Welcome to Last Word On Hockey’s editions of the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship predictions. Throughout the tournament, our team will break down key matchups, storylines, and stats, then make a prediction on how the game will play out. You can also check out our NHL editions. For this edition, we’ll take a look at the opening game on Day 2 of the tournament, Germany taking on Slovakia.

World Junior Championship Predictions: Dec 27 – Germany vs Slovakia 

How to Watch: US TV: NHL Network Canada: TSN3

Time: 2 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST)

Location: Grand Casino Arena in St Paul, Minnesota

After both dropping their opening day games, Germany and Slovakia will face off to open Day 2, looking for their first win of the tournament. Germany fell to Team USA 6-3 in their opening game of the tournament, while the Slovaks dropped their opener 3-2 to Sweden. 

Germany’s Push for Scoring 

The Germans put up a fight and were in a one-goal game halfway through their tournament opener, but couldn’t withstand the eventual offensive push from the Americans. Dustin Willhoft was named Germany’s player of the game, tallying 2 assists in the effort, and will be relied upon again in this matchup to create offense. Timo Kose, Simon Seidl, and Lenny Boos all found the back of the net for the Germans in their first game. Still, they’ll need more production from top offensive threats, like Washington Capitals’ prospect Maxim Schafer and Edmonton Oilers’ prospect David Lewandowski, if they want to get into the win column. 

Slovakia’s Side

Team Slovakia looked young, competitive, and hungry, which should set up for a fun matchup against the Germans. Goaltender Alan Lendak held his own, saving 29 of 32 shots, registering a .906 save percentage, and being named their player of the game. Tomas Pobezal was also noticeable throughout the game, getting multiple scoring opportunities and cashing in on one in the second period. 2026 draft-eligible prospect, Tobias Tomik, netted the other goal for the Slovaks. They played well defensively in 5v5 situations and played a physical brand of hockey. Despite the loss, they put out a strong opening performance that should bode well for them moving forward in the tournament. 

The Final Prediction

The hard, physical style of play that Team Slovakia brought against Sweden in their tournament opener should provide a good test for the Germans. If Team Germany can get more offensive production from their top-6 forwards, we could have a really tight matchup. That said, the Slovaks look extremely motivated and will ultimately edge out Team Germany. Their showing against Sweden opened a lot of eyes to this young Slovak team, and they have the potential to make some noise this tournament.  

Prediction: Germany 2 – 4 Slovakia