Tolvanen nets SO winner as Finland hands Canada first loss of men’s hockey worlds
Eeli Tolvanen was the hero for Finland as he scored the shootout winner to hand Canada its first loss of the world hockey championship in a thrilling 2-1 game in Stockholm, Sweden. Patrik Puistola scored the game-tying goal for Finland in the third period, while Juuse Saros made 37 saves to secure the victory. Ryan O’Reilly opened the scoring for Canada in the second period, but it wasn’t enough as Marc-Andre Fleury made 20 saves in a losing effort.
Canada came into the game with a perfect 5-0 record, dominating their opponents with a 28-2 goal differential in the preliminary games. On the other hand, Finland had only lost to co-host Sweden and had a solid goal differential of plus-10 (18-8) heading into the matchup with Canada. The Canadians are now second in Group A standings with 16 points, trailing Sweden by two points. Finland sits in third place with 13 points and will face off against Sweden in their final preliminary game.
In other results, defending champion the Czech Republic shut out Germany 5-0 in Herning, Denmark to remain unbeaten and move to the top of Group B standings. The Czechs are one point ahead of Switzerland and three points ahead of the United States in third place. The Czechs will face the Americans in their final group stage game.
Meanwhile, newcomer Slovenia beat France 3-1 in Stockholm to avoid relegation at the expense of the French. In Herning, Norway defeated Hungary 1-0 to also avoid relegation. The competition is heating up as teams battle for a spot in the quarterfinals, with every game becoming increasingly important as the tournament progresses.
