Finland – Czechia 1: 3, Another national team win! Honest defenses and two glued goals knocked down the Finns

Until Thursday’s duel with Sweden (2: 1), coach Kari Jalonen did not leave a stone unturned. Only the defensive pair from Třinec, Musil and Kundrátek, remained together. In addition to Hronek and Vrána, the remaining four players from the NHL also joined the line-up. After seven years, Tomáš Hertl returned to the national team, forward Dominik Simon and defender Radim Šimek jumped in, and Arizona goalkeeper Karel Vejmelka made the premiere in the national team jersey.

He scored only two goals in the first period, yet the Finns had the best chance of scoring. At the signaled advantage, Björninen found a completely free Mark Antill in front of the goal, but inexplicably he headed outside the empty Czech cage.

The selection of Suomi had a slightly better movement at the beginning and more often got into the offensive zone, but the Czechs blocked the Finnish attempts well and did not let go of any pucks on Vejmelka. In addition, they managed two weaknesses very well.

The national team threatened at the end of the introductory part. After a good substitution, Blümel and Hertl fired a close-up backhand, but the goalkeeper Olkinuora managed. However, the subsequent Czech power play did not bring a chance.

The good play of the Czech team in the defensive zone continued in the second period. Although Finland settled several times in the offensive period, it was very difficult to get into chances. As the disc fell into a dangerous firing position, he held Vejmelek’s team.

The Czechs threatened the breaks, especially the second formation Smejkal – Hertl – Vrána. However, several times the goal was missing a more accurate pass. However, the national team came to the end of the middle period, when he regularly got to the combinations in the offensive zone and scored twice in 29 seconds.

After Šimek’s shot from the blue line, Matěj Blümel was strong enough at the goal area and the 21-year-old Pardubice striker threw the concrete of the Finnish goalkeeper more than twice. Immediately, Jiří Smejkal exchanged the disc with Hertl and from the right circle headed exactly to the far upper corner.

In the last part, the Finns managed to dramatize the match. The Czechs did not avoid isolated rude. They fell on the offensive blue line and Petrus Palma received a penetration pass between the three players. He turned a separate escape into a forehand with a great loop.

Both teams then got to several chances, but the goalkeepers did not collect even once. Sallinen deprived Fina of the final pressure with an offensive foul, which cut Crow between the legs 72 seconds before the end. In the last minute, David Krejčí confirmed the victory with a goal. The Czech national team thus defeated Suomi, the reigning Olympic winner, for the first time this season.