Finland stages a furious late rally, erasing a two-goal deficit to stun Switzerland in overtime and advance to the Olympic semifinals.
In one of the most thrilling comebacks of the men’s ice hockey tournament at the Winter Olympics, Finland erased a two-goal deficit in the final minutes to defeat Switzerland in overtime and secure a spot in the semifinals.
Finland entered the quarterfinal as a potential upset contender for gold despite a shocking opening-game loss to Slovakia. Switzerland, widely viewed as heavy underdogs, set the tone early with two first-period goals and controlled the pace for much of the contest. The Swiss defense held firm deep into the third period, frustrating a Finnish team loaded with NHL talent.
With under seven minutes remaining, Sebastian Aho finally broke through. The Carolina Hurricanes forward found the back of the net to cut the deficit to 2–1 and breathe life into the Finnish bench.
Switzerland continued to cling to its lead, but the pressure mounted with every shift. The equalizer came off the stick of Miro Heiskanen, who fired a shot from the point through traffic that slipped past the Swiss goaltender.
The game-tying goal was engineered entirely by Dallas Stars teammates, as Mikko Rantanen and Roope Hintz each recorded assists on the play. For Stars fans, seeing their Finnish core deliver on the Olympic stage provided a proud moment even outside the NHL season.
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The late goal forced overtime, where Artturi Lehkonen completed the comeback. The Colorado Avalanche forward buried the game winner to send Finland to the semifinals and eliminate Switzerland in devastating fashion.
All four Finnish Stars made significant contributions. Heiskanen led the way with the tying goal while logging a team-high 29:19 of ice time, his heaviest workload of the tournament. His defensive partner, Esa Lindell, added assists on two of Finland’s three goals and skated 25:19 in a strong all-around performance.
Up front, Hintz and Rantanen played 18 and 22 minutes respectively, each assisting on the crucial tying goal and helping drive the late offensive surge. Finland now advances to Friday’s semifinal, where it will face either Slovakia or Canada depending on the result of the final quarterfinal matchup.
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