TAMPER, Finland – Sakari Maninen scored in a 6-minute power play, 42 seconds from 3-on-3 overtime, and Finland beat Canada 4-3 on Sunday for their fourth World Hockey Championship title.
Host Finland completed its Olympic doubles after winning in China in February, joining Sweden in 2006 as the only country to win Olympic and world titles that year.
“It’s unbelievable,” said Finnish coach Juka Jalonen. “You can’t even figure out what happened. Maybe in the summer we can find out what really happened. But three months and two gold medals – it’s amazing!”
Ottawa Senators defender Thomas Shabot was sent off for a hook, which created a winning force. With a 4-on-3 advantage, Maninen scored once from the right circle after a pass from Nashville Predators center Mikael Granlund.
“I think it’s pretty obvious that the man threw himself, but at the end of the day my stick was there and I put myself in that position, so it’s a hockey call and things happen fast,” Shabot said. “But I think everyone can agree that it was a bit of a dive, I think.”
Adding Canadian center Pierre-Luc Dubois, Winnipeg Jets striker: “You work so hard and it sucks to decide that. We know when we enter these tournaments, the rules are different, but that’s not the point. It’s disappointing. You don’t even know the rules anymore. “
Finland won the IIHF World Hockey Championship just three months after winning Olympic gold. Eurasia Sport Images / Getty Images
The parties met for the third time in a row in the final. Finland defeated Canada in 2019 in Slovakia, and Canada led the Finns last year in Latvia. The event in 2020 was canceled.
Granlund scored twice and Montreal Canadiens striker Joel Army added a goal for Finland. Jussi Olquinoura made 19 saves.
Dylan Cosens, Zack Whitecloud and Maxheim Ducks striker Max Comtois scored for Canada, with Whitecloud and Comtois joining at the end of the third and goalkeeper Matt Tomkins missing as an extra striker.
“It was crazy,” said Granlund, who joined the team after the Predators were eliminated in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. “It was great! What a finish to the game. They equalized in the third period, but we found a way in the end and it’s just great.”
Whitecloud, a defender of the Vegas Golden Knights, pulled Canada in one with 2:12 left and Comtois tied with 1:24 until the end.
“This is the battle for our team,” said Canadian striker Cole Salinger, who has just finished his rookie season with the Columbus Blue Jackets. “We never give up. We pushed them to the end and it’s a pity there was another penalty in overtime and they took advantage. They played a great hockey game and congratulations to them.”
Cosens, the center of the Buffalo Sabers, opened the scoring for Canada in a powerful game early in the second period. But Granlund tied the score at the start of the third with a 5-on lead, with Canadians Noah Gregor (stumbling) and Sillinger (high-scoring) taking penalties.
Canadian goalkeeper Chris Driger, who has just finished his first season with the Seattle Kraken, was injured during the game and was replaced by Tomkins, who quickly passed a second goal to Backlund. Army made it 3-1 with 5:56 left in the regulations after a wrist blow through traffic.
In the match for third place, Boston Bruins striker David Pastrnak scored a hat-trick against his NHL teammate Jeremy Sueman, the goalkeeper of the US team, and the Czech Republic won 8-4.
Sueman, a late entry for the Americans after the Bruins season ended in Round 1 earlier this month, was 3-0 in the tournament, which went to the championship weekend, but lost to Finland and the Czechs on consecutive days.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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