This is the Finns’ fourth Ice Hockey World Cup title, and the team also became Olympic champions earlier this year. The Finns are also the first nation since Sweden in 2013 to win World Championship gold on home soil.
– It was absolutely amazing. That you can win World Cup gold on home soil is something you can only dream of. I would like to be a spectator and a fan today too,” Granlund told Viaplay.
Everything had to be decided in the most dramatic way possible. It was first decided in a three-on-three match for 20 minutes. Canada suffered an ejection and in four-on-three Manninen scored the winning goal after 6.42 minutes of overtime.
Last year, Canada decided the final against Finland after extra time.
Finnish captain Valtteri Filppula secured the treble by becoming the first Finn to win Stanley Cup, World Cup and Olympic gold.
Counter attack
After a scoreless and evenly played first period, Dylan Cozens sent defending champions Canada into the lead four minutes into the middle period. The Canadiens are often good at exploiting shorthanded games.
It is precisely the game of overplay that was going to be directly decisive in the final. The Finns were cleared to play five-on-three after two quick and questionable Canadian ejections in the third period. The pair of Swedish judges were unlucky with the decisions. Among other things, Cole Sillinger was sent off for a high club, but TV footage showed it was the Finn who had his own club up front.
They took advantage of the situation to tie first at 1-1 through Nashville star Mikael Granlund. The same man scored 2-1 in a five-on-four match soon after.
Joel Armia then made it 3-1 with just six minutes left in the game. Canada then released the goalkeeper and Zach Whitecloud made it 2-3 with two minutes remaining. The referees had to study on video if the goal was out of position before approving the goal.
Forced extension
Canada went on without a goalkeeper and carried on. Max Comtois made it 3-3 with 1.24 minutes left in the match so the final was to be played in ‘sudden death’. Also in the quarter-finals against Sweden, the Canadians managed to earn a decision in extra time after late scoring.
Canada could have won its 28th gold medal at the World Cup, but remains on 27 titles with Russia/Soviet. The Finns have already won the World Championship three times in 1995, 2011 and 2019.
Norway finished 13th in the World Championship for the second straight year, but had all three semi-finalists Finland, Czech Republic and USA in their group.
