Finland tops Sweden in OT to make gold-medal final at world juniors
Finland Advances to Gold-Medal Game at World Junior Hockey Championship
Finland has secured a spot in the gold-medal game at the world junior hockey championship after a thrilling 4-3 overtime victory against Sweden in the semifinals. Benjamin Rautiainen played the hero for the Finns, scoring the game-winning goal on a power play at 9:22 of the extra period.
Rautiainen’s goal came on a 4-on-3 man advantage with Vancouver Canucks prospect Tom Willander in the penalty box for holding. It was his second goal of the tournament and sealed Finland’s place in the final.
Emil Hemming, Jesse Kiiskinen, and Arttu Alasiurua also found the back of the net for Finland, with Petteri Rimpinen making an impressive 43 saves in the victory. Konsta Helenius and Topias Hynninen chipped in with multiple assists to help propel the Finnish team to victory.
On the other side, Otto Stenberg scored twice for Sweden, while Wilhelm Hallquisth added a goal of his own. Despite a strong performance from Swedish goaltender Melker Thelin, it was not enough to overcome Finland’s offensive firepower.
Finland, who last won gold in 2019, will now face the winner of the semifinal matchup between the United States and the Czech Republic in Sunday’s championship game. Sweden will battle for the bronze against the losing team.
The Finnish team is hungry for gold after finishing as runners-up in 2022, falling to Canada in the final. Meanwhile, Sweden, with just two gold medals in tournament history, will be looking to bounce back from last year’s loss in the title game.
The game was a back-and-forth affair, with both teams trading goals throughout. Stenberg opened the scoring for Sweden before Hemming and Kiiskinen responded for Finland. The teams exchanged goals in the second period, with Alasiurua putting Finland ahead late in the frame.
Despite a late equalizer from Hallquisth in the third period, it was Rautiainen’s heroics in overtime that sealed the victory for Finland and booked their ticket to the gold-medal game. The Finnish team will now have their sights set on capturing the championship and bringing home the ultimate prize.
