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World Juniors All Star Team

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         Today as a member of the accredited media I cast my vote for the 2012 IIHF World Junior’s All Star Team. I may not take many things seriously, but choosing an All Star team is no laughing matter. I’m the kind of guy that takes half an hour to fill out my NHL All Star ballot when I’m allowed to vote 20 times! As you can imagine, I thought long and hard about my choices for this Juniors All Star team, after all, my vote has an impact on how this championship will be recorded in the history books of hockey.

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Here is what I came up with. Feel free to comment, send me an email or tweet me your thoughts!

Goaltender

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Andrei VasilevskiRussia – (4-0-1, 2.01 GAA, .953 SV%, 2 SO) 

A late collapse against Canada that ended in a victory anyways is not enough to scare me away from naming this 17-year old sensation as the tournament’s top goaltender. Vasilevski was nothing short of spectacular in every period he played except for the last one against Canada, but his ability to keep Canada at just one goal in 48 minutes certainly earns loads of credit. He never had an easy game, making 30 saves or more every time he stood between the pipes while posting two shutouts along the way. His glove is unbelievable, and his ability to position himself in the right spot to make a save is terrific. You can’t judge a goalie from one tournament, but if Vasilevski is half as good in the future as he’s been the past two weeks, he’ll be on many NHL radars come draft time.

Defence

Oscar Klefbom (1 GP, 1 G, 1 A, 2 PTS, +6) 

The tournament’s only undefeated team relies on Klefbom to anchor their top defensive pairing, and the Edmonton Oilers prospect (2011 Draft, 19th Overall) has responded with a terrific performance so far. The strong, fast blueliner has logged major minutes, been used in all situations and owned the best +/- in the preliminary round. He even chipped in offensively with a big goal that got the rally going against Russia on New Year’s Eve early in the third period. Klefbom is an excellent skater and the nasty combination of size, speed, and skill has helped him thrive so far. If the 6’3, 201 pound 18-year old can make this kind of impact this year, imagine how good he’ll be in next year’s tournament.

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Nikita Nesterov – Russia – (6 GP, 2 G, 3 A, 5 PTS, +7) 

A Russian defenceman on the All Star Team? Yes indeed. Nesterov has been the backbone of a defensive core that came into this tournament inexperienced and lacking formidable skill. The Tampa Bay Lightning’s 5th round pick of 2011 has responded by anchoring a defence that owns the tournament’s best penalty kill (92.6% success rate) and has allowed the fewest goals per game (1.8). Nesterov is a big player with a towering shot and has been used pretty effectively in all situations. He’s not bad on the physical side either, and most importantly helped hold Canada to just one goal in the first 48 minutes of the semifinal.

Forwards

Mikael Granlund Finland(6 GP, 2 G, 9A, 11 PTS, +6)

After being hammered 8-1 by Team Canada in the tournament opener, Team Finland played fantastic hockey and if it weren’t for a late collapse and shootout loss to Sweden yesterday, the Finns would be playing for gold tomorrow. Mikael Granlund was the spark of the Finnish offence. The Minnesota Wild prospect (2010 Draft, 9th Overall) scored the GWG against the USA, set up two in a great performance against the Czech Republic and racked up four points in the quarterfinals game against Slovakia. Granlund is an undersized forward with elite offensive hockey sense. His character, work ethic and playmaking abilities are all top-notch, and will likely find himself in the NHL next year if he keeps this up.

Max Friberg – Sweden – (5 GP, 9 G, 2 A, 11 PTS, +4)

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Friberg broke out this tournament and lit the lamp more than anyone else. His contributions are a primary reason Sweden is facing off in the gold medal game tomorrow. He scored the tying goal against Russia with 40 seconds left in the third and assisted on the overtime winner. He also scored the tying goal with 1:44 remaining in the semis against Finland to send the game into extra time, and then scored the deciding goal in the third round of the shootout. The Anaheim Ducks’ prospect (2011 Draft, 5th Round, 143rd Overall) has a knack for finding open shooting lanes and has a great release. His speed is very good and he works hard on the ice. Many scouts rave about his great character, and it will be interesting to see whether his clutch play can continue after this tournament.

Ryan Strome– Canada – (5 GP, 3 G, 6 A, 9 PTS, +9) 

Strome has been one of Team Canada’s most consistent forwards who worked hard and found a way to put points on the board in every game. After a roaring four-point start on Boxing Day vs. Finland, Strome assisted on the winning goal against Czech Republic and then scored an insurance marker to suck the life out of the persistent Czechs. He also set up Canada’s second goal against Russia, which spurred a four-goal third period rally. Strome has excellent hand-skills and is instrumental when controlling the puck. He protects it well, breaks out some nasty moves and can dish it off in a flash to set up some easy goals. The New York Islanders’ 5th overall selection of the 2011 Draft hit the post in the final minutes of Tuesday’s semifinal against Russia when the Canadians were down by one.

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Most Valuable Player

Yevgeni Kuznetsov Russia – (6 GP, 6 G, 7 A, 13 PTS, +6)

How can I choose an All Star who only has points in two out of the six games played so far? I couldn’t. But despite Kuznetsov’s quiet performances in the preliminaries against teams not named Lavia (He had 9 points in that game) and the quarterfinals, Kuznetsov’s game against Canada clinches him the MVP title. By the midway point of the second period, he had a hat trick and an assist while the team that he captains built a 5-1 lead on the road against the tournament favourites. The first round pick of the Washington Capitals (2010 Draft, 26th Overall) is an excellent skater with a good shot and soft hands. His offensive creativity and hockey sense are both elite, and Russia’s only returning player from 2011 has led his team to the gold medal game once again. I have little doubt that this kid will be a star in the pros.

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