USA 3:1 FIN | USA - Finland (World Championship)

World Championship

Canada2 – Sweden2	3:2 (after OT)	\|	USA – Finland	3:1 (end)	\|	Czech Republic – Norway	1:0 (end)
Russia – Germany2	3:0 (end)

final

USA

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

Finland

Sunday 18.05.2014, 15:45 • Minsk Arena • World Championship

		Welcome. Game starts at 15:45.
		Welcome to yet another game of the 2014 IIHF World Championship! Today Team USA will face Team Finland. The last time both teams met was at the Sochi Olympics Bronze Medal game, in which Finland managed to claim their third medal in the past three Olympics as well as already their sixth Olympic medal since 1988. Still, both teams have sent rather young rosters to the World Championship which has led to both of these teams currently being ranked only fourth and fifth in Group B. This game will be a chance for both of these teams to prove what they are really worth. Three poins would help a lot to both of them in order to fight for a quarterfinal spot. Yesterday both Finland and USA had a day off, however on Friday both managed to celebrate victory in tough battles. While Finland managed to edge Swiss 3:2, USA won Kazakhstan 4:3. With seven points in the five games played the leading scorer of Team USA is defenseman Seth Jones, while the leading scorer of Finland, Petri Kontiola, has managed to amass six points.
		Starting lineups: USA: Thomas (Leggio) – Nelson, Johnson, Smith, DeKeyser, Jones – Gaudreau, Stapleton, Wingels, Gardiner, Murphy – Mueller, Trocheck, J.Hayes, McCabe, Petry – K.Hayes, Shore, McDonald, Donovan – Miele Finland: Rinne (Koskinen) – Lehtera, Kontiola, Palola, Mantyla, Hietanen – Haula, Jokinen, Komarov, Ohtamaa, Karalahti – Savinainen, Immonen, Pakarinen, Kivisto, Marttinen – Salomaki, T.Sallinen, J.Sallinen, Lajunen – Huhtala.
	00:01	Game started.
	00:19	Seth Jones dumps the puck from centre ice, Pekka Rinne heads behind the net, yet the puck makes an odd deflection from the glass, and ends up on the blade of Brock NELSON right in front of the net. Goal for Team USA!
	02:35	Finns try to enter USA defensive zone. They've failed for the past three, four times.
	03:05	USA continues to play tight defensively.
	04:27	Jimmy Hayes with a backhand shot from the corner, the puck goes wide.
	05:27	Finns still haven't taken a single shot on Tim Thomas net.
	07:00	So far this has been one of the fastest-paced games at this WC. Still, teams haven't managed to create any real scoring chances thus far.
	07:28	Trocheck with a dangerous shot at Rinne's pads from the corner. Pekka struggles to stop it.
	07:56	USA controlling the puck in the offensive zone.
	08:05	Finns clear the puck.
	08:35	Offside by Team Finland.
	09:32	A tripping penalty for Tuukka Mantyla of Team Finland. The first power play of the game coming up for Americans.
	09:40	Craig Smith fails to hit the puck from right in front of the net.
	10:00	Tyler Johnson hits the post with a shot from the blue line.
	10:13	Rinne gets hold of the puck, the game is stopped.
	11:05	Immonen takes a shot on Thomas net, the puck goes wide.
	11:32	Visiting team at full strength.
	12:17	Icing for Team USA as Jimmy Hayes fails to reach for the pass that would have led to a two-on-one breakaway.
	12:42	Danny DeKeyser gets sent to the box. A power play for Team Finland.
	12:42	Finland has been rather successful at creating pressure in the offensive zone tonight, still, it hasn't led to a single scoring chance so far.
	13:16	Finland in the offensive zone.
	13:30	Murphy clears the puck.
	13:47	Wingels sent to the box for tripping against Leo Komarov. Finland is going to play 5-on-3 for the next 54 seconds.
	13:55	USA clears the puck down the ice.
	14:20	A pass from Kontiola right along the crease, but Jori Lehtera fails to score the puck in the empty net.
	14:34	Yet another set up by Kontiola, but Lehtera misses the empty net.
	15:23	Huge slap shot by Karalahti from the blue line.
	15:47	Home team at full strength.
	16:00	Finland continuing to control the puck.
	20:00	1st period finished.
		In the first twenty minutes of the game USA was the team which managed to score early in the game. Both teams failed to create an awful lot of scoring chances, yet the fast-paced game was intense, and there is certainly much more to look up to in the upcoming periods. SOG: 9 – 2 PIM: 4 – 2
	20:01	Start of 2nd period.
	20:38	An early penalty to Mantyla will give already the second chance for Team USA on the power play.
	21:45	Americans have failed to create anything on the power play.
	22:00	Finally Team USA creating pressure in the offensive zone.
	22:15	Finns clear the puck.
	22:38	Visiting team at full strength.
	23:50	Drew Shore gets past the blue line, and takes a shot on Rinne. Pekka stops the puck.
	24:31	Long stretch pass, but Wingels fails to receive it. Another icing for Team USA.
	24:50	Huge slap shot by Savinainen. Thomas deflects the puck to the corner.
	25:08	Marttinen with a slap shot from the blue line, the puck goes wide.
	25:46	Both teams are continuing to battle for the puck in each and every episode.
	26:05	Kontiola takes a slap shot, the puck gets blocked.
	28:05	Finland building more and more pressure, overtaking the edge of the game. The number of shots on Thomas net is getting bigger each minute.
	30:03	Sallinen acquires the rebound, takes a fast wrist shot that goes just above the crossbar.
	30:30	Thomas finally gets a hold of the puck, the play is stopped. Finland seems to be more than eager to finally score.
	31:12	Icing by Team USA.
	31:40	Interference call for Jere Karalhti. Team USA on the power play once again. Unnecessary call for Finns.
	31:40	Westerlund calls for a time out for Team Finland.
	32:10	Erik Haula with a dangerous wrist shot, while shorthanded. Thomas somehow deflects the puck.
	32:38	Huge slap shot by Jones blocked by Finns.
	33:07	Finns clear the puck.
	33:20	Tommi Sallinnen does a great job forechecking the puck.
	33:40	Visiting team at full strength.
	33:45	Both teams will play the next two minutes four-on-four.
	34:45	Haula takes a shot from the side of the net.
	34:57	Mueller's shot slides through the pads of Rinne, but Finnish defenseman clears the puck.
	35:23	A very fast-paced game as both teams continue to play four-on-four.
	35:45	Both teams at full strength. Americans with the puck.
	36:52	A backhand shot by Drew Shore, Rinne stops the puck.
	38:50	Some minor disagreements between players in from of Tim Thomas net. No calls being handed out by the referees.
	39:01	A long distance shot by Shore, Rinne chooses to stop the puck.
	39:32	Komarov with a shot on net.
	39:44	Jonhson takes a shot on net, but nobody is there to collect the rebound.
	40:00	2nd period finished.
		Both teams played a very entertaining and intense period. Both teams managed to create a couple of great scoring chances. Half-way through the period it was obvious Finland put in more effort in order to build pressure but failed to beat Tim Thomas. Last twenty minutes will certainly be as exciting as the second period. Whoever wins the game, becomes the leader of Group B! SOG: 17 – 10 (8 – 8) PIM: 6 – 8 (2 – 6)
	40:01	Start of 3rd period.
	42:40	Finland controlling the puck during the first minutes of third period. Hasn't created a good scoring chance, though.
	43:12	Salomaki battling for the rebound in front of the net, fails to beat Thomas.
	44:05	Nelson with a pass along the net, no one is there to acquire it.
	44:17	Olli Jokinen with a dangerous wrist shot, Thomas steers the puck to the corner.
	46:42	As soon as the Finnish pressure stops, Tyler JOHNSON receives the puck at centre ice, drives it to the middle of the offensive zone, and puts it in the upper left corner. Goal for Team USA!
	47:06	Seth Jones heads to the box and gives an opportunity to the Finnish team.
	48:32	Karalahti with a shot on net.
	48:40	Brock Nelson on a shorthanded rush, but Marttinen steals the puck away from him.
	49:06	Home team at full strength.
	49:22	Trocheck receives a magnificent pass, gets to the front of the net alone, but Lethera doesn't allow him to beat Pekka Rinne.
	49:55	USA controlling the puck in the offensive zone.
	50:16	A great chance for Jere Sallinnen, but he fails to deke the puck past Tim Thomas.
	51:40	USA trying to slow the pace of the game down.
	52:50	Delayed call for Team USA.
	53:11	Jimmy Hayes heads to the box for slashing. Finland failed to enter the offensive zone, while six-on-five.
	53:38	Lehtera with a one-timer, the puck goes above the net.
	53:52	Nelson drives the puck to Rinne's net.
	54:15	Finns can't hold the puck in offensive zone.
	54:31	USA clears it once over.
	54:55	Tim Thomas dives across the net to rob Jori Lehtera off a goal. The best chance for Finland tonight!
	55:11	Home team at full strength.
	55:33	Finns still driving the offense.
	55:50	USA finally clears the puck.
	56:46	Finland battles for the puck in the offensive zone, overtakes it, Kontiola passes it to the left side of the zone to Tuukka Mantyla. MANTYLA takes a slap shot that deflect from American stick and ends up in the net. Goal for Team Finland!
	57:19	Icing by Team USA.
	57:27	Yet another icing by USA.
	57:49	Nelson with a shot on goal.
	58:10	Smith controlling the puck in the offensive zone.
	58:20	Two Americans forechecking the opponents. Finns fail to start an attack.
	58:36	Finally they reach the offensive zone.
	58:45	Finns fail to handle the puck, have to begin yet another attack.
	59:02	Rinne is pulled.
	59:14	The puck bounces above the stick of Finnish defenseman, and Tyler JOHNSON gets a hold of it, sending the puck in the empty net and sealing the game! Goal for Team USA!
	59:45	USA controlling the puck.
	60:00	Game over.
		Team USA takes the well-deserved win. Throughout the game Finland showed solid performance, but failed to endanger the net of Tim Thomas. USA takes the three points, and moves to the second place in Group B! (17:54:28)

Commentary by

Didzis Rudmanis

Goals & lineups Match log

Goals and assists: 1. Nelson (Jones), 47. Johnson (Smith), 60. Johnson – 57. Mantyla (Kontiola, Hietanen)

USA: Thomas (Leggio) – Nelson, Johnson, Smith, DeKeyser, Jones – Gaudreau, Stapleton, Wingels, Gardiner, Murphy – Mueller, Trocheck, J.Hayes, McCabe, Petry – K.Hayes, Shore, McDonald, Donovan – Miele

Finland: Rinne (Koskinen) – Lehtera, Kontiola, Palola, Mantyla, Hietanen – Haula, Jokinen, Komarov, Ohtamaa, Karalahti – Savinainen, Immonen, Pakarinen, Kivisto, Marttinen – Salomaki, T.Sallinen, J.Sallinen, Lajunen – Huhtala

Referees: Bruggeman, Bulanov – Hull, Valach

1st period
	00:19
	09:32
	12:42
	13:47
1st intermission
2nd period
	20:38
	31:40
	33:45
2nd intermission
3rd period
	46:42
	47:06
	53:11
	56:46
	59:14
Final