USA 4:1 FIN | USA - Finland (World Championship)

World Championship

Austria – Germany2	0:2 (end)	\|	Slovenia2 – Switzerland	1:7 (end)	\|	USA – Finland	4:1 (end)
Norway – Sweden2	1:5 (end)

final

USA

4:1 (1:1, 0:0, 3:0)

Finland

Wednesday 08.05.2013, 19:15 • Hartwall Arena, Helsinki, Finland • World Championship

		Despite of one-goal-leading by home players from the start of this game, Team U. S. celebrates its victory. Thanks to a hat-trick by Craig Smith and an amazing performance by young John Gibson, the American team moves to the 2nd place of the group. Team Finland had a great start for this game but doesn´t hold the pace and lost1-4. Thanks for watching and have a great rest of the day! (21:22:57)
	60:00	Game over.
	59:19	Goal for Team USA! CRAIG SMITH completes his hat-trick with a shot to the empty net! It is finally decided! Assisted by Stastny, Moss.
	59:06	Johnson steals the puck and sends into the neutral zone.
	59:00	One minute left in this period.
	58:38	Team USA sends the puck to the neutral zone and heading to change players.
	58:05	Kontiola fires from the circle, Gibson deflects!
	58:00	Two minutes left in the 3rd period.
	57:55	And the second.
	57:48	An American icing.
	57:13	Raanta remains on the bench and Finnish players try their luck in 6 players on field.
	57:13	Team Finland takes a time-out.
	57:10	Aaltonen tries to fire from the left circle but he sees that the way to Raanta is blocked. So he lets the puck on his stick and makes a deke to forehand to fool Gibson. It doesn´t work, the puck gets under Gibson´s glove.
	55:59	Salminen waits for a rebound in front of Gibson after Laakso´s shot but young goalie covers the puck precise.
	55:39	Hietanen´s shot from the blue line but it is blocked so Gibson doesn´t have to worry.
	54:48	Finnish players do tonight so many mistakes in their zone. This time it is not punished.
	54:01	Vaananen is waiting behind Raanta´s net for kicking off.
	53:35	The last commercial break.
	53:35	Jalasvaara´s shot is blocked and ends in the safety net behind Gibson´s net.
	51:29	Goal for Team USA! Aaltonen makes a huge mistake in the neutral zone, loses the puck, which is stolen by Nate Thompson. He takes it into the zone, pass through the zone to STEPHEN GIONTA who fires from the first precise and doubles the lead! Assisted by Thompson.
	51:21	Americans make a mistake in the neutral zone and Gibson writes down an important save against a great shot by Salminen!
	50:33	Mantyla makes a mistake in the corner, Moss steals the puck from him, passes to Smith to the middle and he fires. Raanta saves!
	49:47	And Paul Stastny on the other side rounds the net and tries to send the puck behind Raanta. Finnish goalie makes also a quick move and saves.
	49:38	Pesonen fires and the puck is tipped by Faulk. It fools Gibson who has to move quick to save.
	48:55	It isn´t a goal...
	48:55	The first commercial break... and referees will make the phone call.
	47:19	Bjugstad steals the puck from the one of Finnish players and passes to Kristo. He strikes the upper bar and we will see, if referees will call the video-colleague...
	46:29	Pesonen´s shot ends on the back boarders.
	45:59	Aaltonen gets a pass from the middle and shoots from the right, Gibson deflects.
	44:59	Pihlström was so close to score, but only centimeters stop him from sending the puck into the net from the boarders of the goal area after a shot from the left circle.
	44:49	Pihlström fires from the right and the shot is hided behind an American defender and Gibson deflects it by his shoulder!
	44:15	Koskiranta can make the game tied but misses the net!
	43:22	Goal for Team USA! The 6th goal for Team USA in this tournament and the second goal for CRAIG SMITH in this game. Stastny very well skates to the right circle and make Finnish players to move, then passes to the middle to Smith who fires through two players and between Raanta´s pads. Assisted by Stastny, Faulk.
	42:19	The second power play for Team USA. Haataja (FIN) gets a minor penalty for tripping.
	40:38	Stastny doesn´t pass well and Raanta easy covers the puck.
	40:01	Start of 3rd period.
	40:00	2nd period finished.
	39:12	Stastny passes through 2 opponent´s sticks and has just 50% success.
	39:00	One minute left in the 2nd period.
	37:46	After a long, long while Finnish have a chance but against Aaltonen shot from the circle Gibson makes a tiger´s jump!
	37:25	Finnish players are so out of the tempo that it is really sad... This time they kill an opportunity 3 on 1 after crossing the blue line when the player who is skating with the puck fires to the blocking opponent in front of him...
	36:48	A Finnish icing.
	36:27	Marko Anttila tries to make the same deke as Carle but without success.
	35:34	Matt Carle makes a good deke to the centre and fires also well.
	35:06	Americans at full strength.
	34:28	Pesonen passes to the blue line from where Lepisto fires but he only strikes an opponent in front of him. So Americans send the puck away.
	33:48	Laakso passes to Koskiranta who lets the puck to Salminen but there are no shots which can go through bodies in front of Gibson to the net.
	33:06	Palushaj (USA) gets a minor penalty for holding an opponent and this time it is important to say that this penalty is really strict...
	32:20	Petry´s shot deflected into a corner.
	31:47	Home palyers at full strength but American pressure continues.
	31:20	LeBlanc shot from the right circle is not precise neither hard...
	30:55	The 2nd American power-play line steady in the zone.
	30:16	Americans are searching for a one good pass but only hunting the puck on boarders so there is no hard job to throw the puck out of the zone.
	29:58	Moss again fighting in front of the net and Raanta has a lot of to do to to cover the puck.
	29:47	Juha-Pekka Haataja (FIN) gets a minor penalty for interference and there is the 1st power play for U. S. Team.
	29:22	After a long time Raanta´s save.
	28:53	Trouba has problems with Koskirantaso Palushaj helps this young team-mate and kicks-off instead of him.
	28:14	Too bad pass by Faulk and there is another icing by Americans. The game returns in front of Gibson.
	28:07	Two shots by Pesonen, both miss the net.
	27:24	Another save for Gibson and there is the 1st commercial break in this period.
	26:58	These 2 power plays speed up Finnish players and Team USA has troubles to cross even the red line.
	25:49	Team USA at 5 again.
	25:29	Laakso fires from the blue line and Gibson has troubles, because he doesn´t have a clear view. But this shot strikes him to his left shoulder and then American goalie covers it.
	24:59	And again, this time thanks to Petry.
	24:41	And Americans again manage to send the puck out of the zone.
	24:21	30 seconds gone from this power play and Finnish players don´t show anything.
	23:49	Erik Johnson (USA) gets a minor penalty for boarding and let Finnish opponents to have another power-play.
	23:23	Shots on goal so far: 6 – 12.
	22:15	Tim Stapleton is found on the offensive blue line and has a short take-way to Raanta´s net but doesn´t beat his guard by shot from the right because he misses the net!
	21:51	C. Butler changes the puck with Trouba, then repeats it with Stastny, moves to the left circle and fires. But strikes only Moss finghting in front of the net.
	20:58	Team USA at full strength.
	20:45	Aaltonen shoots from the left wing and Gibson finds the puck in his glove.
	20:28	A Finnish off-side.
	20:18	Hietanen fires from the blue line but this shot is not precise.
	20:01	Start of 2nd period.
		Shots on goal: 6 – 8.
	20:00	1st period finished.
	19:48	Home players steady in the zone but can´t make a surprise pass to fool U. S. players.
	19:00	One minute left in this period.
	18:58	Home players have a great opportunity to take the lead back during a power play. Palushaj (USA) sends the puck out of his zone and that means a minor penalty for delaying the game.
	17:36	Goal for Team USA! Raanta gets the first goal during his career in the national jersey. David Moss skates onleft wing, makes a deke to the middle and fires on ice. On the boarder of the goal area this puck was found by CRAIG SMITH who tips it in! Assisted by David Moss, C. Butler.
	17:07	Salminen passes to Laakso and Gibson is on his place.
	16:46	An American off-side.
	16:02	The 2nd commercial break in this period.
	15:59	Petry´s shot just goes through Finnish goal area and no one from his team is able to tip in to the net.
	15:49	Americans lock their opponent in their zone but hunts the puck only on barriers.
	14:34	Smith waits too long behind his net that the audience starts to whistle. This American player so leaves his place and tries to kick-off. Unsuccessfully, because he strikes only the stick of Savinainen and Gibson has a job to do.
	13:10	A shot from the blue line is tipped twice and Gibson has a luck that the puck ends out of the net.
	12:57	Home players try a fast counter attack and it works.
	12:02	Petry fires from the blue line and the puck is deflected from Stastny out of 3 post of the Finnish net.
	11:28	Faulk wins his man-to-man battle with a Finnish defender and from zero angle sends the puck to Raanta. He turns back and controls if he has the puck under control. He does.
	11:15	A Finnish icing.
	10:28	Savinainen fires from the left and strikes Gibson´s stick. The puck and also the stick fall to the left corner.
	09:58	U.S.Team at full strength.
	09:08	Team Finland steady in the offensive zone but we are missing shots...
	07:58	Melart (FIN) gets 2+2 minutes penalty for roughing. Carter (USA( gets 2+2 minutes penalty for roughing and also 2 minutes penalty for interference.
	07:58	Carter in fight with Melart! However, no one throws gloves so they want a fight not a penalties to the end of this game.
	07:58	This is not a hockey! Carter hits hard home goalie and there comes the revenge!
	06:45	Trouba sends a good pass to Gionta but this American forward doesn´t catch this pass...
	05:52	Goal for Team Finland! JARNO KOSKIRANTA takes an advantage from a mistake by Petry who doesn´t handle to send the puck away from the place in front of Gibson. This Finnish forward wins this battle and beats also Gibson! Assisted by Pesonen, Hietanen.
	05:40	Lepisto passes to Altonen and Gibson writes down another hard save.
	05:24	Stastny skates for a puck behind the net but loses it.
	05:08	Melart fires from the blue line after a good cross pass from the right circle, but Gibson has a clear view and doesn´t have problems to catch the puck.
	04:05	Salminen third time, but this time is caught on the blue line in an off-side.
	03:45	Salminen´s two big opportunities. The first is near the goal area but the rebound misses the net, the second one is after a cross pass from a circle. But Gibson is ready.
	03:15	Lepisto takes the puck into the zone but he is not let to shoot.
	02:36	Kontiola fires again but Gibson doesn´t have to save. The shot doesn´t go through.
	01:39	An icing by U.S. team.
	00:57	Jalasvaara´s shot from the blue line goes through players to Gibson and very young goalie in the American net is ready.
	00:01	Game started.
		Starting lineups: USA: Gibson (Bishop) – Carle (A), Faulk, Johnson, Hunwick, Trouba, Butler Chris, Petry, McBain – Smith, Moss, Stastny (C) – Butler Bobby, Stapleton, LeBlanc – Gionta, Carter, Thompson (A) – Kristo, Bjugstad, Palushaj. The head coach: Joe Sacco. Finland: Raanta (Ortio) – Lepistö, Hietanen, Laakso, Mäntylä, Väänänen, Jalasvaara, Kukkonen (C), Melart – Pesonen, Kontiola (A), Aaltonen – Salminen, Haataja, Koskiranta – Savinainen, Viitaluoma, Pihlström – Hagman (A), Anttila, Hytönen. The head coach: Jukka Jalonen. Referees: Lars Brueggemann (GER), Brent Reiber (SUI) – Jesse Wilmot (CAN), Ivan Dedioulia (BLR).
		TEAM USA USA didn´t enter the tournament confidently either. The first game won 5-3 against Team Austria, however, during the game the overseas team was losing even 0-2. Also in the 2nd game, Team USA was losing. This time 0-1 to Latvians, but European players weren´t able to hold this lead, got 4 goals and lost.
		TEAM FINLAND has already played 3 games. The first one didn´t bring any confident performance, at least a victory 4-3 after overtime. In the second one, the last year´s silver medalists from Slovakia overshot their opponent, but didn´t beat the goalie Raanta. So Team Finland won 2-0. The 3rd performance in the tournament brought a slightly drama. Team Finland was in leading 2-0 against Team France, but French players scored and there the drama came. Ten minutes to go however Finnish players score and took the victory.
		Welcome. Game starts at 19:15.

Commentary by

Lucie Mužíková

@LMuzikova

Goals & lineups Match log

Goals and assists: 18. Smith (Moss, C. Butler), 44. Smith (Stastny, Faulk), 52. Gionta (Thompson), 60. Smith (Stastny, Moss) – 6. Koskiranta (Pesonen, Hietanen)

USA: Gibson (Bishop) – Carle (A), Faulk, Johnson, Hunwick, Trouba, Butler Chris, Petry, McBain – Smith, Moss, Stastny (C) – Butler Bobby, Stapleton, LeBlanc – Gionta, Carter, Thompson (A) – Kristo, Bjugstad, Palushaj. The head coach: Joe Sacco.

Finland: Raanta (Ortio) – Lepistö, Hietanen, Laakso, Mäntylä, Väänänen, Jalasvaara, Kukkonen (C), Melart – Pesonen, Kontiola (A), Aaltonen – Salminen, Haataja, Koskiranta – Savinainen, Viitaluoma, Pihlström – Hagman (A), Anttila, Hytönen. The head coach: Jukka Jalonen.

Referees: Lars Brueggemann (GER), Brent Reiber (SUI) – Jesse Wilmot (CAN), Ivan Dedioulia (BLR)

1st period
	05:52
	07:58
	17:36
	18:58
1st intermission
2nd period
	23:49
	29:47
	33:06
2nd intermission
3rd period
	42:19
	43:22
	51:29
	59:19
Final