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Canadiens Prospects Shine In Slovakia – USA Matchup

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1 year ago

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Montreal Canadiens prospect Filip Mesar

After a difficult start to the tournament which saw Slovakia fall 5-2 to Finland, Montreal Canadiens prospect Filip Mesar bounced back in style the following game.

The 18-year-old scored his first goal of the World Junior Championship in Slovakia’s matchup against the United States of America.

Mesar scored an insurance goal to put the Slovaks up 4-2 in the second period, as he attempted to filter a pass into a high-danger scoring area on the power play. The game is currently ongoing.

Mesar is currently serving as Team Slovakia’s alternate captain. And though the team itself was not expected to make any waves at the 2023 World Junior Championship, especially since the Canadiens chose to keep first-overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky in the NHL over the holidays, a little bit of momentum can go a very long way in such a short tournament.

Slovakia’s next game takes place on Dec.30 as they face Team Latvia at 11 PM ET

Lane Hutson

The Boston University Terriers defenceman joined Mesar on the scoresheet Wednesday afternoon, earning a primary assist on Gavin Brindley’s first-period goal.

Hutson did not start his season as a lock for earning a spot on Team USA’s roster, but thanks to an excellent first half of the season with Boston University that saw Hutson score an impressive seven goals and 11 assists in 16 games, the 18-year-old defender cruised his way to an important role on the team.

The United States struggled at times in their opening game against Latvia before they eventually found their rhythm and prevailed 5-2, and now that they’re facing a two-goal deficit in their game against Slovakia, the pressure is surely mounting.

Team USA will be back in action on Thursday, facing Switzerland at 4 PM ET, and will hope to take control of the game early to avoid yet another pressure-mounted situation as they head into the medal rounds.

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