Finland – Czech Republic 3:0 (end)
final
Finland
3:0 (1:0, 2:0, 0:0)
Czech Republic
Saturday 09.02.2013, 13:30 • Malmö Arena • Euro Hockey Tour
     
    Shots on goal in the 3rd period (and game): Finland 6 (28), Czech Republic 16 (30).

    After looking lethargic through two periods, the Czechs came out with a strong third period, but were denied from scoring by an even stronger Juha Metsola, who had to work for his shutout.

    Both teams have one game remaining in this weekend's Oddset Hockey Games. The Czechs face Russia tomorrow, followed by Finland vs the host Swedes in a couple of traditional European hockey rivalries. Check back at Eurolivescores.com for coverage of both. (15:36:48)
     
    The Czechs were threatening in the dying seconds, but Juha Metsola was able to preserve his shutout.
     
    60:00
    Game over.
     
    59:12
    Czechs back again, another save Metsola, faceoff coming up to his right.
     
    58:20
    Now Finland with a great chance to the other way, Juhamatti Aaltonen with the hard wrister from the slot and Alexander Salak with the great save.
     
    57:35
    Lukas Kaspar with a great chance to get the Czechs on the board, Juha Metsola with a nice blocker save.
     
    56:37
    Salak makes a nice save on a threatening Finnish rush, play continues.
     
    54:11
    Big slapper from the point by Zamorsky, another save by Metsola.
     
    53:22
    After a long stretch of dump-and-chase hockey, Metsola gets a whistle by covering the puck at the side of his net. Finns quite content to kill the clock at this point.
     
    49:58
    Power play is over, Metsola scoops up Barinka's shot from the point for a whistle.
     
    49:16
    Czechs with a power play rush, Irgl drops to Novotny, whose shot in close is stopped. :28 left in the power play.
     
    47:44
    Czechs going back to the attack, and Marko Anttila getting called for hooking. Metsola made a nice save on the delay to get the whistle.
     
    47:20
    Czechs back at full strength, Finns start out from their own end . . .
     
    46:32
    Salak covers a loose puck at the side of the net. :31 left in the Finnish power play.
     
    45:43
    Finland with good possession in the attacking zone this time. Shot from the point by Niskala held by Salak. 1:20 left in the penalty.
     
    45:03
    The Czechs kill off the penalty, but now they're going back to the box. Petr Caslava for cross-checking. Finlalnd 1/5 on the power play so far.
     
    44:30
    The Finns not so aggressive on this power play, but they're probably content to kill the clock.
     
    42:57
    A tripping penalty in the attacking zone to Jiri Novotny takes the Czechs off the power play--it happened in a battle for the puck along the end boards. We'll have 4-on-4 for :34
     
    41:30
    Czechs with early pressure in the third and force a tripping penalty to Juha-Pekka Hytönen. If they want to get back into this game, the Czechs almost certainly have to cash in.
     
    40:59
    Shot from the blue line from Irgl is stopped and held by Metsola.
     
    40:06
    The Czechs do get a shot on the power play, Jiri Novotny from the wing. Faceoff in the Finnish zone with 1 second left in the advantage.
     
    40:01
    Start of 3rd period.
     
    The teams are on the ice and the 3rd period will start shortly. The Czechs still have 7 seconds left in their power play.
     
    A dominant period for the Finns, who spent most of the first half of it on the power play and finally cashed in with a pair of goals two minutes apart--one on the power play and one even. They're in firm control, leading 3-0 after two.

    Shots on goal in the 2nd period (and game): Finland 13 (22), Czech Republic 6 (14).

    3rd period begins at 15:05 CET, 09:05 EST.
     
    40:00
    2nd period finished.
     
    39:23
    Kristian Kuusela with a partial shorthanded break, Halak stops his backhander, then he's bodychecked into the net, dislodging it. Faceoff in the Czech zone.
     
    39:00
    Irgl with the shot from the top of the circle, Metsola makes a blocker save then covers.
     
    38:07
    Finland's Atte Ohtamaa getting a minor penalty for holding in his own zone. The Czechs going to the powerplay for the second time.
     
    36:57
    The Czechs with their best chance of the game so far, with Vaclav Nedorost all alone in front, just backhanding the pass from Petr Prucha wide.
     
    34:50
    Another dangerous Finnish rush, Kuusela's shot hits Salak's pad and deflects over the glass. Faceoff upcoming in the Czech zone.
     
    32:13
    Goal for Team Finland!
    The Finns go up by three on a rush, with VELLI-MATTI SAVINAINEN taking the pass on the wing and firing it home. Assist: Ville Lajunen, Juha-Pekka Hytönen.
     
    30:05
    Goal for Team Finland!
    The Finnish power play finally cashes in. Filppula passed back to the point to JUUSO HIETANEN, whose shot through traffic went off the post and in. Assist: Ilari Filppula.
     
    29:33
    Once again the Czechs kill off a penalty only to go back to the box. This time Tomas Mojzis for hooking.
     
    27:39
    A good chance on a one-time wrister from Oskar Ostala, Salak catches and holds.
     
    27:19
    Finns going right back to the power play, though, as Jakub Nakladal is whistled for hooking in front of his own net.
     
    26:20
    Neither team's power play has been very effective so far, and the Czechs get a shot on a shorthanded 2-on-2 at the tail end, Vonrka with the shot and Metsola the save.
     
    24:26
    And now the Finns going to the power play, as their aggressive forechecking forces Ivan Rachunek to take a holding penalty. It's his second trip to the box.
     
    24:10
    Juhamatti Aaltonen hits the goal post. The Finns putting on a lot of pressure since killing off that penalty.
     
    23:06
    The power play was killed off without the Czechs really getting things together, and now they are called for icing.
     
    20:49
    Ville Lajunen, the game's goal scorer, is now going to the penalty box for tripping, giving the Czechs their first power play chance.
     
    20:01
    Start of 2nd period.
     
    Apologies for the sparse updates from the first period, as we were dealing with some technical issues. There was one goal and one penalty in that period. The shots on goal were 9-8 in favour of Finland.
     
    20:00
    1st period finished.
     
    18:30
    Salak has been the busier of the two goalies this game so far, stops a shot fro Filppula on a Finnish rush.
     
    11:46
    Finns getting the first power play of this game. Ivan Rachunek is called for hooking.
     
    01:08
    Goal for Team Finland!
    The Finns strike early thanks to a fortuitous bounce. VILLE LAJUNEN's shot hits the stick of Petr Zamorsky and goes in. Unassisted.
     
    00:01
    Game started.
     
    The national anthems of the Czech Republic and Finland have been played, and the opening faceoff is moments away.
     
    This is the second game for both teams at the Oddset Hockey Games. Finland lost in a shootout to Russia 4-3 on Wednesday in St Petersburg, while the Czechs beat Sweden 2-0 on Thursday in Malmo thanks to Alexander Salak's 37-save shutout.

    This is the third of four meetings between Finland and the Czech Republic in this season's Euro Hockey Tour. Both of their previous two encounters took place in Finland.--the Czech Republic won 1-0 in Turku on November 9, while Finland prevailed 3-2 in Helsinki on December 13.

    With all teams having played 7 games (they'll play 12 in total), here are the current standings for the 2012-13 Euro Hockey Tour:

    1. Russia, 13 points, score 19-8
    2. Czech Republic, 9 points, score 8-15
    3. Finland, 8 points, score 10-12
    4. Sweden, 6 points, score 10-16
     
    Welcome. This game starts at 13:30 CET, 12:30 GMT, 07:30 EST.
    Commentary by

    Derek OBrien

    CZ@@Djob76

    Goals & lineups Match log
    Goals and assists: 2. Lajunen, 31. Hietanen (Filppula), 33. Savinainen (Lajunen, Hytönen)

    Finland: Metsola (Engren) - Mäenpää, Hietanen - Niskala, Lajunen - Väänänen, Kousa - Ohtamaa, Kukkonen - Salminen, Filppula, Haataja - Osala, Hytönen, Aaltonen - Kiiskinen, Koskiranta, Anttila - Savinainen, Wirtanen, Kuusela - Lahti.
    Czech Republic: Salák (Kovář) - Barinka, Krajíček - Čáslava, Zámorský - Nakládal, Mojžíš - Krejčík, Němec - Kašpar, Novotný, Irgl - Vondrka, Nedorost, Průcha - Adamský, Vrána, Tenkrát - I. Rachůnek, Hertl, T. Rachůnek - Petružálek.
    Referees: M. Nord, M. Sjöqvist - J. Dahmén, J. Käck