Finland secured the bronze medal in men’s hockey, defeating Slovakia 6-1 to claim their third consecutive Olympic bronze when NHL players participate.
Erik Haula netted two goals while Joel Armia contributed one goal and two assists in the victory. Finland previously won bronze in Sochi 2014 and Vancouver 2010, along with silver in Turin 2006.
The Finns erupted for four goals in the third period after a heartbreaking semifinal loss to Canada.
Finland had led 2-0 in that semifinal before falling 3-2 on Nathan MacKinnon’s goal with just 35.2 seconds remaining.
Against Slovakia, Finland again jumped to a 2-0 advantage. Slovakia managed to cut the deficit to one goal before the Finns took control.
Roope Hintz and Kaapo Kakko scored just 42 seconds apart in the third period to break the game open. Finland capped their four-goal outburst with two empty-net tallies.
The bronze medal represents a significant achievement considering Finland competed without captain Aleksander Barkov.
Barkov remains sidelined while recovering from surgery to repair torn ligaments in his right knee. The Florida Panthers star suffered the injury during training camp in September.
Slovakia’s tournament run exceeded expectations as they reached the semifinals as heavy underdogs before losing to the United States.
The Slovaks couldn’t secure consecutive bronze medals after finishing third in Beijing four years ago.
