Kaapo Kakko, but forward Kristian Tanus (two goals, six assists and fifth-most among all skaters in the tournament) has picked up the slack on the offensive end. Los Angeles Kings prospect Rasmus Kupari anchors the team's first line, while the team's blue line is stacked with already-drafted talents Anttoni Honka (Carolina Hurricanes), Ville Heinola (Winnipeg Jets), Toni Utunen (Vancouver Canucks) and Lassi Thomson (Ottawa Senators).
Goaltender Justus Annunen made 30 saves for Finland in their quarterfinal win over the United States — he holds an impressive .963 save percentage and 1.97 goals-against average throughout the tournament. He will likely suit up against Canada's Joel Hofer, who made 17 saves on 18 shots against Slovakia on Thursday.
WJC: Live scores and schedule for all four quarterfinal games
Here is how you can watch Canada vs. Finland in the world juniors semifinal on Saturday:
How to watch Canada vs. Finland
- TV channel (Canada): TSN 1/4/5
- Live stream (Canada): TSN Live
- TV channel (U.S.): NHL Network
Canada vs. Finland: What time is puck drop?
- Date: Saturday, Jan. 4
- Time: 1 p.m. ET
Full World Junior Championship schedule
| THURSDAY, DEC. 26 | ||
| Switzerland 5 , Kazakhstan 3 | 9 a.m. | TSN 1/3 |
| Czech Republic 4 , Russia 3 | 9 a.m. | TSN 4/5, NHLN |
| Sweden 3, Finland 2 (OT) | 1 p.m. | TSN3 |
| Canada 6 , United States 4 | 1 p.m. | TSN 1/4/5, NHLN |
| FRIDAY, DEC. 27 | ||
| Slovakia 3 , Kazakhstan 1 | 9 a.m. | TSN, NHLN |
| Germany 3, United States 6 | 1 p.m. | TSN 1/3/4, NHLN |
| SATURDAY, DEC. 28 | ||
| Finland 8 , Slovakia 1 | 9 a.m. | TSN 1/3, NHLN |
| Czech Republic 3, Germany 4 | 9 a.m. | TSN 4/5 |
| Switzerland 2, Sweden 5 | 1 p.m. | TSN3 |
| Russia 6 , Canada 0 | 1 p.m. | TSN 1/4/5, NHLN |
| SUNDAY, DEC. 29 | ||
| Kazakhstan 1, Finland 7 | 9 a.m. | TSN 3/4/5, NHLN |
| United States 3 , Russia 1 | 1 p.m. | TSN 4/5, NHLN |
| MONDAY, DEC. 30 | ||
| Kazakhstan 2, Sweden 6 | 9 a.m. | TSN3 |
| Germany 1, Canada 4 | 9 a.m. | TSN 1/4/5, NHLN |
| Slovakia 2, Switzerland 7 | 1 p.m. | TSN 1/3 |
| United States 4 , Czech Republic 3 (OT) | 1 p.m. | TSN 4/5, NHLN |
| TUESDAY, DEC. 31 | ||
| Sweden 6 , Slovakia 2 | 9 a.m. | TSN 1/3, NHLN |
| Russia 6 , Germany 1 | 9 a.m. | TSN 4/5 |
| Finland 2, Switzerland 5 | 1 p.m. | TSN3 |
| Canada 7 , Czech Republic 2 | 1 p.m. | TSN 1/4/5, NHLN |
| THURSDAY, JAN. 2 | ||
| QF: Switzerland 1 , Russia 3 | 6:30 a.m. | TSN 3/4/5, NHLN |
| QF: Canada 6, Slovakia 1 | 9 a.m. | TSN, NHLN |
| QF: USA 0 , Finland 1 | 11:30 a.m. | TSN3, NHLN |
| QF: Sweden 5 , Czech Republic 0 | 2 p.m. | TSN, NHLN |
| SATURDAY, JAN. 4 | ||
| SF: Sweden vs. Russia | 9 a.m. | TSN, NHLN |
| SF: Canada vs. Finland | 1 p.m. | TSN 1/4/5, NHLN |
| SUNDAY, JAN. 5 | ||
| Bronze-medal game | 9 a.m. | TSN, NHLN |
| Gold-medal game | 1 p.m. | TSN, NHLN |
(All times Eastern)