Finland mounted a stunning comeback to beat local rivals Sweden 4-3 in overtime in a penalty-riddled Group C battle to claim top spot and a place in the quarter-finals of the men’s Olympic ice hockey tournament.
Trailing 3-0 heading into the third period, the Finns converted on back-to-back power play chances before a sneak under Swedish netminder Magnus Hellberg‘s leg levelled it for the Sochi bronze medallists and forward Harri Pesonen clinched the victory in overtime.
“When you are losing 3-0 it’s not easy to come back, especially score three goals in a period, it’s pretty nice to win the game in overtime,” said Finnish forward Iiro Pakarinen, who recorded two of their three third-period goals.
“It’s always like that against Sweden, it’s always tight games. It’s fun to play against a rival.”
It was a stunning reversal of fortune after forward Markus Granlund was ejected from the match in the second period for elbowing a Swedish defenseman in the head as the Nordic neighbors renewed their fierce rivalry.
Tournament officials said Granlund could face additional discipline.
© 2024 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.