For its second game of the tournament, Finland left out NHL centers Barkov and Lundell. This decision was not just for resting purposes but also to evaluate other players competing for spots on the team. The competition is tough, especially as the Finnish finals are still ongoing.
Finland’s higher motivation was evident at the beginning of the match when they scored on their first opportunity. Lenni Hämeeenaho won the puck in the corner and Aatu Räty passed to Vili Saarijärvi, who scored midway up the glove side (1-0). The Czechs then took two penalties (a hooking by KovaÅ™ÄÃk and a cross-check by Kempný) but Finland still dominated 5-on-5 and capitalized. Petteri Puhakka’s shot hit the railing and Aku Räty tapped it in on the opposite side (2-0). Goalie Josef KoÅ™enář then denied Aatu Räty’s shot from the left circle towards an open net.
Despite not playing their top trio against Germany and Austria in April, the Czechs fielded them today. After a less dominant performance in the previous week’s tournament at home, they showed up strong this Saturday.
The best Czech chance in the first period was missed by Daniel VoÅ&#frac34;enÃlek. In the second period, Jakub Flek had two close-range missed shots against Harri Säteri. The third period started well for Finland, with defensemen playing a significant role in their offensive plays. Topias Vilén nearly scored but the Czech players blocked the puck. The game balanced out, and with seven minutes left, David Tomášek received a two-minute penalty. Mikko Lehtonen’s wrist shot from the blue line beat KoÅ™enář (3-2).
Coach Antti Pennanen will face tough choices in defense with a full squad. Despite missing a regular player (Määttä), two others joining in Switzerland (Nikolas Matinpalo and Henri Jokiharju), the eight present defensemen fought hard for the remaining spots.
Best players of the match: Mikko Lehtonen for Finland and Daniel VoÅ&#frac34;enÃlek for the Czech Republic.
Finland defeated the Czech Republic 3-2 (2-0, 0-2, 1-0) on Saturday, May 9, 2026, at 12:00 at Catena Arena in Ängelholm. The game had 1576 spectators, with referees Mikael Holm and David Laksola (SWE) assisted by Ludvig Lundgren and Philip Hanning (SWE). Penalty minutes were Finland 10′ (2′, 6′, 2′) and Czech Republic 12′ (4′, 4′, 4′). Finland had 18 shots (6, 5, 7) compared to Czech Republic’s 22 shots (3, 16, 3).
Score Evolution: 1-0 04’44”: Saarijärvi assisted by Aatu Räty and Hämeeenaho 2-0 14’39”: Aku Räty assisted by Puhakka and Päivärinta 2-1 29’54”: Kubalík assisted by Tomášek and Hovorka (double PPG) 2-2 32’32”: Tomášek assisted by Voříšek and Flek 3-2 54’41”: Lehtonen assisted by Hämeeenaho and Manninen (PPG)
