World Junior Hockey Championships 2016 Results: Quarterfinal Scores and Reaction

The 2016 IIHF World Junior Championships moved into the knockout stages Saturday with the quarterfinal round. All of the usual suspects were accounted for after a highly competitive group stage that saw Russia and Sweden claim the top seeds.

The annual tournament showcases some of hockey's top young talent. This year has been no different, with some outstanding individual performances by the United States' Auston Matthews, the likely top pick in the 2016 NHL draft, and Finland's Jesse Puljujarvi, among others.

Let's check out the scores from Saturday's action in the host nation of Finland, which will be updated through the conclusion of play. That's followed by a recap of each quarterfinal clash.

Quarterfinal Results

Start Time (ET)	Matchup	Result
7 a.m.	(1B) Russia vs. (4A) Denmark	4-3 RUS (OT)
9 a.m.	(1A) Sweden vs. (4B) Slovakia	6-0 SWE
11 a.m.	(2B) Finland vs. (3A) Canada	6-5 FIN
1 p.m.	(2A) United States vs. (3B) Czech Republic	7-0 USA

Russia 4, Denmark 3 (OT)

Vladislav Kamenev played the role of hero for Russia as it narrowly survived a massive upset bid by Denmark with an overtime escape.

The 2014 Nashville Predators second-round selection scored with less than a minute remaining in regulation and then again in overtime to ensure his team would avoid an early exit. Ivan Provorov, the 2015 seventh overall pick by the Philadelphia Flyers, assisted on both goals.

Emil Christensen had given Denmark a 3-2 lead with just over five minutes to play. The underdogs couldn't survive the Russian onslaught in the final moments, however, and a potentially memorable upset instead became a heartbreaking loss.

Mark Masters of TSN noted the reaction of Denmark netminder Thomas Lillie, who was the only reason it wasn't a blowout in the Russians' favor, after the final goal:

Ryan Wagman of Hockey Prospectus commented that Russia, which held a lopsided 46-21 edge in shots, deserved to move on:

Ultimately, it wouldn't be a surprise if this game serves as the wake-up call Russia needed to make a serious charge toward the championship. It moved through pool play with relative ease, so getting challenged now should help as the level of competition rises over the final few games.

The Russians will face the winner of the quarterfinal between the United States and the Czech Republic in the penultimate round.

Sweden 6, Slovakia 0

Sweden didn't face nearly as much drama as fellow top seed Russia as it cruised past Slovakia into the semifinals. It scored twice in the first en route to a 6-0 blowout win.

Six different players found the net for the Swedes, including Alexander Nylander. He's now racked up nine points in five games and could be solidifying himself as a first-round pick in June. Joel Eriksson Ek is credited with the game-winning goal for his first-period tally.

Sweden finished the game with 55 shots on goal compared to just 17 for Slovakia. It made for an easy day between the pipes for Swedish goalie Linus Soderstrom, who recorded the shutout.

Ty Anderson of Hockey Buzz passed along word that it was a Boston Bruins prospect who took home Player of the Game honors:

Sweden moves on to face the winner of the marquee semifinal clash between Canada and Finland. It will hope to carry over much of the form it showcased Saturday as it totally outclassed Slovakia from start to finish with strong play in all three zones.

Finland 6, Canada 5

As expected, Finland and Canada put on quite a show. They combined for 11 goals with the winner coming off the stick of Patrik Laine with just under six minutes left to send the host nation to the semis.

It actually looked like the Canadians may run away with the game early. Top prospects Travis Konecny (Flyers) and Dylan Strome (Arizona Coyotes) both scored within the first 11 minutes to give the reigning champions a quick lead.

Finland fought back, however, scoring four of the next five goals to take a 4-3 lead after two. The rapid scoring pace continued in the third until Laine came up in the clutch late. The Finnish defense and goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen stood tall from there.

Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News pointed out the result ended a remarkable run for the Canadian juniors:

James Mirtle of the Globe and Mail provided a blunt assessment of the result:

There's no doubt Finland has the offensive firepower to capture the title on home ice. Puljujarvi and Laine make for a dynamic tandem alongside plenty of depth.

The biggest question is whether the defense will hold up against the likes of Sweden, Russia or the United States. Kahkonen will probably get the call in net for the semifinals after replacing Veini Vehvilainen in the comeback victory.

United States 7, Czech Republic 0

Matthews continued to showcase why he's set to join the likes of Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel as the next wave of NHL superstars with a hat trick to lead the United States to a highly impressive trouncing of the Czech Republic.

The offensive explosion gives the coveted center seven goals in the tournament. His hockey sense, especially in terms of finding even the smallest spaces to create and bury chances in the offensive zone, is simply in a different universe compared to a vast majority of players at this level.

Meanwhile, it's a forgettable exit for the Czech Republic. It pushed Russia to the limit in the opener, ultimately losing in a shootout, but the defense fall apart late. The Czechs gave up five goals to Finland to close out group play and once again faltered in a significant way in their own zone Saturday.

Adam Kimelman of NHL.com spotlight the select company the Americans' top scoring threat now holds:

Mike Kelly of the NHL Network is expecting a some entertaining semifinals with the four teams playing the best all reaching the stage:

The Americans head into the next round carrying a lot of positive vibes. The fact semifinal opponent Russia could only manage a close victory over Denmark should only provide them with more confidence heading into the final four.

If Matthews continues to play like he did in the quarters, they will certainly be tough to beat.