RUS 2:3 FIN | Russia - Finland (World Championship)

World Championship

Slovakia2 – Austria	1:2 (after SO)	\|	Slovenia2 – Czech Republic	2:4 (end)	\|	Russia – Finland	2:3 (end)
Belarus – Canada2	1:4 (end)

final

Russia

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

Finland

Friday 10.05.2013, 19:15 • World Championship

		Thank you for following the game with us! (21:41:18)
		Finland have taken over the first place in the Helsinki group thanks to a great performance against – despite having many, many opportunities – rather helpless Russians! Shots on goal: Russia 21 (36) – Finland 3 (24)
	60:00	Game over.
	59:58	Match penalty against Ilya Kovalchuk!
	59:58	Kovalchuk with absolutely disgusting behaviour! First he tried to hit Peosnen into the face with his stick and then he tried to knock him out with his helmet before he gave him a punch into the face!
	59:34	Offside call against the Russians.
	59:26	Timeout Russia!
	59:26	Icing by the Fins. Varlamov had returned into his net after the 2-3 but left it when the Russians had their next attack.
	58:52	Combination between Radulov and Perezhogin but they can't get a dangerous shot on goal.
	58:12	Goal for Team Russia! Suddenly the Russians are back in business! After a shot by Nikulin the rebound came to Tereshchenko who gave the puck to the left where ILYA KOVALCHUK waited and fired the puck into the net from short distance! Assisted by Alexei Tereshchenko and Ilya Nikulin.
	57:41	Varlamov already left his net for an additional forward!
	56:49	Evgeny Medvedev (Russia) gets two minutes for cross-checking – 4 on 4 now.
	56:49	Niklas Hagman (Finland) gets two minutes for diving.
	56:49	Lots of slashes in the last minutes. Both teams are extremly aggressive.
	56:49	Offside call against the Fins.
	55:27	Savinainen with a distance shot that goes wide.
	54:30	The home fans are celebrating their team. Barely anyone in Helsinki believes in a Russian comeback.
		Commercial break.
	52:19	Kokarev with a dangerous cross-pass towards the Finnish net but the puck was intercepted by a defender.
	51:18	Strong defensive work by the Fins who make a long clearance once more.
	50:40	The Fins with big checks inside the Russian zone, set them under huge pressure.
	49:36	Juhamatti Aaltonen with a shot from the left circle but a defender of the Russians blocked it wide.
	48:51	Ilya Kovalchuk with a cross-pass from the left circle towards Tereshchenko but despite waiting completely alone in front of Raanta he couldn't get the puck past the goalie who made a spectacular pad save!
	47:28	Blue line shot by Anton Belov but Raanta blocked it before covering up the puck.
	47:05	Juuso Hietanen (Finland) gets two minutes for hooking.
		Commercial break.
	46:13	Marko Anttila with a shot towards the left corner but glove save by Varlamov.
	45:33	Kokarev with the next opportunity for the Russians who now are dominating the match clearly but his scoring attempt from the left wing was blocked to the side by Raanta aswell.
	44:27	Again Nikulin with a shot, this time from the right wing, and this time Raanta made a glove save.
	44:12	Blue line shot by Nikulin, pad save by Raanta.
	43:35	The Russians have faceoffs now every few seconds in front of the opponents' net.
	43:19	Raanta with a big glove save after the Russians won a faceoff on the left circle and fired the puck immidiately towards the right top corner!
	43:16	Denis Kokarev with a shot from within the slot but easy save for Raanta.
	42:49	Medvedev with a blue line shot but the Finnish defense cleared the situation.
	41:36	The Fins are back at full strength.
	41:32	Counter attack by Antti Pihlström but no team colleague helped him out against four opponents so that he lost the puck behind the Russian net.
	40:32	A deflected shot by the Russians goes just wide past the left post.
	40:01	Start of 3rd period.
		The Russians early in the middle period scored the equalizer but just when they seemed to have found into the match better the Fins fought back with two goals that give them a 3-1 lead after 40 minutes! Shots on goal: Russia 8 (15) – Finland 14 (21)
	40:00	2nd period finished.
	39:56	The Russians win the face off at the Finnish blue line but they don't get a shot on goal in this period anymore.
	39:53	Artyom Anisimov (Russia) gets two minutes for roughing.
	39:53	Ossi Vaananen (Finland) gets two minutes for roughing.
	39:36	Ilari Melart (Finland) gets two minutes for delaying the game. He was lucky several times before already after provoking Radulov again and again in front of the net.
	39:32	The next shot by the Russians from the blue line is blocked.
	39:02	One-timer by Nikulin from the blue line, goes just wide.
	37:49	One-timer by Kovalchuk from the left circle – Raanta made a big jump to the left side and kept the puck out of his net but the danger wasn't yet over as Radulov had the rebound which was also blocked by Finland's goalie!
	37:34	Juha-Pekka Hytönen (Finland) gets two minutes for tripping.
	36:32	The next big, big opportunity for the Fins! After a cross-pass from the left wing by Mäntylä it was Salminen whose one-timer went just inches past the right post!
	36:00	Goal for Team Finland! After a perfect cross-pass by Janne Pesonen towards the left circle JUHAMATTI AALTONEN scored from there in power play with a one-timer into the left corner! Assisted by Janne Pesonen.
	35:07	Hietanen with a shot from the blue line, big save by Raanta.
	34:37	Evgeny Biryukov (Russia) gets two minutes for hooking.
	34:17	Delayed penalty against the Russians. Raanta left his net for an additional skater.
	33:59	Ryasensky with a long distance shot, goes wide.
		Commercial break.
	33:40	Icing by Finland.
	32:29	Alexander Popov loses the puck while trying to enter the Finish defensive third.
	31:52	The Fins are back at full strength.
	31:15	The Russian power play with problems to get into a good shooting position. They had several shots on goal yet but failed to create real danger.
	29:54	Juhamatti Aaltonen (Finland) gets two minutes for hooking.
	28:30	This game continues to be completly open but after the equalizer Finland immidiately had regained controll over the match.
		Commercial break.
	27:21	Goal for Team Finland! The Fins kept the pressure incredibly high and after multiple scoring opportunities it was PETRI KONTIOLA who deflected a blue line shot past Raanta to restore the lead for his team! Assisted by Sami Lepistö.
	26:47	Huge opportunity for the Fins! Hagman with a one-timer from short distance but somehow the puck stayed on the goal line after a save by Varlamov.
	25:35	Kovalchuk lost his stick but still controlled the puck with his skates in the neutral zone – there is more than one sport he could play.
	23:37	Goal for Team Russia! A bue line shot by the Russians hit one of their own forwards who waited just in front of Raanta. The rebound then was fired into the wide open net by ALEXANDER RADULOV for the equalizer in power play! Assisted by Ilya Kovalchuk.
	23:12	Already the second long clearance by the Fins. Not the best power play for te Russians so far.
	22:18	Antti Pihlström (Finland) gets two minutes for tripping.
	20:38	Aaltonen with a blast from within the slot, hits the right post! What a start for Finland!
	20:01	Start of 2nd period.
		A high class first period ended with a lucky but not undeserved 1-0 lead for the hosts from Finland! Both teams had best opportunites – especially the Russians – to score more goals but failed to do so, also thanks to a great performance by both goalies. Shots on goal: Russia 7 – Finland 7
	20:00	1st period finished.
	18:50	Niklas Hagman received a long pass at the Russian blue line and tried it with a fast shot on goal but Varlamov deflected the puck over the net.
	18:36	Two line pass by the Fins.
	17:58	The Russians are back at full strength.
	17:40	Another long clearance by the Russians.
	17:27	Salminen with a shot from short distance towards the left post but Varlamov was there with a pad save.
	16:51	Very long clearance by the Russians and the Fins use it to change their lines.
	15:58	Denis Denisov (Russia) gets two minutes for holding.
	15:29	Delayed penalty against Russia and Raanta left his net for an additional skater.
	14:33	Another important pad save by Raanta after his team mates didn't pay enough attention.
	13:51	Perezhogin with a shot from a half left position aimed at the five hole but Raanta made a big pad save!
	13:09	Another dangerous blue line shot by the Russians, this time at height of the left wing, goes wide.
	12:42	Kirill Petrov with a shot from right to the Fins' net but the angle was far too sharp so that Raanta could make an easy pad save in the right corner.
	12:07	Huge double chance for the Russians! First they hit the right goal post with a counter attack and then the rebound was kept outside of the net by Raanta!
	11:47	Another scoring attempt from the blue line by Nikulin but the shot goes wide past the left post.
	11:42	One-timer from the blue line by Nikulin but he doesn't hit the puck well so that the shot is kept outside by Raanta very easily.
	10:37	Anton Belov with a shot from the right circle, only hits his own team mate Alexei Tereshchenko.
	09:52	Ville Viitaluoma (Finland) gets two minutes for interference.
	09:25	Biryukov with a shot for Russia from the left circle, goes just wide past the left post.
	08:56	The Russians are back at full strength.
	08:39	Fast passing play by the Fins but instead of creating a chance themselves a defender intercepted the puck and almost gave Russia a counter attack.
	08:13	One-timer by Pesonen from inside the slot, glove save by Varlamov.
	07:14	Dangerous situation in front of the Russian net but against three forwards the defense can clear the situation just in time.
	06:56	Anton Belov (Russia) gets two minutes for holding. It's the first penalty of the game.
		Commercial break.
	06:02	Radulov wins the puck and tries to give a pass from behind the net back to Kokarev but can't controll it as he is checked into the boards very hard.
	05:27	The Russians increase their pressure now after the shock of the early goal against.
	04:51	Icing by Finland.
	03:22	Goal for Team Finland! PETRI KONTIOLA receives a cross-pass inside the slot and tries it with a one-timer from short distance that goes straight into the right top corner for the early lead of the Fins with the first real scoring opportunity of the game. Assisted by Juhamatti Aaltonen and Sami Lepistö.
	01:30	Very aggressive start by the Russians in a full Hartwall Arena.
	00:01	Game started.
		Starting lineups: Russia: Varlamov (Bryzgalov) – Nikulin (C), Biryukov, Tyutin, Medvedev, Denisov, Belov, Ryasensky – Loktionov, Radulov, Kovalchuk – Popov, Perezhogin, Anisimov – Mozyakin, Tereshchenko, Petrov – Kokarev, Soin Finland: Raanta (Engren) – Lepistö, Hietanen, Laakso, Mäntylä, Väänänen, Jalasvaara, Kukkonen (C), Melart – Pesonen, Kontiola, Aaltonen – Salminen, Karpikoski, Koskiranta – Savinainen, Viitaluoma, Pihlström – Hagman (A), Anttila, Hytönen Referees: Croft, Winnerborg – Wilmot, Morrison
		This evening two of the big favourites to win their group meet in Helsinki. Russia had convincing wins against Latvia (6-0), Germany (4-1) and USA (5-3) before losing surprisingly after a lead against the huge outsiders France (1-2). On the other side Finland had problems against Germany (4-3 OT), Slovakia (2-0) and France (3-1) but won all these games before they were beaten by USA (1-4). A win today would give any side a big step towards the quarterfinals!
		Welcome. Game starts at 13:15 EST / 18:15 GMT / 19:15 CET.

Commentary by

Dennis Mende

Goals & lineups Match log

Goals and assists: 24. Radulov (Kovalchuk), 59. Kovalchuk (Tereshchenko, Nikulin) – 4. Kontiola (Aaltonen, Lepistö), 28. Kontiola (Lepistö), 36. Aaltonen (Pesonen)

Russia: Varlamov (Bryzgalov) – Nikulin (C), Biryukov, Tyutin, Medvedev, Denisov, Belov, Ryasensky – Loktionov, Radulov, Kovalchuk – Popov, Perezhogin, Anisimov – Mozyakin, Tereshchenko, Petrov – Kokarev, Soin

Finland: Raanta (Engren) – Lepistö, Hietanen, Laakso, Mäntylä, Väänänen, Jalasvaara, Kukkonen (C), Melart – Pesonen, Kontiola, Aaltonen – Salminen, Karpikoski, Koskiranta – Savinainen, Viitaluoma, Pihlström – Hagman (A), Anttila, Hytönen

Referees: Croft, Winnerborg – Wilmot, Morrison

1st period
	03:22
	06:56
	09:52
	15:58
1st intermission
2nd period
	22:18
	23:37
	27:21
	29:54
	34:37
	36:00
	37:34
	39:36
	39:53
	39:53
2nd intermission
3rd period
	47:05
	56:49
	56:49
	58:12
	59:58
Final