It wasn’t exactly pretty but it was the kind of game Finland is known for under Jukka Jalonen and it’s also the kind of game that Czech defenseman Radko Gudas is perfectly comfortable in. Tied 0-0 after 65 minutes of hockey, the Czechs finally prevailed in a shootout over Finland on the opening night of the 2024 IIHF World Championship.

“It was the same game as it was last week so we kinda knew what to expect,” said Gudas, referencing the pre-tournament game the two teams played last weekend in Brno in which Finland won 4-1. “The coaches did a good job pre-scouting. We knew exactly how they play – boring hockey – so I think we were pretty defensively as well. We didn’t allow them too many chances through the first two periods. Unfortunately, in the third, they got a few power plays so they got a little momentum and … yeah, I’m glad we got two points out of it.”

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28Ga3jzMYQI[/embed]

There wasn’t much free ice out there and Gudas played a big part in taking time and space away from Finnish forwards, sometimes crossing the line. Both Finnish power plays in the third period were the result of Gudas penalties. In the first minute, he got called for tripping and then for holding in the last minute, which carried over into overtime, creating some nervous moments for the Czech fans. Also in the third period, he threw a punishing check on Saku Maenilainen right in front of the Finnish bench, which drew the ire of the Finns.

There was some bad blood out there and it felt somewhat like a playoff game.

“They’re all going to be playoff games, especially knowing what this means in the standings,” he said. “We’re two teams that play similarly and are going to play for positioning in the standings so it was an important win for us tonight.”

Through 40 minutes, the Czechs outshot Finland 18-6 but had no goals to show for it.

“We defended very well and I thought we got our chances to score too,” Gudas continued. “We’ve just gotta get a bit more puck luck but we did a tremendous job getting opportunities throughout the game. In the first and second, we were all over them and I think we got four grade-A chances in overtime. I thought it was a great step for our team tonight and I hope we can continue to build.”

Stopping all 21 shots he faced in the hockey game and all five Finnish attempts in the shootout was Lukas Dostal, Gudas’ teammate on the Anaheim Ducks.

“He’s amazing,” said Gudas. “He showed that throughout the year in Anaheim and I have all the confidence in the world in him. You can see why the coaches had the confidence to start him today. He played great for us the whole game, especially in the third period and overtime, and in the shootout, he was lights out. I’m glad he was on our side.”