There wasn’t much in the way of drama in Finland’s 9-1 win over Slovenia on Thursday in Stockholm. However, Chicago Blackhawks forward Teuvo Teräväinen got his name in the IIHF record book with six assists, tying a 52-year-old single-game record.
“I could’ve had a seventh assist at the end,” Teräväinen smiled after the game, according to Jatkoaika.com.
Teräväinen earned his sixth assist on linemate Eeli Tolvanen’s fourth goal of the game with 7:06 remaining. Apparently, Tolvanen had lost count of how many assists he had and didn’t know what the record was. When informed after the game, however, he remembered a missed opportunity in the dying minutes.
“Was that (Mikael) Seppälä at the back post?” he asked. “In any case, there was still time at the end.”
If he did miss connecting on a late pass, it must have been his only miss of the game. Teräväinen also scored twice for eight points, and is now the tournament’s scoring leader with eight points.
“Teuvo had a pretty good day – I don’t think he missed a pass today,” Tolvanen, who now has seven points, told IIHF.com. “You have to be ready at all times playing with him – he can make plays that others can’t even see.
“We skated and moved the puck well, and had those long cycles until someone was wide open at the back door," Tolvanen added.
Shaking off the praise, Teräväinen said, “I don’t need that from the others. I credit them for scoring the goals. Eeli was pretty hot there.”
Eeli Tolvanen's Late Surge Rescues Snake-Bitten Finns
Last year, <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/international/latest-news/olli-maatta-mikael-granlund-react-to-nervous-win-over-denmark">Finland barely made the IIHF World Championship
quarterfinals</a> and the team’s first two games this year have not
been especially reassuring to the team’s fans. Playing against
Austria and France, teams that Finnish team in past years might have
beaten easily, the Finns have managed wins of 2-1 and 4-3 in
overtime.
Prior to this game, the Finns had struggled offensively, beating Austria 2-1, France 4-3 in overtime and lost 2-1 to Sweden. Even though it was a game they were expected to win, Teräväinen liked the team’s game today.
“Self-confidence is a big thing,” said Teräväinen. “There was a relaxed and confident feel in our game today. We didn’t really give them many chances, but when there was something, Juuse (Saros) did his thing his goal.”
Before Teräväinen, the only player to previously record six assists in a World Championship game was Jiří Holík for Czechoslovakia against Poland in 1973.
Filip Forsberg Praises Nashville Teammate Juuse Saros After Sweden-Finland Game
It’s
never dull when Sweden takes on Finland. On Tuesday at the IIHF World
Championship in front of their home fans in Stockholm, the Swedes
were dominant, outshooting the Finns 41-19 and controlling the game
in terms of possession and zone time.