🇫🇮 Finland 6-5 United States 🇺🇸
World Junior Summer Showcase
USA Hockey Arena, Plymouth 🇺🇸
Friday, 02 August 2019

The U.S. nearly opened the scoring six minutes in when Trevor Janicke skated down the left wall and fired a shot on goal that rolled over the shoulder of Finnish goaltender Jasper Patrikainen and fell inside the backside of his jersey before crossing the goal line.

Two minutes later, Cole Caufield nearly converted when he took a centering feed from Jon Gruden and wired a wrist shot off the crossbar and out of play.

Isaiah Saville, starting his second game of the Showcase, stood tall at the midway point of the frame by turning aside a series of Finnish chances.

One minute later, Sampo Ranta gave Finland a 1-0 lead when he skated in uncontested and lifted a backhanded chance Saville’s left shoulder.

In search of a quick response, the U.S. saw a pair of chances come back-to-back just three minutes later. Blake McLaughlin generated the first effort when he ripped a shot from the left hash mark that was turned aside by Patrikainen. On the ensuing U.S. possession, a couple of scrums at the top of Finland’s crease ended with Trevor Zegras ringing a shot off the left post and out of harm’s way.

A seven-goal second period saw Finland increase its lead to 5-3. Back-to-back goals from Santeri Salmela and Anttoni Honka came within the first five minutes of play before Curtis Hall connected at the 6:28 mark by banging home an off-the-boards pass from Bode Wilde. After Finland’s Joonas Oden responded a minute later, Saville was relieved in place of U.S. net minder Dustin Wolf.

With 7:57 to play in the frame, Caufield made it 4-2 when he collected a centering feed from Gruden, cut through the slot and fired a wrist shot inside the right post. One minute later, Elias Laitamaki beat Wolf with a slap shot from the point to give Finland a 5-2 lead.

In the last minute of the stanza, the U.S. answered again when Arthur Kaliyev converted off a slap shot from the left face-off dot for a 5-3 score to enter the second intermission.

The final stanza opened with Finland extending its lead 4:34 into the stanza when Aleks Haatenen jammed home a loose puck off an initial wraparound chance from Patrik Siikanen.

Jack Drury struck back two minutes later with Team USA’s second power play tally of the game. With the U.S. cycling the puck at the blue line, K’Andre Miller dished the puck towards the left wall where Caufield faked a shot before sending it to the far right face-off dot where Drury one-timed the puck into a wide-open goal.

In the final six minutes of play, Kaliyev and Zac Jones generated back-to-back scoring chances that wouldn’t go. After a breakaway chance from Kaliyev wouldn’t slide through the pads of Patrikainen, Jones followed up for a wrist shot off the rebound that was gloved aside.

Attempting to mount a late comeback, the U.S. pulled their goalie. With 1:21 to play, Zegras scored with the extra attacker to make it 6-5. With less than a minute left, Zegras and Kaliyev each had chances that were turned aside, securing the win for Finland.

BOXSCORE
1st Period
10:50 – 🇫🇮 GOAL – Ranta

2nd Period
02:07 – 🇫🇮 GOAL – Salmela (Saarela)
02:55 – 🇫🇮 PEN – Laitamäki, roughing
02:55 – 🇺🇸 PEN – Hall, roughing
04:29 – 🇫🇮 GOAL – Honka (Erholtz)
06:28 – 🇺🇸 GOAL – Hall (Wilde, Pinto)
07:29 – 🇫🇮 GOAL – Oden (Honka)
12:04 – 🇺🇸 GOAL – Caufield (Gruden, Harris)
12:57 – 🇺🇸 PEN – Zegras, roughing
12:57 – 🇫🇮 PEN – Utunen, holding
13:06 – 🇫🇮 GOAL – Laitamäki (Killinen, Kivenmäki)
15:29 – 🇺🇸 PEN – Ford, high sticking
18:28 – 🇫🇮 PEN – Saarela, elbowing
19:34 – 🇺🇸 PP GOAL – Kaliyev (Jones, Zegras)

3rd Period
04:34 – 🇫🇮 GOAL – Haatanen (Siikanen, Oden)
05:50 – 🇫🇮 PEN – Ranta, delay of game
06:20 – 🇺🇸 GOAL – Drury (Caufield, Miller)
06:44 – 🇫🇮 PEN – Thomson, cross checking
07:17 – 🇺🇸 PEN – Gruden, holding
11:15 – 🇫🇮 PEN – Killinen, hooking
12:20 – 🇺🇸 PEN – Drury, tripping
18:38 – 🇺🇸 GOAL – Zegras (Emberson, Miller)

GOALTENDERS
W: 🇫🇮 Patrikainen (46-51)
L: 🇺🇸 Saville (10-14), Wolf (5-7)

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, Aleks Haatanen, Lenni Killinen, Otto Kivenmäki, Joonas Oden, Patrik Puistola, Sampo Ranta, Aku Räty, Antti Saarela, Samuel Salonen, Patrik Siikanen, Kristian Tanus.
🇺🇸 Goaltenders: Isaiah Saville, Dustin Wolf. Defence: Ty Emberson, Jordan Harris, Zac Jones, Christian Krygier, K’Andre Miller, Spencer Stastney, Bode Wilde. Forwards: John Beecher, Matthew Boldy, Cole Caufield, Jack Drury, Parker Ford, Jon Gruden, Curtis Hall, Trevor Janicke, Arthur Kaliyev, Blake McLaughlin, Shane Pinto, Jacob Pivonka, Trevor Zegras.

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