Finland defeated Slovakia 4-3 in the first 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship quarterfinals in Florndaborg, with Jere Lasila scoring the winning goal in extra time in a thrilling solo run.
The goal took just 24 seconds. The Finnish captain burst out of his own zone, broke through the Slovakian defense and beat Slovakian goalkeeper Adam Gajan with a forehand move. This was Lasila’s second goal of the game.
Slovakia has never beaten Finland in the quarterfinals. The Finns won 3-1 in 2001, 6-0 in 2003 and 8-5 in 2012.
Finland led 3-2 with 1 minute and 34 seconds remaining, and although it was rough at the end of regulation time, Slovakia was able to tie the score just before the end.
Finland’s Tomi Manisto, Leni Hamenaho and Alexander Kaskimäki also scored in the gritty and tense match. For Slovakia, Filip Mesart and Dalibor Dvorski each had a goal and an assist, while Adam Sykora added another goal.
Finland’s Niklas Kokko dominated the net battle with Gajan, who was named the best goalkeeper at last year’s world juniors. In the final round, Slovakia won 30-28.
The Finn is aiming for his sixth gold medal (the last was in 2019) and his first medal since silver in 2022. After heavy losses to Canada (5-2) and Germany (4-3), coach Lauri Mikkola’s side improved their form with wins over Latvia (4-0) and hosts Sweden (5-4 OT) in Gothenburg. Raised.
The Slovakia national team had gotten off to a strong start with three consecutive wins in Group B, and was looking to bounce back after a crushing 10-2 loss to the United States. However, despite determined efforts, it did not materialize.
When Jani Nyman snatched the puck at Finland’s blue line in a competitive first period, sprinted on a breakaway and turned for a backhand, Gajan said no. Nyman, a 2022 second-round pick of the Seattle Kraken, scored the game-winning goal in a 5-4 penalty shootout win over arch-rival Sweden on New Year’s Eve.
Sykora scored on the rebound of Mesar’s shot after a face-off on the Finnish side, giving Slovakia a 1-0 lead as the buzzer sounded. According to a video review, the puck crossed the line with 0.2 seconds left, and coach Ivan Fenesz’s boys celebrated. This was the Slovakia captain’s first goal at the world juniors.
The Finns were helpless and tied it at 2:36 of the second period. Manisto grabbed the turnover against the wall and slotted it unhindered into the box, curling one past Gajan on the wing for Gothenburg’s third goal. The 19-year-old University of Michigan forward has just one goal in NCAA action this year, but on New Year’s Eve Finland won a 5-4 shootout, ending Sweden’s shutout streak at 192:25.
The rest of the middle frame was mostly a defensive slog. Maxim Štvak came close to scoring with a long shot over the crossbar. Fellow Slovakian blueliner David Natny was left bleeding after his teammate Martin Misiak’s stick stuck him in the face. And Samuel Honzek forced a fine glove save from Cocco on a last-minute rush.
Finland’s aggressive forecheck paid off at 0:36 of the third period. Lasila dug the puck behind the net and centered it to Hameeenaho, who made no mistake with his backhand for a 2-1 lead.
Slovakia also scored a 2-2 tying goal from play behind the net. Lepsik found Dvorsky in front, cracked him twice and hoisted the puck over Cocco’s glove at 7:09.
At 18:26 it looked like the Finn would be the winner. Consta Helenius won the battle down the stretch and found Kaskimäki in the faceoff circle. He smashed the puck past Gajan’s glove.
The Slovaks refused to quit and brought in the goalkeeper as an additional attacker. With 0:44 left in regulation time, Messard tied the game with a top corner shot from the left faceoff circle, exciting the bench.
It was the Finn’s first eight consecutive wins over the Slovak at the World Juniors since 2016 in Helsinki. Suomi’s total record has increased to 15 wins, 1 draw, and 4 losses.
Slovakia’s last win over Finland was on December 27, 2014 in Montreal, 2-1, and it set them on course for their second bronze medal (the first came in 1998). The next medal will have to wait.