The United States continues on with Group B play at the 2023 World Juniors, as the Americans face Slovakia on Wednesday afternoon.
On Monday, it took a slow start, but the USA pulled out a 5-2 win over Latvia to kick off their tournament. After a scoreless first period, the two teams exchanged goals in the middle frame to head into the final 20 minutes knotted at two. The USA scored three unanswered goals in the third period to secure the win.
Five different players found the back of the net, with Red Savage and Sean Behrens leading the way with a goal and an assist each. Trey Augustine got the win in net, stopping 15 of 17 shots.
MORE: Watch the 2023 World Juniors live with fuboTV (free trial, U.S. only)
“We just settled down for the third and kind of played with more character,” U.S. head coach Rand Pecknold said. “I thought in the first two periods, we were nervous and made a couple of mistakes that ended up in the back of the net. But we had plenty of chances, so we just talked about letting our character come through in the third.”
Slovakia lost on Tuesday in their opening game of the tournament, falling to Finland 5-2. After both teams found the back of the net once in the first, the Finns potted three goals in the second to build a 4-1 lead, and held on for the win in the third.
Peter Repcik had both of the goals for Slovakia, while goaltender Patrik Andrisik was pulled after allowing four goals on 15 shots.
The Sporting News will provide live updates and highlights from the USA-Slovakia matchup at the 2023 World Junior Championship.
MORE: Team USA roster, schedule for 2023 World Juniors
USA vs. Slovakia score
| 1 | 2 | 3 | OT | F | |
| USA | — | — | — | — | — |
| Slovakia | — | — | — | — | — |
USA vs. Slovakia live updates, highlights from 2023 World Juniors
(All times Eastern.)
Pregame
What channel is USA vs. Slovakia on today?
- United States: NHL Network
- Canada: TSN 1/5
TSN has all the World Juniors action in Canada, while in the United States, viewers can find the games on NHL Network.
Stephen Nelson will provide play-by-play coverage for NHL Network. He will be joined by analyst Dave Starman and reporter Jon Rosen on the broadcasts.
Dennis Beyak and Craig Button will be on the call for the USA games for TSN. Laura Diakun and Dave Reid will be in the studio.
How to live stream World Juniors hockey games
U.S. fans can stream the tournament on fuboTV (which comes with a free trial), NHL.tv or the NHL app.
Fans in Canada can stream all World Juniors games on TSN.ca or the TSN app.
USA vs. Slovakia start time
- Start time: 4 p.m. ET (5 p.m. AST)
The puck will drop at 4 p.m. ET from the Avenir Centre in Moncton, N.B., home of the QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats.
MORE: Team USA 2023 World Juniors roster, results
It is the second game of the tournament for both teams and the first World Juniors game on Wednesday.
USA vs. Slovakia odds
- USA: -2.5 (-159)
- Slovakia: +2.5 (+114)
- O/U: 6.5
The USA opened as 2.5-goal favorites on the puck line for their game against Slovakia, according to Sports Interaction.
USA World Juniors schedule 2023
(All times Eastern)
| Date | Opponent | Result | Time (ET) | TV Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec. 26 | Latvia | W, 5-2 | 4 p.m. | TSN, NHLN |
| Dec. 28 | Slovakia | — | 4 p.m. | TSN, NHLN |
| Dec. 29 | Switzerland | — | 4 p.m. | TSN, NHLN |
| Dec. 31 | Finland | — | 4 p.m. | TSN, NHLN |
| Jan. 2 | TBD (Quarterfinals) | — | TBD | TSN, NHLN |
| Jan. 4 | TBD (Semifinals) | — | TBD | TSN, NHLN |
| Jan. 5 | TBD (Gold-Medal Game) | — | TBD | TSN, NHLN |
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