Finland secures the men’s ice hockey bronze medal, defeating Slovakia 6-1 to bounce back from a heartbreaking semi-final loss to Canada
FINLAND secured the Olympic men’s ice hockey bronze medal with a commanding 6-1 victory over Slovakia on Saturday.
The win eased the heartbreak of their dramatic semi-final loss to Canada, who scored a last-second winner.
Sebastian Aho and Erik Haula scored in the first half at the Santagiulia Arena to put Finland in control.
Slovakia’s Tomas Tatar scored late in the second period to set up a tense final 20 minutes.
However, Roope Hintz and Kaapo Kakko struck quickly in the third period to secure the podium finish.
Joel Armia and Haula added late goals into an unguarded net to complete the comprehensive victory.
The defending champions were consigned to the bronze medal match after Canada’s stunning comeback.
Nathan MacKinnon’s last-gasp winner gave Canada a 3-2 semi-final victory after they trailed by two goals.
Sunday’s final will see tournament favourites Canada and the USA face off for the gold medal.
