LATE WINNER HELPS FINNS EDGE RUSSIA AT U17 CHALLENGE
JASON LA ROSE
QUISPAMSIS, N.B. – Valtteri Karnaranta buried a rebound with just three minutes to go, sending Finland into the win column at the 2018 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge with a 2-1 victory over Russia on Monday afternoon.
With overtime looming, good work behind the net by Eero Niemi produced a quick shot from Joel Määttä, and Karnaranta was all over the second chance in the slot to put the Finns up for good.
Roni Hirvonen had the other goal for Finland and Max Väyrynen made 26 saves, none bigger than a right pad stop off a streaking Marat Khusnutdinov with 32 seconds to go and Russian netminder Semyon Sharabarin on the bench for an extra attacker.
Neither team mustered much in the way of shots in the first period – the Finns held a 6-4 advantage – but both managed a goal.
Hirvonen knocked in a centering pass from Oliver Suni just past the 12-minute mark before Ivan Didkovski took a long stretch pass from Artyom Grushnikov and beat Väyrynen past the blocker five minutes later.
Power-play futility was the story of the second period; the teams combined for five man advantages in the middle frame, but neither could break the deadlock. The Russians had the best chance, enjoying a two-man advantage for 1:56 late in the second period and early in the third, but came up empty.
Finland closes out the preliminary round Tuesday night against Canada Red (7:30 p.m. AT), while Russia takes on Sweden in its prelim finale in the matinee (12 p.m. AT).
Raymond scored the lone goal in the shootout to give Sweden bronze.
2018 U17: RUS 2 – FIN 1 (Gold Medal)
Gushchin and Kokhanin scored to give the Russians a fourth U17 gold.
2018 U17: RUS 6 – SWE 4 (Semifinal)
Ponomaryov had 2G 2A to help the Russians reach the gold medal game.
2018 U17: CZE 2 – USA 1 (7th Place)
Mysak had a goal and an assist to lead the Czechs to seventh place.
2018 U17: FIN 5 – CAN-R 2 (Semifinal)
Korkalainen tipped in the GWG to send the Finns to play for U17 gold.
2018 U17: CAN-B 5, CAN-W 3 (5th Place)
Crnkovic scored a hat trick to help Black beat White for fifth place.
2018 U17: RUS 5 – CZE 0 (Quarter-final)
Kokhanin had a goal and two assists to send the Russians to the SFs.
2018 U17: FIN 4 – CAN-W 3 SO (Quarter-final)
Blomqvist finished with 43 saves to help the Finns pull the upset.
2018 U17: CAN-R 2 – USA 1 OT (Quarter-final)
Desnoyers was the overtime hero, giving Red a spot in the semifinals.
2018 U17: SWE 4 – CAN-B 2 (Quarter-final)
Hallén scored early in the third period to give the Swedes a SF spot.
2018 U17: CAN-W 5 – CZE 1 (Preliminary)
McClennon scored two more to help White to a perfect prelim record.
2018 U17: CAN-R 4 – FIN 3 OT (Preliminary)
Jarvis tucked in the OT winner to help Red finish prelims on a high.
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