MILAN — Defending champions Finland swatted apart Slovakia to win the lads’s Olympic bronze medal on Saturday, scoring 4 objectives within the closing interval to see off the bronze medalists from 4 years in the past in a 6-1 win at Santagiulia Area.
The Finns had little time to lick their wounds after letting a two-goal lead slip by means of their arms towards Canada in Friday’s semifinal and made a subdued celebration as the ultimate buzzer sounded.
“I am actually happy with each man who got here out and performed the best way we performed right now. It was disappointing for positive final night time after which in such a brief time period we performed this recreation,” mentioned Joel Armia, who scored a purpose within the third interval.
The 2 sides met within the opening group recreation when Slovakia got here out 4-1 winners, however the Finns turned on the model when it actually mattered with a medal on the road.
Sebastian Aho and Erik Haula put Finland two objectives up earlier than Tomas Tatar made it 2-1 going into the ultimate interval.
The Finns scored two extra in fast succession by means of Roope Hintz and Kaapo Kakko, and Armia and Haula added empty-net objectives to finish the rout.
Aho had tapped in to place Finland forward within the eighth minute, and Haula, nicely rested after spending two minutes within the penalty field, shocked everybody with a snapshot from out extensive which sailed previous Samuel Hlavaj 9 minutes into the second interval.
Slovakia prayers have been answered with 30 seconds left earlier than the ultimate interval as Finland goalie Juuse Saros scrambled to get again to his internet and Tatar pounced to attain.
Miro Heiskanen’s wrist shot was redirected by his Dallas Stars teammate Hintz for a power-play purpose and fewer than a minute later Kakko smacked his shot in off the publish.
The sport was up when Slovakia pulled their goalie, solely to see Armia rating 21 seconds later and Haula discovered the online once they put the goaltender on the bench a second time.
It was Finland’s fifth bronze and eighth males’s Olympic ice hockey medal total.
Slovakia, who topped their group however misplaced to the U.S. within the semis, have been left to rue missed probabilities after the Finnish goalie turned away 30 pictures.
“It is positively the worst loss in my hockey profession,” mentioned Slovakia defenseman Martin Fehervary.
Finland collected their first gold with an impressed win over Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) 4 years in the past however the addition of NHL gamers this yr – for the primary time since 2014 – modified the equation solely.
Just one member of that 2022 profitable crew – defenseman Mikko Lehtonen – returned this time, as Finland stuffed their roster with an enviable array of Nationwide Hockey League expertise.
Canada performs the U.S. in Sunday’s gold medal recreation.
–Reuters, particular to Area Degree Media
