Finland and Sweden wanted a tight preliminary series game in Tampere. After the actual game time, the situation was 1-1, and after a goalless overtime, a solution was sought with penalty shots.
Sweden won the match 2–1.
– There was precise playing. Sweden did not give as much pressure as the USA. Finland got delayed departures. It was time to play tactically. There were no big spots in either of them, Iltalehti’s puck expert Pekka Virta stated.
After the USA and Germany matches, it has been wondered why Finland has not played much through the center, so to speak, i.e. by passing the puck in front of the own goal to the center forward.
On Monday, this happened, and it turned out badly.
– Leijonat wasted the puck in the center, it became Sweden’s first goal. It was possible for you to play pakki-pakki and on and on. A bad goal came, and it took away the idea of how Finland has thought about winning these games.
Six goals
Brakes on and head first into the Plexiglas. Rasmus Sandin can blame himself for the wild-looking situation, even though Marko Anttila was put on the ice shelf. PETRI SAARELAINEN / AOP
Leijonat has scored six goals in three games. It’s not too much.
– It says that goals are not sought at the expense of defense. There’s still a Game 7 mindset there. Control of the puck is maintained, not left alone. Places are not terribly produced. And the truth of the last games, Finland doesn’t score a lot of goals when they win games, still applies.
– If a goal had been scored with the superiority of the third period, and if the puck had not been lost once in the middle area, then this would have been a victory. It’s not a good idea to start changing anything there, Virta ynänsi.
Weak ice
Pekka Virta works as Iltalehti’s ice hockey expert at the World Cup. RONI LETHI
The judging activity surprised many viewers. Sometimes it seemed like you could do almost anything in the rink. Sometimes the whistle blows more easily.
One Finnish ice cream surprised Virra.
– Marko Anttila’s ice was a shit ice. A player cannot brake a meter before the wing and then wonder that there was an ugly tackle, an experienced coach blocked Tre Kronor Rasmus Sandinia.
Anttila glued Sandini from the back to his end in the Swedish defense area.
– The line was not favorable for Finland. But the judges did not deprive anyone of the game.