FIN 3:2 CZE | Finland - Czech Republic (Euro Hockey Tour)

Euro Hockey Tour

Four Nations Cup U20

Sweden2 – Russia

2:5 (end)

Finland – Czech Republic

3:2 (end)

final

Finland

3:2 (0:1, 1:1, 2:0)

Czech Republic

Saturday 09.11.2013, 15:30 • Euro Hockey Tour

		Welcome. Game starts at 14:30 GMT / 15:30 CET / 16:30 local time in Helsinki / 18:30 MSK.
		Czech Republic currently is last not only in the Karjala Cup standings but also in the standings of the Euro Hockey Tour after they only won one out of four games. During their Karjala Cup opener on Thursday they stayed chanceless against Sweden (0-6). For tournament hosts Finland it couldn't be better. After winning all three games of the Czech Hockey games they also beat Russia (4-3) in a close Karjala Cup opener. They currently have a six point advantage in the EHT. Everything but another win for the Fins with their home fans supporting them would be a little wonder!
		Starting lineups: Finland: Hovinen – Kukkonen, Jaakola, Lepistö, Hietanen, Mäntylä, Karalahti, Väänänen, Marttinen – Immonen, Pihlström, Komarov – Kontiola, Pyörälä, Aaltonen – Lehterä, Salminen, Enlund – Wirtanen, Osala, Hartikainen – Hagman. Czech Republic: Kovář – Doudera, Kaberle, Nakládal, Krejčík, Krajíček, Kutlák, Piskáček – Smoleňák, Nedorost, Rolinek – Petružálek, Vrána, Sekáč – Irgl, Jan Kovář, Hubáček – Kašpar, Roman, I. Rachůnek – Buchtele, Kousal. Referees: Björk, Linde – Pesonen, Saha.
	00:01	Game started.
	00:15	The Fins are playing in their white away jerseys while the Czechs play in their red home dresses.
	01:00	Home side Finland is having the better start and they already appeared once dangerously in front of the Czech net but guest goalie Kovar stopped the shot from short distance!
	03:30	An open game is developing without many shots on goal so far.
	05:32	Osala wasn't able to keep the puck inside the Czech third and when his team mate tried to get the puck back over the blue line there was an offside call.
	06:26	A blue line shot by the hosts finds its way straight into the gloves of Kovar.
	07:53	The Czech team so far failed to produce any dangerous offensive action, the Fins are considerably more straightforward, Kovar intervened against a dangerous shot by Karalahti.
	09:05	The first attack formation of the Czech national team scrambled to attack, but Hovinen cleared the scoring attempt of Rolinek.
	10:01	Nakládal is in between with his stick to clear the situation. The Czechs can start attacking again.
	10:59	Kaspar with a long chip but none of his team mates reaches the puck. Both teams play very aggressively.
	12:52	The Northern Europeans have more problems to get into their opponent's zone than during their last match against Russia.
	12:42	Antti Pihlström (Finland) gets two minutes for hooking.
	13:40	Goal for Team Czech Republic! With their first power play of the game the Czechs score the surprising but not undeserved 1-0 lead against Finland! The hosts failed to get the puck out of their own zone and after a nice cross-pass it was JAKUB PETRUZALEK whose one-timer from within the slot found its way into the left bottom corner! No chance at all for Hovinen to stop that shot! Assisted by Zdenek Kutlak.
	14:38	Zbynek Irgl (Czech Republic) gets two minutes which gives the hosts their first power play.
	15:40	A perfect pass by Salminen was missed by Enlund before Kovar stops the puck after the following harmless shot by a Fin.
	16:38	The Czechs are back at full strength.
	18:20	The hosts are highly motivated but the Czechs make it very tough for them in defense.
	19:48	When everything looked like nothing would happen anymore till the first intermission one of the Czech forwards conquered the puck inside the Finish third and tried to beat Hovinen with a shot from the left circle!
	20:00	1st period finished.
		In an even first period the Czechs were able to use their only power play to get a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes. Everything stays completely open in Helsinki! Stay tuned! Shots on goal: Finland 5 – Czech Republic 8
	20:01	Start of 2nd period.
	20:35	With aggressive forechecking the Czechs win the puck deep inside the Finnish third but afterwards they don't get a decent shot on goal.
	20:45	Lasse Kukkonen (Finland) gets two minutes for slashing. So far the Czechs are 1 for 1 in power play and scored the only goal of the game with a man more on the ice.
	21:30	After a long clearance the guests need very long to get the puck back into the Finnish third.
	22:26	Dangerous cross-pass by Jan Kovar from the left circle but nobody waited at the second post...
	22:42	Goal for Team Czech Republic! The Czechs do it again in power play! After Hovinen allowed a rebound following a shot was deflected from short distance, JAN KOVAR had the easiest job in the world and made it 2-0 from just one metre distance with the wide open net in front of him!
	23:07	The tournament hosts almost with the answer but in the immidiate attack after the game continued they were stopped by the defense in the last moment.
	24:23	Ossi Väänänen is not able to keep the puck in the Czech third and after it crossed the blue line he had to break up the attack of his team...
	25:15	It seems that after the second goal against the Finnish team is waking up and so are the home fans.
	26:17	A lot of space for Jan Kovar inside the Finnish third after nobody attacked him but his shot only hit the legs of a defender.
		Commercial break.
	26:59	After a long pass towards the Czech blue line one of the home forwards didn't make it back in time – offside call.
	27:30	A shot by Radek Smolenak from the left wing – close to the left circle – stays harmless and Hovinen easily blocks the puck to the side.
	28:16	Jakub Petruzalek (Czech Republic) gets two minutes for hooking.
	28:22	A one-timer by the hosts from the blue line goes just wide!
	29:26	Another blue line shot leads to the by far best opportunity for the Fins in this game! Kovar allowed a rebound after his pad save and Petri Kontiola who stood completely free at the left post twice failed to score with the rebound after spectacular saves by Kovar!
	30:06	Another dangerous shot on goal by the Fins but this time Kovar made a glove save against a shot from within the slot and avoided a rebound!
	30:16	The Czechs are back at full strength.
	31:01	The hosts are having the momentum in these last minutes but either a defender or the great reactions by goalie Jakub Kovar avoid a goal for them so far.
	31:38	Juuso Hietanen's blue line shot misses the Czech net to the right side...
	32:36	Irgl slips inside the own third having the puck on his stick but his team mate on the left wing avoided a dangerous turnover!
	33:27	A long pass by Karalahti towards the Czech blue line goes wide – icing.
	34:27	Great puck handling by Jakub Nakladal inside the Finnish third, leaves the puck for a team mate close to the blue line but his team mate loses the puck after skating towards the right corner...
	34:49	After a one face off by his team Leo Komarov just missed the right top corner with a shot from within the slot but Kovar would have been there in time it seems.
	36:08	Goal for Team Finland! A break away cuts the Finnish deficit to the half! After a long pass towards the Czech blue line PETRI KONTIOLA was through alone, deked out Kovar to the right and finnished the job into the wide open net to make it 1-2! What a nice goal! Asssisted by Juhamatti Aaltonen.
	37:18	Mantyla leaves the puck for Salminen deep inside the Czech third but his team mate isn't able to get a shot on goal afterwards...
	38:00	The atmosphere is execellent in Helsinki after the home team scored. This goal didn't really come surprising as the Czechs were far too passive in the last 10 minutes before the 1-2.
	39:20	With a shot from the left circle towards the right bottom corner the Czechs just miss their third of the afternoon as the puck goes wide by inches!
	39:49	Irgl with the last attack of the period but the last defender stopped him easily.
	39:59	Offside call against Finland.
	40:00	2nd period finished.
		The Czechs doubled their small lead through Jan Kovar early in the middle period – again in power play – but afterwards Finland completely took over the initiative and had a dozen dangerous shots on goal but either a strong Jakub Kovar between the posts or a lot of luck avoided a goal against. This though was only a question of time and with less than four minutes left in the period Petri Kontiola used a break away to make it 1-2! Shots on goal: Finland 10 (15) – Czech Republic 7 (15) Stay tuned for an exciting third period!
	40:01	Start of 3rd period.
	42:00	The Fins are already dominating the first minutes of this period also again.
	43:06	Bitter for the Czech guests. After a very long pass towards the Finnish blue line Ivan Rachunek just failed to stop the puck and then the situation ended with an icing call against the guests from Central Europe instead of a break away!
	44:08	Dangerous back hand attempt from within the slot by Mika Pyörälä but the puck goes just wide!
	44:21	Goal for Team Finland! A one-timer by Sami Lepistö from the blue line after several fast passes by the Fins went into the right top corner – the referees then were using the video review to determine if another forward touched the puck and if yes if a high stick was involved! And really MIKA PYÖRÄLÄ just got his stick in between to deflect the shot and his stick was just at the same height as the crossbar! The Fins score the 2-2 early in the third period! Assisted by Sami Lepistö.
	46:00	The home side keeps the pressure high and now aims at a win in regulation.
	46:59	The next blue line shot by the home side is sent just wide past the right bottom corner!
	47:38	Petruzalek with the puck in the left corner of the Finnish third but he doesn't find a team mate he could give a pass to...
	48:15	After a long pass that was directed towards Irgl, Finnish goalie Hovinen takes the safe way and covers the puck up a second before the Czech forward reached him.
	48:35	The home fans are happy with the performance of their team – and by now more and more also with the result on the scoreboard – and they are sending laola waves through the arena.
	49:13	Dangerous turnover by the Czechs in their own third but Kovar can clear the situation.
	49:28	A long shot by Petruzalek from the right wing misses the left bottom corner – that was close!
	50:03	A pass from the right circle almost is deflected into the net from short distance but Kovar is in between and blocks the puck to the side!
	51:00	11,801 fans are enjoying the game inside the arena.
	52:44	The Fins with a lot of space within the slot but fail to stop the puck at the blue line and the chance for them is over again...
	53:44	Irgl with a hard check against Lepistö behind the Finnish net, using his stick, and the Finn is not really happy about it. Both then went for a fight that ended fast when one of them slipped. The two players get five minutes each for the fight and the Finn gets additional two minutes for provoking the fight.
	53:44	A penalty against Juhamatti Aaltonen (Finland) gives the Czechs their third power play of the afternoon. They are 2 for 2 to this point so that the Finns should be warned!
	54:40	A long clearance by the hosts gives them some time to teake a breath.
	54:40	Radek Smolenak (Czech Republic) gets two minutes for tripping.
	54:45	Goal for Team Finland! The Smolenak penalty could have just decided the match! After the Finns won the face off, Kovar was able to stopp the first shot but the rebound was used by JORI LEHTERÄ to make the comback perfect and to make it 3-2 Finland! Assisted by Jonas Enlund.
	57:00	The Czechs try to get the momentum but it is difficult after playing very defensive hockey for the last 30+ minutes.
	58:25	The Finns play with high pressure and avoid that Czech goalie Kovar can leave his net for an additional attacker.
	59:02	Now Kovar left his net!
	59:22	The Czechs have the puck inside the right corner of the Finnish third but the defense forces them towards the boards.
	59:48	Incredible scoring opportunity for the Czechs!!!! With 12 seconds left on the clock a one-timer by Nedorost from three metres distance towards the left bottom corner is stopped by Hovinen with a huge pad save! WOW!!!
	60:00	Game over.
		The Finns dominated also the third period and in the end they were rewarded with two goals that gave them a 3-2 win! The Finns now collected 6 points during Karjala Cup and a perfect 15 points during the 2013-14 Euro Hockey Tour while the Czechs remain last in both categories!
		Jakub Kovar (Czech Republic) and Jonas Enlund (Finland) get the individual awards as best players of their team today!
		That's it from day 2 of the Karjala Cup in Helsinki! Thank you for following the event with us! (17:44:38)

Commentary by

Dennis Mende

Goals & lineups Match log

Goals and assists: 37. Kontiola (Aaltonen), 45. Lepistö (Pyörälä), 55. Lehterä (Enlund) – 14. Petruzalek (Kutlak), 23. Kovar

Finland: Hovinen – Kukkonen, Jaakola, Lepistö, Hietanen, Mäntylä, Karalahti, Väänänen, Marttinen – Immonen, Pihlström, Komarov – Kontiola, Pyörälä, Aaltonen – Lehterä, Salminen, Enlund – Wirtanen, Osala, Hartikainen – Hagman.

Czech Republic: Kovář – Doudera, Kaberle, Nakládal, Krejčík, Krajíček, Kutlák, Piskáček – Smoleňák, Nedorost, Rolinek – Petružálek, Vrána, Sekáč – Irgl, Jan Kovář, Hubáček – Kašpar, Roman, I. Rachůnek – Buchtele, Kousal.

Referees: Björk, Linde – Pesonen, Saha.

1st period
	12:42
	13:40
	14:38
1st intermission
2nd period
	20:45
	22:42
	28:16
	36:08
2nd intermission
3rd period
	44:21
	53:44
	53:44
	54:40
	54:45
Final