Finnish Lions secure World Championships quarter-final place and an Olympic berth

Weekend 1-1 draw with Sweden and victory over Denmark, but no certainty of easy passage to the semi-finals

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Finland’s ice hockey team progressed into the quarter-finals of the IIHF World Championships late on Saturday evening, without actually suiting up. The 3-2 victory over Russia by Team USA meant that the five points already gained by the Finns will be enough to ensure they finish no lower than 4th in Qualifying Round Group F. At the same time, the Finns secured themselves an automatic invitation for the 2006 Winter Olympics. The free ticket to Turin 2006 is reserved for the top 8 teams in this year’s World Championships.
      Finland had taken two points forward to the Qualifying Round, and on Friday evening they added a third following a 1-1 draw with Sweden.
     
Diehard patriots will have been disappointed that the Swedes came back from the dead yet again to tie the score in the final minute, but in fact the Finns had been under intense pressure almost from the moment when Petteri Nummelin put them ahead after 35 minutes.
      The Swedish equaliser was more embarrassing than skilful, and was scored by Samuel Påhlsson, who deflected a shot from defender Christian Bäckman and the puck hit both posts before trickling into the net behind goalie Mika Noronen. The Swedes had removed their own goaltender and thrown an extra man onto the ice in a last desperate attempt to get on terms, and as usual it paid dividends for them.
     
On Saturday Finland met Denmark, and the Lions adroitly avoided this possible banana-skin and skated to a comfortable 6-0 victory. Two goals in each period got the job done, and were it not for an MVP performance from the Danish goalie Peter Hirsch it could have been more than six-nothing.
      The Finnish players had showered, changed, and had dinner by the time Russia and the USA met later on Saturday evening, but result of this match ensured that the Finns cannot be denied a quarter-final place.
      Russia, Finland’s last opponents in the Qualifying Round, only have two points after defeats by Slovakia and Team USA.
      This is not by any means to say that this evening’s match is a formality. The Finns would dearly love to finish first or second in their Qualifying Round group, in order to avoid the uncomfortable prospect of a meeting with either Canada or the Czech Republic in the quarter-finals.
     
The playing format in the quarter-finals is such that the winner of one group plays the fourth-placed team in the other, and the runner-up plays the third-placed team from the other group. The Czechs and Canadians have already sliced up Group E between them, and the winners of their encounter in Prague tonight will top the table. Even a tied game will be enough for the Czechs, as the Canadians dropped an early point in their 2-2 opening match against Austria.
      Sweden and the USA played on Sunday evening, with the Swedes emerging 3-1 winners, while Slovakia - who earlier defeated the Finns 5-2 - predictably demolished Denmark 8-0. Sweden and Slovakia both have seven points, and they, too, will meet in tonight's late game in Ostrava.
     
The Swedish and Slovak victories meant that winning the group is now beyond the Finns’ grasp, but the situation is that in order to finish second, the Lions must first overcome Russia (and in so doing force the Russians to play in a separate qualifying tournament for Turin), and must then hope that the Slovaks have enough gas and motivation to beat Sweden, preferably by a few clear goals.
      Sweden’s goal difference (12-5, or +7) is currently marginally better than Finland’s (13-8, or +5), so if Monday’s matches are close, even the “right” results may not be quite enough.
      On the other hand, defeat for the Finns and a victory by Team USA over Denmark would allow the Americans to leapfrog over Finland and into 3rd place. The Russians’ only straw, and a rather thin one, is that they beat Finland and that the Danes - still pointless - can raise their game enough to overcome the USA.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Slovakia gives Finland a lesson in control (29.4.2004)

Links:
  IIHF World Championships 2004

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