Finland qualified for the final of the World Junior Hockey Championship by beating Sweden 4-3 in overtime on Sunday in Ottawa.
Benjamin Rautiainen played the hero in overtime, taking advantage of a numerical advantage to move the strings with less than a minute remaining in the overtime period.
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The Swedes had completely dominated the third period, notably amassing 20 shots against only three. Wilhelm Hallquisth scored the only goal of the third, allowing Sweden to tie the game and force extra time.
The second period was quite eventful, since five goals were scored during it. Arttu Alasiurua, Emil Hemming (Dallas Stars) and Jesse Kiiskinen (Nashville Predators) were the Finns’ scorers during this engagement. The Swedes’ response came from the stick of Otto Stenberg (St. Louis Blues), who hit the mark twice.
This is Finland’s first appearance in the final since their defeat against Canada in 2022. This nation’s last victory dates back to 2019.
In the other semi-final, the United States meets the Czechs. This match will be played later in the evening.
