Finland defeated Sweden 6-1 in the gold medal game at the ice hockey world tournament in Slovakia on Sunday to claim its second world title.
After the scoreless opening period, Sweden took the lead on the 8th minute of the second with a perfect wrist shot by Magnus Paajarvi. Finland evened the score two seconds before the end of the period after Jarkko Immonen, the tournament’s leading scorer, put the puck in the net over the shoulder of Swedish goalie Viktor Fasth.
The Finnish side stunned Sweden with two goals in a span of one minute at the start of the third period and solidified the lead with three more goals at the end of the game.
Sunday’s game was the fourth final between the two Scandinavian rivals at the worlds. Sweden, which chased its ninth world title at this year’s tournament, beat Finland in 1992 and 1998, while Finland defeated Sweden in 1995 to claim its lone title before Sunday.
The 2011 championship was the last one to use a qualifying round format. It will be replaced by a new format that envisions 16 countries playing in two groups of eight to decide which teams progress to the quarterfinals.
Finland and Sweden will co-host the world championships in 2012 and 2013.
MOSCOW, May 16 (RIA Novosti)