TAMMERFORS. Finland was bad at its meeting with Latvia.
Then the main idol Mikael Granlund stepped forward and saved the fans at home.
– How important it is for Finland, says Valentina Lisana Wallner, an expert at Viasat.
Nashville star Mikael Granlund was all set for the premiere but watched the match from the stands. Against Latvia, he was on the ice and what a premiere he defended.
With less than three minutes to go, Granlund scored the winning goal 2-1 at Powerplay in front of a welcoming crowd.
The score was 1-1 with just over three minutes remaining and the match was en route to overtime. Then Latvia was expelled, which advanced if not Mikael Granlund. The NHL promotion was allowed to enter unobstructed from the left side and scored the winning goal.
What a conclusion for Granlund, says Valentina Lisana Wallner, an expert at Viasat, and added:
– How important is it for Finland?
Finland easily won 5-0 at the premiere against Norway while Latvia lost 1-4 in their first match against the United States.
Finland was shocked in the first period
Expectations were also high in Tampere’s busy Nokia Arena.
But it was not an easy match for the favorite nation, on the contrary.
Latvia took the lead after nine minutes through Rudolph Ballsiers after a quick turn.
Finland didn’t come anywhere at all in the first period. Jukka Jalonen had only two shots against Latvian goalkeeper Elvis Merzlikins.
However, the situation improved in the middle of the period when Finland applied more offensive pressure. The equalizer also came when Sakkari Manin from a tight angle managed to get back to the scar when just over half of the match was played. Just like the winning goal, it came in powerplay.
A result that then withstood the decisive goal of Granlund.