Slovakia gives Finland a lesson in control

Finnish Lions go forward to Qualifying Round with two points

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Finland played Slovakia in their final Preliminary Round match at the IIHF World Championships on Wednesday evening, and they were given a salutary lesson in how to control a game. The Slovaks skated to a 5-2 win under their captain Miroslav Satan, who provided two goals including the fifth, struck into an empty net as the Finns sought to get back on level terms.
      Finland were playing catch-up throughout this match, and at times it looked as if the Slovaks were programming every move of the game. They took an early lead through Marian Gaborik after Jozef Stümpel had stolen the puck from Finnish goalie Mika Noronen. The Finns equalised through Jukka Hentunen, but within a couple of minutes Slovakia restored their lead with a well-worked goal on the break from Lubos Bartecko.
      Ville Peltonen brought Finland a glimmer of hope early in the second period with a second equaliser, but once again the Slovaks upped their pace and Satan netted for 3-2. Thereafter the opposition defence put the lid on things and the forwards did just enough to keep the Finns so busy that they could not create scoring chances of their own. This was a very classy performance, and even if it may have looked as though the Finns dominated proceedings, the number of shots on goal in the third period told a different story: Slovakia 6, Finland 3.
     
With six minutes gone in the third period Marian Gaborik collected his second goal of the night to make it 4-2 and put the Slovaks into the comfort zone, and Satan rounded off the scoring inside the final minute. The 5-2 scoreline did not really flatter Slovakia. They are a fine side, as their victory in the World Championships two years ago will attest.
      The Finnish team therefore progress to the Qualifyting Round in second place from their group, carrying forward two points from their win over the USA. Slovakia have three points, as they drew with Team USA in their other relevant game.
     
Things are not likely to get any easier for the Finns from here onwards. They must play Sweden and Russia, neither of whom will be a pushover, and their only soft game is perhaps the meeting with Denmark, who progressed from their Preliminary Round group in third place.
      The minimum requirement will be to secure enough points to finish in the top four of the six-team group, in order to ensure a place in the quarter-finals and an invitation card to the 2006 Olympics in Turin.
      However, the higher up the table a team finishes in the Qualifying Round, the more chance there is of avoiding the likely top two in the other Qualifying Round group - Canada or the Czech Republic - in the quarters. This means that Friday’s game against Sweden is about a good deal more than neighbourhood bragging-rights.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Finland take out Ukraine 5-1, and are grateful to escape serious injuries (27.4.2004)

Links:
  IIHF World Championships 2004

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