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Buffalo Sabres: Jiri Kulich’s legendary IIHF performances continue

By Sion Fawkes

HALIFAX, CANADA - DECEMBER 31: Jiri Kulich #25 of Team Czechia skates during the first period against Team Germany in the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship at Scotiabank Centre on December 31, 2022 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Team Czechia defeated Team Germany 8-1. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
HALIFAX, CANADA - DECEMBER 31: Jiri Kulich #25 of Team Czechia skates during the first period against Team Germany in the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship at Scotiabank Centre on December 31, 2022 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Team Czechia defeated Team Germany 8-1. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /
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Jiri Kulich is once again making his presence known in the 2023 IIHF World  Juniors, and the Buffalo Sabres have to be loving this.

The Buffalo Sabres have got to be ecstatic with the returns forward Jiri Kulich has granted them both in the AHL and in the World Junior Championships. In Czechia’s 9-1 win over Switzerland, Kulich knocked down four points (2 + 2).

The performance gave Kulich seven points in five games so far in the tournament (5 + 2), and he has helped lead Czechia into a semi-final showdown against Isak Rosen, Noah Ostlund, and Team Sweden. So in case you missed it, check out Kulich’s two goals from yesterday’s game against Switzerland and I will break them down.

Buffalo Sabres prospect Jiri Kulich once again stole the show

Despite the final score, Czechia found themselves down 1-0 early, but that changed when Kulich took a pass from the forecheck. Sneaking up the slot and near the crease was all it took for Kulich to sink Goal #1 home to tie the game at one.

A few days ago, I stated that Kulich looked a bit like Victor Olofsson given his ability to sneak around. Well, he once again pulled off his best impression of the Sabres power play specialist. I’m telling you, if Olofsson goes elsewhere in the near future, Kulich might be the winger’s initial replacement.

This second one occurred in with just over 14 minutes remaining in the middle frame. Here, we saw Kulich once again sneak into the slot on what looked like a designed play. He took a short pass from Eduard Šalé, and did the rest, giving Czechia a 5-1 lead.

Related Story. Sabres: Reliving Jiri Kulich’s hat trick in Czechia’s win. light

Overall, it has been a monster tournament for Kulich, who also enjoyed some fair performances in the AHL this season. Now, it’s onto Rosen, Ostlund, and that high-skill team that Sweden possesses to earn a spot in the championship round.

(Statistics provided by IIHF.com)

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