STOCKHOLM (AP) — Finland prevailed against Canada 2-1 in a penalty shootout to hand the title favorite its first loss at the ice hockey world championship on Monday.
Patrik Puistola and Eeli Tolvanen converted penalty shots in the shootout, and Kent Johnson for Canada.
Canada outshot Finland 38-22 in the hardest test for the Canadians at the tournament. Canada scored 28 goals in its previous five games while conceding two.
Canada is second in Group A, trailing leader Sweden by two points. The two will meet on Tuesday in their last group game. They have already qualified for the quarterfinals.
Finland is third and plays Slovakia on Tuesday.
Ryan O’Reilly broke the deadlock with 2:03 left in the middle period with a short-handed goal on a rush, as Canada had to apply its most physical game yet at the worlds.
Puistola tied it 7:01 into the final period after he used his stick to take control of the puck flying in the air and netted from close range.
In Herning, Denmark, defending champion the Czech Republic shut out Germany 5-0 to stay unbeaten.
The sixth win lifted the Czechs to the top of Group B, one point ahead of Switzerland and three more than the United States in third.
The Czechs complete the group stage against the Americans on Tuesday.
Germany and Denmark also meet on Tuesday and will decide the fourth team from the group to reach the quarterfinals.
The Czechs’ Jakub Flek scored twice and David Pastrnak rifled a one-timer from the left circle and set up Lukas Sedlak in the middle period. Jakub Lauko added a short-handed goal.
Daniel Vladar shut out the Germans with 19 saves.
In Stockholm, newcomer Slovenia beat France 3-1 to avoid relegation at the expense of the French.
In Herning, Norway beat Hungary 1-0 also to avoid relegation.
___
AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports
