🇫🇮 Finland 8-3 Canada 🇨🇦
World Junior Summer Showcase
USA Hockey Arena, Plymouth 🇺🇸
Wednesday, 31 July 2019

Seven different Finnish players recorded multi-point games to lead Finland past Canada, 8-3, in Wednesday’s opening contest here at USA Hockey Arena.

Finland opened the scoring just 1:33 into the opening period off the stick of Toni Utunen. After Sampo Ranta held the puck in the offensive zone at the right point, he fired a saucer pass to Utunen who was waiting at the opposite end of the blue line before finding the top right corner with a wrist shot to give the Finns a 1-0 lead.

Finland doubled its lead at the 8:45 mark when Patrik Puistola beat Colten Ellis after a nice passing play from Kristian Tanus and Peetro Seppälä.

Finland continued to apply pressure to the Canadians and nearly extended its lead to three just a minute later when Samuel Salonen found himself on a breakaway, but Ellis stood tall in the crease and made a glove save.

With 8:01 to play in the frame, Joonas Oden gave Finland a three-goal lead with a power play tally. After a tripping penalty was assessed to Canada, the ensuing power play started with Tanus controlling the puck at the right circle before feeding a pass across the seam to Honka. Looking to the back post, Anttoni Honka sent a pass through the crease the found Oden, who was waiting at the back door to finish the play.

Just 1:54 after the third goal, Finland added a fourth tally off the stick of Lassi Thomson. With under two minutes to play in the frame, Ranta tallied to push Finland’s lead to 5-0.

The Finns continued to apply pressure in the Canadian zone at the start of the second period and capitalized just 2:01 into the stanza to bring its advantage to six. Santeri Salmela controlled the puck at the centre point before firing a shot on goal that was tipped by Aku Räty into the back of the net.

After Canada was whistled for a high sticking penalty just 42 seconds after the goal, Finland went back to the power play where it would capitalize again to take a 7-0 lead off a one-timer slap shot from Honka.

Canada responded 3:18 later when Serron Noel took a pass from Jett Woo before making a nice move to the forehand and scoring Canada’s first goal of the contest. Noel then tallied again just four minutes after with a tip-in goal off a shot from Johnny Tychonick.

Connor McMichael added a third goal for Canada at the 19:02 mark of the second period. After Finland was assessed a penalty for tripping, McMichael took advantage of a turnover in the slot before firing a wrist shot past Annunen to close out the second stanza.

Utunen connected again in the third with 3:50 to play in regulation to account for the 8-3 final.

BOXSCORE
1st Period
01:33 – 🇫🇮 GOAL – Utunen (Ranta)
08:45 – 🇫🇮 GOAL – Puistola (Tanus, Seppälä)
11:31 – 🇨🇦 PEN – Thomas, hooking
11:59 – 🇫🇮 PP GOAL – Oden (Honka, Tanus)
13:53 – 🇫🇮 GOAL – Thomson (Salonen, Oden)
16:01 – 🇨🇦 PEN – Noel, high sticking
18:02 – 🇫🇮 GOAL – Ranta (Saarela, Seppälä)

2nd Period
22:01 – 🇫🇮 GOAL – Räty (Salmela, Utunen)
22:43 – 🇨🇦 PEN – Schneider, interference
23:16 – 🇫🇮 PP GOAL – Honka (Heinola, Tanus)
26:34 – 🇨🇦 GOAL – Noel (Woo)
29:41 – 🇨🇦 GOAL – Noel (Tychonick, Thomas)
35:18 – 🇨🇦 PEN – McBain, checking to the head minor + 10 min. misconduct
38:51 – 🇫🇮 PEN – Ranta, tripping
39:02 – 🇨🇦 PP GOAL – McMichael

3rd Period
40:26 – 🇨🇦 PEN – Schneider, high sticking
45:14 – 🇫🇮 PEN – Killinen, holding
49:46 – 🇨🇦 PEN – Noel, elbowing
56:10 – 🇫🇮 GOAL – Utunen (Tanus, Puistola)

GOALTENDERS
W: 🇫🇮 Annunen (23-26)
L: 🇨🇦 Ellis (23-31), Gravel (6-6)

SHOTS ON GOAL
🇫🇮 16+10+11 = 37
🇨🇦 7+9+10 = 26

ROSTERS
🇫🇮 Goaltenders: Justus Annunen, Jasper Patrikainen. Defence: Ville Heinola, Anttoni Honka, Elias Laitamäki, Kim Nousiainen, Santeri Salmela, Peetro Seppälä, Lassi Thomson, Toni Utunen. Forwards: Eemil Erholtz, Lenni Killinen, Otto Kivenmäki, Joonas Oden, Mikko Petman, Patrik Puistola, Sampo Ranta, Aku Räty, Antti Saarela, Samuel Salonen, Patrik Siikanen, Kristian Tanus.
🇨🇦 Goaltenders: Colten Ellis, Alexis Gravel. Defence: Calen Addison, Declan Chisholm, Peter Diliberatore, Thomas Harley, Braden Schneider, Jonny Tychonick, Jett Woo. Forwards: Luka Burzan, Carson Focht, Gabriel Fortier, Liam Foudy, Mathias Laferrière, Raphaël Lavoie, Jack McBain, Connor McMichael, Allan McShane, Alex Newhook, Serron Noel, Akil Thomas, Philip Tomasino.

Article Credit: USA Hockey
Photo Credit: TSN – IIHF – HHOF – IOC