Finland gain revenge on USA with comfortable Group A win in Zurich

[p]Two wins from two to begin the tournament was ideal preparation for a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/finland/rRWMzYQu/"]Finland[/a] side looking to banish memories of their elimination in last year's Quarter-finals at the hands of the reigning champions [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/usa/GYgp4SO3/"]United States[/a], who bounced back from an opening defeat to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/switzerland/buO3jBAo/"]Switzerland[/a] with victory against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/great-britain/C2UJnT9A/"]Great Britain[/a].[/p][p]And it looked to be Finland's good form that would continue just over six minutes in when they took the lead, as [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hameenaho-leni/MJ21EIIA/"]Leni Hameenaho[/a] stole the puck from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/leonard-ryan/ptfXGScq/"]Ryan Leonard[/a] at centre ice, attacked by himself down the left and finished off a great individual effort[/b] with a clean strike.[/p][p]However, the lead lasted less than 90 seconds - [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/moore-oliver/dxoi8HRO/"]Oliver Moore[/a] carried the puck from behind his own net, jinking past the defence down the right side when close to the glass, before [b]laying it off for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/coronato-matt/vcGU1Fr6/"]Matt Coronato[/a] to blast home first time.[/b][/p][embed guid="079060b5-1fae-49ce-b190-590db68c9200" url="https://x.com/ViaplayUrheilu/status/2056384840228848007" social-type="twitter" /][p]But the frantic period of play continued and Leijonat were ahead again a minute later, when Hameenaho turned provider, [b]squaring the puck along the blue line for the arriving [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/puistola-patrik/nqWpkFgA/"]Patrik Puistola[/a], and the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/frolunda/pAG4OqEE/"]Frolunda[/a] man got his head up and fired the puck in off the pipes.[/b][/p][p]A slashing call against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jokiharju-henri/Gd5gYXor/"]Henri Jokiharju[/a] looked to have given the USA a good chance to equalise, but the powerplay was cancelled out around 30 seconds in when Leonard was guilty of tripping.[/p][p]That created a 4-on-4 situation, and it was the Finns who made better use of the space, as [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/raty-aatu/hQ2YUhqG/"]Aatu Raty[/a] received [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lehtonen-mikko/GU8BUg7n/"]Mikko Lehtonen[/a]'s forward pass in the centre, before[/b] [b]travelling into the American zone unchallenged and shooting low[/b] between the pads of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/woll-joseph/Iy82Nost/"]Joseph Woll[/a].[/p][p]A worsening opening period for Leonard got worse in the final minute when he was again guilty of tripping, ensuring Finland would begin period two with a man advantage, and they made that advantage count.[/p][image alt="Aatu Raty celebrates his goal" id="78b4c0aa-7cba-4b61-9545-4dff02559a49" credit-line="ČTK / AP / Claudio Thoma" guid="19e83ab7-8b32-4f47-918b-7fd1ece0ea1b" original-width="1400" original-height="933" /][p]Time was running down on the powerplay, but with around 10 seconds left, Finland moved the puck around the attacking zone with ease before[b] Lehtonen found Hameenaho on the left, and the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/new-jersey-devils/Kh0O591A/"]New Jersey Devils[/a] forward rifled in his second of the game.[/b][/p][p]Getting back to full strength did nothing to help Team USA, who conceded again 30 seconds later when [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/maatta-olli/dQmqxaSf/"]Olli Maatta[/a] passed the puck in front from the left wing, and a faint touch from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/maenalanen-saku/WKihHw6h/"]Saku Maenalanen[/a] diverted it past Woll[/b], who was then replaced by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cooley-devin/rFpjhg1B/"]Devin Cooley[/a].[/p][p]The US showed more resilience for the rest of the period, holding firm in defence after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lafferty-sam/veQLF424/"]Sam Lafferty[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lindgren-ryan/dhIQvsFn/"]Ryan Lindgren[/a] both spent two minutes in the penalty box, but a lack of finesse in front of goal meant they failed to cut Finland's four-goal lead.[/p][embed guid="433ad215-4d3b-4f62-9c8b-54686f3d7254" url="https://x.com/ViaplayUrheilu/status/2056395770983506088" social-type="twitter" /][p]Despite the healthy advantage, Antti Pennanen's side began to lose their cool early in the third period - as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/erholtz-eemil/Mc27uVEH/"]Eemil Erholtz[/a] was called for fighting and, almost immediately following the face-off, Maatta was hit with a delay of game penalty.[/p][p]And it took all of six seconds for the USA to profit from the 5-on-3 situation, as the next face-off was worked back to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/faulk-justin/SITqmE9n/"]Justin Faulk[/a] at the corner, and he slid the puck across for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ufko-ryan/l8NH4Hbm/"]Ryan Ufko[/a] to hit. His effort was saved by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/annunen-justus/M339RCEg/"]Justus Annunen[/a], [b]but Leonard was on hand to score the rebound.[/b][/p][p]But anything the US could do with two extra players, the Finns could do with one - [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cotter-paul/MRTcNgcG/"]Paul Cotter[/a] was sent to the box for roughing in the seventh minute, and with a play that was almost the mirror image of the US' goal, [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lundell-anton/zTGkWBJP/"]Anton Lundell[/a] forced home the rebound, albeit from his own initial effort.[/b][/p][p]That goal knocked the wind out of the USA sails - they forced 18 shots on goal in the final 20 minutes, but the majority of them came before the Lundell strike, and [b]Finland cruised to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/finland-rRWMzYQu/usa-GYgp4SO3/?mid=hUHumINh"]a 6-2 win[/a][/b] to go top of Group A, while the States drop to fifth. [b]Hameenaho led the way with three points in the contest.[/b][/p][p]Finland are back in action again on Thursday 21st, when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/latvia/44JaYkQ4/"]Latvia[/a] will be the side attempting to end their perfect record. The United States will be on the ice a day earlier, when they meet [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/germany/vgQVYBeh/"]Germany[/a].[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/hockey/world/world-championship-2026/"]Follow the 2026 World Ice Hockey Championship on Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]