Czechia pulled off one major upset in the quarterfinals of the World Junior tournament and has an even bigger task at hand in Friday's semifinal against Team Canada in Edmonton.
Center Jiri Kulich, taken by the Sabres as one of three first-round picks last month in Montreal, was in the middle of the action on Wednesday.
Kulich had an empty-net goal and two assists in Czechia's stunning 4-2 win over previously undefeated Team USA. Taken at No. 28 overall with the pick acquired from the Florida Panthers for Sam Reinhart, Kulich had only two points in the first four games of the tournament but erupted against an American squad that had gone 4-0 in the preliminary round and outscored its opponents, 22-4.
JIRI KULICH POTS THE EMPTY-NETTER FOR CZECHIA 🚨#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/t9IvHpmphm
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 18, 2022
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Kulich and Czechia meet Canada at 4 p.m. Eastern time. In the other semifinal, Sweden and Finland play at 8. Both games are on NHL Network. The games for the gold and bronze medals are Saturday.Â
Sweden's roster includes Sabres draftees Isak Rosen, taken in the first round in 2021, and 2022 seventh-rounder Linus Sjodin.Â
Rosen has a team-high three goals and an assist for Sweden in the tournament and opened in the scoring in the Swedes' quarterfinal win over Latvia.
Isak Rosen has the first goal of the game on the power play! #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/agmIWPXcAY
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 17, 2022
