Sakari Manninen scored on a power play after a controversial penalty to deliver Finland a 4-3 victory over Canada in the gold medal game of the IIHF world hockey championship Sunday in Tampere, Finland.
Thomas Chabot of the Ottawa Senators was called for hooking Hannes Bjorninen early in the 3-on-3 overtime period, allowing the host Finns to head to the man advantage. Mikael Granlund of the Nashville Predators connected with Manninen, who shot a one-timer from the right circle past Team Canada goalie Matt Tomkins 6:42 into overtime.
Replays of the penalty appeared to show that Chabot’s stick never made contact with Bjorninen.
“At the end of the day, my stick was in there and I put myself in that position,” Chabot told TSN after the game. “It’s a hockey call. Everything happens quick. But obviously I think everyone can agree that it was a bit of a dive.”
Pierre-Luc Dubois of the Winnipeg Jets had stronger words about the call.
“You know when you come to these tournaments it’s different rules, but at some point it’s frustrating,” Dubois said. “You don’t even know the rulebook anymore. … They won. They’re the best team in the tournament. But it sucks. To put that much effort, and then for that to happen in overtime of a gold-medal game.”
Dylan Cozens, Zach Whitecloud and Max Comtois scored Canada’s goals and Mathew Barzal assisted on all three. Granlund had two goals for Finland for a three-point game, and Joel Armia also tallied.
Down 3-1 in the dying minutes of regulation, Canada pulled Tomkins for the extra attacker and were rewarded. Barzal fed Whitecloud with a pass from the goal line and Whitecloud’s one-timer cut the deficit in half with 2:13 to play. Just 48 seconds later, Comtois knotted it 3-3 from the slot.
Tomkins replaced an injured Chris Driedger in Canada’s net following Finland’s first goal. Driedger stopped 16 of 17 shots and Tomkins saved 11 of 14. Jussi Olkinuora (19 saves) anchored Finland.
Finland became the second nation to win Olympic gold and worlds in the same year, following Sweden in 2006.
–Field Level Media