Finns win in shootout, semi-final spot still open

Both teams came out strong and created plenty of scoring chances in the opening 20 minutes – particularly the Czechs, thanks to three power plays. Despite outshooting the Finns 14-8, both goalies were solid and the first period ended scoreless.

Thanks to a carry-over power play from the last minute of the first period, the Finns began the second period with more energy and had the Czechs back on their heels for several minutes. They finally opened the scoring in the 26th minute when the Czechs failed to get the puck out of their own zone, Jani Nyman’s initial shot went wide, but Aleksanteri Kaskimäki beat everybody to the rebound off the end boards and slid it inside the post.

The Finns had a chance to widen their lead midway through the period when they had a two-man advantage for 1:24 but the Czechs came up with a big kill that involved several blocked shots, and that seemed to give the host team and fans a spark and shifted the momentum. A few minutes later, it was the Czechs who were up two men and they capitalized. Matyáš Šapovaliv’s one-timer was stopped by Kokko but he couldn’t find the rebound but Šimon Slavíček could.

With 45 seconds left in the middle frame, the Czechs were called for too many players on the ice. That meant that the Finns once again had a power play carry over to the start of the period and this time they cashed in. It was Topi Rönni with a nice cross-ice pass to set up a Nyman one-timer that he made no mistake on.

Undaunted, the Czechs scored twice in a span of 1:06 to take their first lead of the game. First it was Dominik Symon stipping a Finnish defenceman of the puck in the neutral zone, skating right in on Kokko and beating him between the legs. Then it was Eduard Šalé using his speed to beat two Finnish defenders and draw a delayed hooking penalty that was never called because he scored anyway.

With 6:32 to play, the Finns tied it on Kaskimäki’s second of the game, scoring on the rebound after Kasper Lundell’s initial shot was blocked. The Czechs had a golden chance to regain the lead right off the following faceoff but Kokko came up big and the game needed extra time.

The five-minute overtime period was back and forth, with the best chance going to Finnish defenceman Kasper Kulonummi, who was stopped by Špunar on a clear-cut breakaway.

After Joakim Kemell scored for Finland in the first round of the shootout and Jakub Hujer for the Czechs in the third, a fourth round was needed. Otto Salin scored for Finland and Šalé was stopped by Kokko, ending the game in Finland’s favour.

Despite the loss, the Czechs are still alive but they’re either going to have to beat Russia or have Switzerland beat Finland to advance to the semi-finals.