Finland’s effort bold, but it won’t play for gold at Olympics

With 2:35 to go, just after a MacKinnon shot hit the blocker and shaft of Saros’ stick and stayed out of the net, MacKinnon took a stick in the face from Finland defenseman Niko Mikkola. That gave Canada another power play.

Once again, the Canadians put out a top unit that included three of the top four scorers in the NHL: Connor McDavid leads the League with 96 points (34 goals, 62 assists) in 58 games for the Edmonton Oilers. MacKinnon is next with 93 points (40 goals, 53 assists) for the Colorado Avalanche. Macklin Celebrini ranks fourth in the NHL with 81 points (28 goals, 53 assists) in 55 games for the San Jose Sharks.

That unit stayed on the ice until MacKinnon scored the winner. Celebrini banked the puck off the end boards, McDavid sent a pass from the right circle to the left, and MacKinnon one-timed the puck, squeezing the puck between Saros and the left goal post.

Canada outshot Finland 17-6 in the third and 39-17 in the game.

“It’s hard to feel anything right now,” Haula said. “We lost. They’re going to the gold medal game, and we’re going to the bronze. I don’t feel anything. I feel about as bad as you can feel.”

Finland won gold at the last Olympics, which had no NHL players in Beijing in 2022. In the previous five Olympics with NHL players, the Finns won four medals (one silver, three bronze), more than anyone else. They historically play hard for bronze and should be expected to again, despite the agony of this loss.

“I’m sure we will,” Haula said. “But we were here for gold, and nobody thought we could do it today, and our goal is prove everyone wrong, and just came up short.”