TAMMERFORS. Finland is world champion again and I’m sitting in a boiling sea of blue and white fans.
After a crazy drama, Sakari Manninen hits 4-3 in overtime.
I can only say congratulations, Finland.
how is that possible?
Four tournament finals out of four potential, two World Cup golds and one Olympic gold.
Plus an Olympic gold and a World Cup gold in the same year, something Bengt-Ake Gustafsson and Trey Kronor were alone before.
But that was then.
Today, the roles have changed.
Not only has Jukka Jalonen built an impregnable fortress since he captured Finnish lions for the second time.
He also has a team that shows a great deal of sisu as when Lasse Virén ran two double golds at the 1982 Olympics in Munich.
It shouldn’t work, but then comes that primal force that makes all the difference.
Rarely have I seen a few minutes more exciting than when Finland turned this game over at the start of the third half and brought the Nokia Arena to a boil one last time.
Then the same drama at the end of the same period, when the Canadians did exactly as in the quarter-final against Sweden and tied 3-3 in the sixth match against five and scored two goals in 48 seconds.
Then a Canadian was sent off and almost a copy of the goal when they decided the quarter-final against Sweden in the fourth matches against the three.
It’s a pity that the Swedes are in focus
It is unfortunate that Swedish judges Linus Hollande and Mikael Nord will appear in the spotlight, now that they have been given the honorary task of judging the final.
The only two Swedish players to reach the final.
But when Canadian Cole Selinger lifted Miro Heskanen there in a Finnish powerhouse match at the start of the third inning, it was the Finn’s club themselves who went up and punched him in the face.
No expulsion then. There is no high club from the Canadian.
But now it was really windy, his arm was raised and Sillinger had to go and sit in the penalty area and the Finns played five against three for 35 seconds.
Maybe you decided on this match.
It took five seconds before Mikael Granlund scored the 1-1 equalizer.
And not only this.
At that moment, great goalkeeper Chris Dredger stretched so hard that he had to step down.
Now Matt Tomkins of Frölunda had to step in without warming up.
And when the Finns match continued with five to four, Granlund shook the Nashville star in his second goal in the match.
Finland had turned in just 1 minute 44 seconds.
This expulsion will be talked about for a long time, even if the Finns manage to score 3-1 and Canada returns to the match.
But Finland is still a worthy champion.
And the fans here in Tampere deserve their champion team.
The center of hockey in Europe
I deal with them to win this home win in a city that has lined up and supported this team from start to finish.
It really is the center of hockey in Europe, and now that they’ve won once at the Nokia Arena, I wonder how many Finnish NHL stars would like to go home when there’s a replay next year.
New World Cup in the same arena.
Patrick Lane was born and raised in hockey in this city.
But there will be no conquest, because Zhuka Yalonin will stick to the framework and the recipe for success that gave such colossal and historical successes.
And that it takes shape with a handful of NHL players, who have made little difference.
This time it was Dallas defender Michael Granlund, Miro Heskanen, who scored both goals.
They were both great when they joined the team and instantly found their roles.
All you have to do is see and learn, Sweden.
The Czech Republic won the bronze match against the USA and was as happy as if they had won the gold in the World Cup.
I’ve rarely seen such joy after winning a World Cup bronze.
But the Czech Republic has not won a World Cup medal in ten years and has been in a slump for much longer than Sweden is now.
Now they are another nation on the rise.
Med en ny finsk förbundskapten i Kari Jalonen.
