Finland holds on

Press Release

The Czechs lost 10-1 to Sweden on Day One, but against the other Nordic team, Finland, they seemed to be on track for three points as they led for 42 minutes. Yet how quickly that all evaporated. Joonas Rask scored the game-winning goal for Finland with 2:12 left, as the blue-and-white team came back after trailing 3-0.

The Czechs seemed to be the hotter team at the beginning. Although the Finns had more puck possession in the early stages, the Czechs showed more offensive flair and got Finland to take penalties.

Jasse Ikonen had sat in the sin bin for just 30 seconds when Tomas Kubalik beat Finnish goalie Joni Ortio for the first time at 12:23. The forward deflected a shot from the blue line from defenceman Vladimir Roth.

Three minutes later, Finland’s Mikael Granlund took another penalty and the Czechs scored again. Tomas Vincour, passing from behind the net, found Jan Kana, who extended the lead to 2-0.

The Czechs continued their scoring prowess in the middle frame when Roman Horak scored on a breakaway at 7:53. But anyone who assumed the Finns were done like dinner now was wrong.

The Finnish Lions got angry and started to play with greater intensity. The recipe paid off. Shortly after a scrum, the Finns finished off a quick attack with Teemu Hartikainen’s 3-1 goal at 17:13 of the second.

Early in the third stanza, everything went right for Finland as the Czechs ran into penalty trouble and Finland enjoyed a two-man advantage. Finnish defenceman Sami Vatanen, after taking a pass from goalie Ortio, encountered little resistance when he broke through the Czech defence to make it 3-2 at 3:40.

The tension increased as the end of the third period approached. The Finns put enormous pressure on Jakub Sedlacek’s goal.

At last they got the equalizer when Vatanen scored his second goal of the night on an even more spectacular rush at 54:46.

Three minutes later, Rask gave Finland the lead for good. The Finns didn’t give their opponent the chance to respond, and won their first three points of the 2010 tourney.

“I feel bad because we must win a game after leading 3-0,” Czech forward Jan Kana said. “Unfortunately we played so badly in the last period and couldn’t bring the puck away. Now we must win against Russia and Austria.”

While the Czechs are approaching the relegation round with two defeats in as many games, the three points could prove essential for Finland although it’s just the first of their four group-stage games.

“It was a great game for us. After I scored the first goal we played with more emotions and I think the Czechs were a bit tired at the end,” said Hartikainen.

The 18-year-old defenceman Sami Vatanen, who plays for JYP Jyväskylä in the Finnish top league and was drafted by the Anaheim Ducks, became the key player with his two goals.

“I just shot the puck in and I was a bit lucky when I scored the first goal. When I scored the second, I don’t know what the Czech defencemen did--they just moved away,” Vatanen said with a smile. “It was a big win for us.”

With a victory against the Czechs, the third-seeded team in the group, Finland did an important step towards the final round. And anything can happen there. “We can win the gold. That’s why we are here, of course,” said Vatanen, the 18-year-old Finnish captain.

Finland takes on Russia on Monday while the Czechs play Austria on Tuesday after a day off.

(Nathan also is a writer for Maineiacs Post to Post and the Maine Hockey Journal. He can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)