World Junior Hockey Championship 2024 Results: Quarterfinal Scores and Reaction

The 2024 World Junior Hockey Championship is in the home stretch with four quarterfinal games on Tuesday.

Sweden is the host country and looked like a team to beat in the field, but a 5-4 loss to Finland in the final game of group play on Dec. 31 opened things up.

Team USA had a phenomenal run in the group stage with a perfect 4-0 record and plus-20 scoring advantage. Canada is seeking to become the first team to win this tournament in three consecutive years since it previously accomplished the feat in five straight years from 2005 to '09.

2024 World Junior Hockey Championship Quarterfinal Scores

Finland def. Slovakia, 4-3 (OT)

Czechia def. Canada, 3-2

United States def. Latvia, 7-2

Sweden def. Switzerland, 3-2 (OT)

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Finland 4, Slovakia 3 (OT)

Jere Lassila sent Finland to the semifinal with the game-winning goal 24 seconds into overtime against Slovakia in the first game of the day.

Lassila was involved in two of Finland's goals, as he assisted Lenni Hämeenaho's score in the third period that briefly gave the team a 2-1 advantage.

The finish in overtime came after a wild third period that saw both teams score two goals. Both of Slovakia's goals in the final period of regulation tied the score, including Filip Mešár's equalizer that snuck past Niklas Kokko with 44 seconds left to play.

Mešár had a phenomenal tournament for his home country with nine points in five games. Somehow that wasn't good enough to earn him a spot as one of Slovakia's top three players, as voted on by the country's hockey federation.

The goal by Mešár immediately overshadowed the score by Aleksanteri Kaskimäki 50 seconds earlier that put Finland up 3-2 and looked like it was going to be the difference in the game.

Finland has had a terrific rebound after starting the tournament with back-to-back losses against Canada and Germany. A 5-4 shootout win over Sweden on Sunday allowed the Finnish team to reach the quarterfinals.

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Czechia 3, Canada 2

The second game of the day was also a thriller that saw Czechia end Canada's hopes for a threepeat when Jakub Stancl scored the game-winning goal with 11 seconds remaining in the third period.

It was a strange-looking goal in which it appeared Stancl was trying to pass the puck to a teammate, but it got deflected off the skate of a Canadian player and snuck past Mathis Rousseau into the net.

It was the second goal of the game for Stancl, who opened the scoring eight minutes into the first period. The Czech squad took a 2-0 lead after the opening period before Canada rebounded with goals from Matthew Wood and Jake Furlong in the second.

The win was Czechia's first-ever against the Canadian team in eight matchups at the World Junior Hockey Championships.

This will mark the first time that Canada won't medal at this tournament since finishing sixth in 2019. Tuesday's win also gives the Czech team a measure of revenge after a 3-2 overtime loss to the Canadians 3-2 in last year's gold-medal game.

Michael Hrabal did a fantastic job in goal for Czechia. The 18-year-old stopped 28 of 30 shot attempts after the Canadians scored at least five goals in three of four games during the group stage.

The Czech Republic team is now two wins away from winning its first gold medal since 2001.

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United States 7, Latvia 2

Team USA continues to look like a dominant force with an easy 7-2 victory over Latvia.

This game was over almost as soon as it started when Drew Fortescue scored 91 seconds into the first period. The U.S. also got goals from Gabe Perreault and Danny Nelson in the opening frame to open up a 3-1 lead.

Perreault added a second goal late in the second period after Rutger McGroarty and Will Smith beat Latvia goalie Deivs Rolovs.

This is the second consecutive game that the American team has scored at least six goals. They haven't scored fewer than four goals in any game so far in the tournament.

Head coach David Carle's team entered the knockout stage as the only team without a loss. They showed no signs of slowing down in the quarterfinal against an overmatched Latvian team that advanced out of the group phase with a 6-2 win over Germany on Saturday.

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Sweden 3, Switzerland 2 (OT)

The final game of Tuesday's action saw Sweden defeat Switzerland 3-2 in overtime thanks to a powerplay goal by Axel Sandin Pellikka.

The Swedes were dominant in the early goings of this matchup, jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the first period thanks to goals by Otto Stenberg and Jonathan Lekkerimaki. They even nearly took a 3-0 lead, but a shot by Fabian Wagner rang off the post.

Despite being down two goals, Switzerland never gave up on the attack and was able to claw their way back into the game with a late second period goal by Jan Hornecker.

The Swiss then tied the game halfway though the third period on a goal from Nick Meile before Pellikka's overtime game-winner.

Sweden is now heading to the semifinals with hopes of bringing home a medal in their home country.

The Swedes haven't medaled in the tournament since winning bronze in 2022 and haven't claimed gold since 2012 with a roster that included New York Rangers star Mika Zibanejad, Vegas Golden Knights forward William Karlsson and Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman John Klingberg.