World Junior Championship Preview: Group B

The second part of the World Junior previews. Here is Group B.

Note: Most data from the IIHF website.

Rosters

Canada
Goalies: Jordan Binnington (Owen Sound Attack), Jake Paterson (Saginaw Spirit), Malcolm Subban (Belleville Bulls)
Defense: Dougie Hamilton (Niagara IceDogs), Scott Harrington (London Knights), Ryan Murphy (Kitchener Rangers), Xavier Ouellet (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada), Griffin Reinhart (Edmonton Oil Kings), Morgan Rielly (Moose Jaw Warriors), Tyler Wotherspoon (Portland Winterhawks)
Forwards: Anthony Camara (Barrie Colts), Phillip Danault (Victoriaville Tigres), Jonathan Drouin (Halifax Mooseheads), Jonathan Huberdeau (Saint John Sea Dogs), Boone Jenner (Oshawa Generals), J.C. Lipon (Kamloops Blazers), Nathan MacKinnon (Halifax Mooseheads), Mark McNeill (Prince Albert Raiders), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (Oklahoma City Barons), Ty Rattie (Portland Winterhawks), Brett Ritchie (Niagara IceDogs), Mark Scheifele (Barrie Colts), Ryan Strome (Niagara IceDogs)

Germany
Goalies: Marvin Cupper (Shawinigan Cataractes), Philipp Lehr (FASS Berlin), Elmar Trautmann (ERV Chemnitz)
Defense: Steven Bar (Lowen Frankfurt), Maximilian Faber (Eisbaren Berlin), Henry Haase (Eisbaren Berlin), Kilian Keller (Grizzly Adams Wolfsburg), Florin Ketterer (EC Bad Tolz), Stephan Kronthaler (Landshut Cannibals), Oliver Mebus (EV Duisburg), Max Meirandres (Star Bulls Rosenheim)
Forwards: Alexander Ackermann (Heilbronner Falken), Leon Draisaitl (Prince Albert Raiders), Dominik Kahun (Sudbury Wolves), Christian Kretschmann (Krefeld Pinguine), Nickolas Latta (Sarnia Sting), Andreas Pauli (EHC Red Bull Munchen), Leonhard Pfoderl (EC Bad Tolz), Dennis Reimer (Hannover Indians), Tobias Rieder (Kitchener Rangers), Huba Sekesi (Jamestown Ironmen), Frederic Tiffels (Muskegon Lumberjacks), Sebastian Uvira (Oshawa Generals)

Russia
Goalies: Anderi Makarov (Saskatoon Blades), Igor Ustinski (Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk), Andrei Vasilevski (Tolpar Ufa)
Defense: Kirill Dyakov (Mamonty Yugry Khanty-Mansisk), Yaroslav Dyblenko (Mytishinskie Atlanty), Pavel Koledov (Loko Yaroslavl), Andrei Mironov (Dynamo Moscow), Nikita Nesterov (Traktor Chelyabinsk), Artyom Sergeyev (Val d'Or Foreurs), Albert Yarulin (Ak Bars Kazan)
Forwards: Mikhail Grigorenko (Quebec Remparts), Kirill Kapustin (Loko Yaroslavl), Alexander Khokhlachyov (Spartak Moscow), Yaroslav Kosov (Metallurg Magnitogorsk), Nikita Kucherov (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies), Yevgeni Mozer (Avangard Omsk), Valeri Nichushkin (Chelmet Chelyabinsk), Maxim Shalunov (Traktor Chelyabinsk), Andrei Sigaryov (SKA St. Petersburg), Anton Slepyshev (Metallurg Novokuznetsk), Vladimir Tkachyov (Ak Bars Kazan), Nail Yakupov (Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk), Danil Zharkov (Belleville Bulls)

Slovakia
Goalies: Adam Nagy (Orange 20 Bratislava), Patrik Romancik (Orange 20 Bratislava), Richard Sabol (Green Bay Gamblers)
Defense: Emil Bagin (Dukla Trencin), David Bajanik (Patriot Budapest), Richard Buri (Orange 20 Bratislava), Peter Ceresnak (Petersborough Petes), Karol Korim (Orange 20 Bratislava), Patrik Luza (Orange 20 Bratislava), Tomas Nechala (Orange 20 Bratislava), Tomas Rusina (Orange 20 Bratislava)
Forwards: Andrej Bires (Orange 20 Bratislava), Marko Dano (Slovan Bratislava), Dominik Fujerik (Orange 20 Bratislava), Denis Hudec (Orange 20 Bratislava), Milan Kolena (Orange 20 Bratislava), Matus Matis (Orange 20 Bratislava), Tomas Mikus (Slovan Bratislava), Bruno Mraz (Orange 20 Bratislava), Richard Mraz (Orange 20 Bratislava), Branislav Rapac (HK Poprad), Martin Reway (Gatineau Olympiques), Michal Uhrik (Orange 20 Bratislava)

United States of America
Goalies: John Gibson (Kitchener Rangers), Jon Gilles (Providence College), Garret Sparks (Guelph Storm)
Defense: Shayne Gostisbehere (Union College), Seth Jones (Portland Winterhawks), Jake McCabe (University of Wisconsin), Connor Murphy (Sarnia Sting), Mike Reilly (University of Minnesota), Jacob Trouba (University of Michigan)
Forwards: Riley Barber (Miami University), Cole Bardreau (Cornell University), Tyler Biggs (Oshawa Generals), Alex Galchenyuk (Sarnia Sting), John Gaudreau (Boston College), Rocco Gimaldi (University of North Dakota), Ryan Hartman (Plymouth Whalers), Sean Kuraly (Miami University), Mario Lucia (University of Notre Dame), J.T. Miller (Connecticut Whale), Blake Pietila (Michigan Tech University), Vince Trocheck (Saginaw Spirit), Jim Vesey (Harvard University)

Schedule

December 26
Germany vs. Canada
Slovakia vs. Russia

December 27
USA vs. Germany

December 28
Canada vs. Slovakia
Russia vs. USA

December 29
Germany vs. Russia

December 30
Canada vs. USA
Slovakia vs. Germany

December 31
USA vs. Slovakia
Russia vs. Canada

Pre-Tournament Prognosis

Canada: They get though no problem, probably earn a medal, people will still care more if they disappoint than if the Spengler Cup team wins.

Germany: See Latvia from earlier post.

Russia: They always do good, and now they have the home crowd. A medal is almost a definite for this team.

Slovakia: If USA did not get drastically better, then Slovakia would have had a shot at passing the Round Robin. Now, they will likely settle for an easy survival in the Relegation Round.

USA: Got better, but still not good enough to play for a medal without a few breaks.