GOTHENBURG, Sweden – The quarterfinals at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship are set and ready to be played Tuesday, Jan. 2 in Gothenburg. Host Sweden won their group with 10 of a possible 12 points in the standings and as a result will play Switzerland, the fourth-place team from Group B.

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The teams that win their quarterfinal matchups will advance to the semifinals, where they will be re-seeded with the top team playing the lowest-remaining seed and so on. All semifinals and medal games will be played in Gothenburg’s Scandinavium.

This year’s quarterfinal is loaded with six teams that should feel they have a legitimate shot at winning the gold medal, including a Swedish team that has the benefit of home ice and comes into the medal round playing some quality hockey. Switzerland, meanwhile, squeaked into the medal round with a win over Norway.

To get you ready for each QF matchup, FloHockey is doing a quick breakdown of each quarterfinal which will feature a number of NHL prospects and often plenty of drama. Here's a look at Sweden's late matchup with Switzerland.

2024 World Juniors Quarterfinal Matchup Schedule

Slovakia vs. Finland, 6 a.m. ET (Frölundaborg)

Canada vs. Czechia, 8:30 a.m. ET (Scandinavium)

USA vs. Latvia, 11 a.m. ET (Frölundaborg)

Sweden vs. Switzerland, 1:30 p.m. ET (Scandinavium)

No. 1A Sweden (3-0-1-0) vs. No. 4B Switzerland (1-0-0-3)

The Swedes hadn’t allowed a single goal in the tournament before Finland found a way to beat them in the shootout on the last day of the preliminary round. Granted, Sweden did not play their No. 1 goalie in that game, so we take the result with a slight grain of salt. But if you’re Switzerland, it’s hard not to look at the star power, the depth and the home ice advantage Sweden has and not be a bit intimidated.

Despite that lopsided look to the lineups, that also puts Switzerland in a position with nothing to lose, which makes them just dangerous enough. I don’t necessarily think there’s much the Swiss can do to push themselves into the semifinal round against the tournament hosts who have been playing good hockey throughout the tournament. It at least makes the game interesting.

Sweden has great balance throughout their lineup, a goaltender who is unblemished in Hugo Hävelid and a scoring attack that has multiple lines that will cause problems. Sweden is getting points from everywhere in their lineup, but they’re also making themselves very difficult to score against.

Jonathan Lekkerimaki scores 8 seconds into the PP to extend Sweden's lead to 3-0. #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/2ewGuwSE7X

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 26, 2023

Switzerland will also have to contend with a Swedish blue line that is mobile, can move pucks and gets into the scoring attack. Theo Lindsten (STL), Axel Sandin Pellikka (DET) and Tom Willander (VAN) are all 18-year-old defensemen who are among the class blueliners in this event. Meanwhile, Elias Salomonsson (WPG) provides a devastating physical, defensive presence to this team. It's just hard to see the Swiss matching up well with that.

The structure and defensive quality Sweden possesses make them a favorite to win gold. But this is a team that has been in this position so often before only to let the opportunity slip away. They can’t get caught looking ahead to the semifinals because the Swiss have skill to create some problems, but Sweden should have the depth and the scoring attack to make those problems quickly disappear.

The Swiss have some skill, but only one NHL Draft prospect on their roster. Their goaltending is a bit suspect and defensively, they have had a hard time slowing down opposing attacks among the top teams.

I think Sweden takes care of business emphatically in this one.

Key Players To Watch In Sweden-Switzerland Quarterfinal Matchup

Theo Lindstein, D, Sweden (STL): He wasn’t even supposed to be here. Added late as an injury replacement for the older Jakob Noren, Lindstein is tied for Sweden’s scoring lead with six points. He’s given them sturdy defense and has seen his role grow as he makes more of an impact on the roster, averaging close to 19 minutes per night.

Rodwin Dionicio, D, Switzerland (ANA): He is their only drafted player, but Dionicio is also one of the team’s most reliable producers. He has four points in the tournament so far and has shown that he can move pucks up ice. Playing nearly 23 minutes a game, he will be on the ice an awful lot against Sweden. Defensively there’s still plenty to be desired, but he has the skill to create. And oddly enough, despite all the goals Switzerland has given up in this tournament, Dionicio is even on his plus-minus.

Prediction

Sweden 7, Switzerland 2

2024 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships Quarterfinals 

The quarterfinals begin on Jan. 2, 2024 with four games starting at 6 a.m. EST and the final game scheduled for 1:30 p.m. 

2024 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships Semifinals

The semifinals begin on Jan. 4 with games starting at 6 a.m. EST and finishing at 1:30 p.m. 

2024 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships Finals

The Bronze Medal Game of the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships begins at 9 a.m. EST on Jan. 5. 

The Gold Medal Game is at 1:30 p.m. EST.  

World Juniors Stream In 2023- 2024

The World Juniors Championships will air the NHL Network in the U.S.. Select games will be available on ESPN+.

World Juniors Hockey On TSN In Canada

In Canada, the event will be televised on TSN and streamed on TSN+.

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