Finns can't finish off Swedes
Holmstrom ties it with just 10.9 seconds left
By LANCE HORNBY, TORONTO SUN
This time, the Heartbreak at Hartwall had a happy ending for Finland. True, the Finns let another significant lead slip away in the same building where their world championship hopes died a thousand deaths in 2003, coming within 10.9 seconds of beating their insufferable Swedish relatives last night.
But for once, they could head home on the trains in a state of euphoria, chanting rude limericks about Mats Sundin and toasting the World Cup rules on goal differential, which gave Finland top spot in the European pool, despite the 4-4 tie. Finland draws the winless (0-3) Germans tomorrow night, by far the easiest of the sudden-death quarters on this side of the pond.
Sweden, with some lingering doubts about Mikael Tellqvist's goaltending, meets the enigmatic Czechs at home on Tuesday.
Tellqvist gave up three early yesterday and then the killer, flubbing an easy glove save on Olli Jokinen, in the same manner Tommy Salo fell from grace against the Germans in the tourney opener.
"He'd like the fourth one back," forward Marcus Naslund said. "But I like (Tellqvist) a lot. The biggest difference is us being better in our own end as a team."
The Swedes retain home ice on Tuesday, but there is a fear the Czechs are ready to explode after producing 10 goals in the past four periods. Fredrik Modin had two for the Swedes, but it was a frustrating night for the rest of the Sundin line.
Tellqvist, who held Sweden in the game with a desperation third-period diving stick save on Niko Kapanen, was not distraught afterwards. Ville Peltonen's first goal hit a Tre Kronor defenceman, Ossi Vaananen beat him upstairs with a rolling puck slap shot and Saku Koivu scored on a marvellous spinnerama in the slot.
"It could be a good thing for us, playing an up-tempo team like the Czechs," Tellqvist said. "Then, if we get to (North America) we'll face another good team in the semi-finals."
Tellqvist can still say he has never lost a big game at Hartwall, having relieved Salo in the '03 win with Finland up 5-1. But Teemu Selanne would not stand for any kind of repeat last night.
"We've been joking about that game with our players and even with (Sweden's) Peter Forsberg," Selanne said. "When that kind of thing happens, you can't forget about it, but we know it wouldn't happen at this level again."
Three power-play goals ran Sweden's mark to 8-for-20 in the Cup, one reason to like their chances Tuesday.
The six first-period goals gave fans of both sides quality flag-waving time, but the bad vibes of Sweden's five-goal comeback win here '03 are strong. When Tellqvist was pulled with 2:18 still to play, and a controversial cross-checking call in front of Miikka Kiprusoff put Kimo Timmonen in the box, the Finns half-expected Tomas Holmstrom's tying goal.
"There were other (fouls) going on out there and I was surprised at the call," Selanne said. "It's a tough night when you have to beat the referees, too. But we know how good their power play is and it will be suicide to take too many penalties."
STUNNED SILENCE
The stunned silence of the crowd after Holmstrom's goal was quickly forgotten in the switch to National Hockey League 4-on-4 overtime. The crowd was trying to figure the concept out when Tellqvist was yanked twice again, including in the middle of a Finnish power play scrum on his doorstep as the Swedes went all out to erase the Finns' three-goal cushion on differential.
From a morale view, the Finns survived despite Kiprusoff giving up four goals, almost unheard of considering what he did in last year's Stanley Cup playoffs and his two World Cup shutouts.
"And we scored four goals against the Swedes," Koivu said. "That's something we can build on for our next game. Maybe we can surprise some people here."
Or across the water.
