TAMPERE – Sakari Manninen scored on a power play at 6:42 of 3-on-3 overtime and Finland beat Canada 4-3 on Sunday for its fourth world hockey championship title.
Finland completed an Olympics-world double after winning in China in February, joining Sweden in 2006 as the only countries to win Olympic and world titles in the same year.
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“It’s unbelievable,” Finnish coach Jukka Jalonen said. “You can’t even understand what has happened. Maybe in the summer, we can figure out what really happened. But three months and two gold medals – it’s unbelievable!”
Thomas Chabot was sent off for hooking, setting up the winning power play. With the 4-on-3 advantage, Manninen scored on a one-timer from the right circle off a pass from Mikael Granlund.
“I think it’s pretty obvious that the guy threw himself, but at the end of the day my stick was in there and I put myself in that position, so it’s a hockey call and things happen quick,” Chabot said. “But I think everyone can agree that it was a bit of a dive, I think.”
Added Canadian forward Pierre-Luc Dubois: “You work so hard and for it to be decided like that, it sucks. We know when we come into these tournaments it’s different rules, but that’s not the point. It’s frustrating. You don’t even know the rulebook anymore.”
The countries met for the third straight time in the finals. Finland beat Canada in 2019 in Slovakia, and Canada topped the Finns last year in Latvia. The 2020 event was canceled.
Granlund scored twice and Joel Armia added a goal for Finland. Jussi Olkinuora made 19 saves.
Dylan Cozens, Zach Whitecloud and Max Comtois scored for Canada, with Whiteclould and Comtois connecting late in the third with goalie Matt Tomkins off for an extra attacker.
“It was crazy,” Granlund said. “It was great! What an ending to the game. They tied it up in the third period, but we found a way in the end and this is just awesome.”
Whitecloud pulled Canada within one with 2:12 remaining to pull Canada within a goal and Comtois tied it with 1:24 to go.
“It’s the fight in our team,” Canada's Cole Sillinger said. “We never give up. We pushed them till the end, and it’s unfortunate that there was another penalty in overtime and they capitalized. They played a great hockey game, and congratulations to them.”
Cozens opened the scoring for Canada on a power play early in the second period.
Granlund, who plays for the NHL’s Nashville Predators, tied it early in the third on a 5-on-3 advantage with Canada’s Noah Gregor (tripping) and Sillinger (high-sticking) serving penalties.
Canadian goaltender Chris Driedger was injured on the play and was replaced by Tomkins, who quickly surrendered a second power-play goal to Backlund. Armia made it 3-1 with 5:56 left in regulation on a wrist shot though traffic.
In the third-place game, David Pastrnak had a hat trick in the Czech Republic's 8-4 victory over the United States.