Finland 2011 World Champion

Finland scored three goals within three and a half minute to take the game from a 1-0 deficit to a 3-1 lead. With only a few seconds remaining of the second period the Championship top scorer Jarkko Immonen tied the game and in the opening of the third period Petteri Nokelainen scored 2-1 and Niko Kapanen 3-1.

In the final minutes Finland added another three goals to get a 6-1 win and win its second World Championship ever. The first was won in 1995. Also against Sweden.

"It is a great day for our country, for all the Finns, for our ice hockey", says the Finnish coach Jukka Jalonen. "We have not won the World championship for 16 years and we have been waiting for a very long time. We showed a big mental strength. We were down by one or two goals every game, but we were able to come back and win the title. That says a lot about our character. We also had great leaders in Mikko Koivu and Tuomo Ruutu."



"It means so much for Finland", says Mikael Granlund". "Finland is a hockey country".

"Hockey is a funny game" says the Swedish coach Pär Mårts. "I think we had a chance to win this game. We scored the first goal, than hit the post and upper bar. Then Finns tied the game with 7,7 seconds to the end of the 2nd period. But the Finns deserved to win, they played much better defense than we did. They showed much more patience than us."

Finland in blue jerseys established pressure in the offensive zone in the opening of the game but then both teams player very carefully.

Finland got a power-play opportunity during the last two minutes of the first period when Oliver Ekman-Larsson got an interference penalty, but the tournament MVP Viktor Fasth stopped their scoring attempts.

David Rundblad and Mattias Tedenby had great scoring chances for Sweden in the second minute of the middle period and shortly after Janne Pesonen should have scored for Finland when Fasth had no idea where the puck was after a save.

The first goal came at 27:40 and it was Sweden who took the lead. Magnus Pääjärvi made it 1-0 with a hard and high shot from the left circle that Petri Vehanen couldn’t catch.

Niklas Persson was close to score 2-0 during the first Swedish power-play of the game in the middle of the second period but he missed the target. Sweden also had a shot off the post in their second power-play.


Leo Komarov and Calle Gunnarsson

Finland got a to finish the second period on a man-advantage and with 7.7 seconds remaining Jarkko Immonen took a shot from distance and tied the game.

"The second period's equalizer was crucial", said Sami Lepistö. "After no one could stop us".

At 2:35 of the third period Finland got a 3-on-1 rush after an individual Swedish mistake and Petteri Nokelainen could make it 2-1.

A minute later Mikko Koivu had a break-away but couldn’t get a shot on goal. Instead Finland got the third goals after another few seconds. Niko Kapanen was the last man to touch the puck before it crossed the goal line.

"We were desperate and they got energy after their third goal", says the Swedish captain Rickard Wallin.

"We were winning almost till at the end of the second period and than it just broke. We got two goals, three, four goals and it is always tough trailling when the opponent is playing so good", added Loui Eriksson.

With a little more than three minutes remaining Janne Pesonen found himself all alone with Fasth and made it 4-1.

The Swedish players knew that the game was lost and the Finns could understand that the Championship was won. A few seconds later Finland got a 5-1 goal by Mika Pyörälä. In the last minute Antti Pihlström made it 6-1.

"We have been close so many times since 1995 and now it finally happened", said Niko Kapanen. "It is great thing for the Finnish hockey. The whole tournament we had a great finish and we won the last periods in nearly every game."


Niko Kapanen

 

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