Eemil Viro and Finland battled Germany at the World Junior Championship in Wednesday’s Quaterfinal stage, with a spot in Friday’s Semifinal round on the line.
Finland won 5-2, but the Germans made them sweat for long stretches of the 2nd and 3rd period. They couldn’t hold the Finns’ 4-for-6 power play off the board, but, at even strength, the Germans out-played Finland for a little less than half the game.
Long story long, it was a tight affair until the Finns broke the game open in the 3rd, and Finland earned its victory through hard work, sacrifice and better special teams play.
In terms of Red Wings prospects playing in the game…Viro played on the Finns’ second defensive pairing, alongside usual partner Aleksi Heimosalmi. Viro finished even with no shots and a minor penalty taken in 17:33 played, earning some PK time and just playing his solid, spare, smart puck-moving game.
In terms of the game’s narrative:
In the 1st period:
The Germans started Florian Bugl in goal, and Leevi Merilainen started in net for Finland.
As you might imagine, the Finns established possession and control of the puck early in the game, which was a 10 AM local start, but the spirited Germans checked hard, gapped up defensively, and made the Finns’ lives difficult.
Finland got the first shot off on Bugl approximately 1:15 into the game.
The wiry Viro took his first shift just under 2 minutes into the 2nd, and it was a short shift, but he used his short stick to pass the puck up ice and facilitate an outlet pass before coming back to cover the net as his defensive partner Heimosalmi made a good play down low.
The pace of play was good and speedy for both teams, and Germany was forechecking as hard as they possibly could, so there was a physical edge to the game.
3:37 into the 1st period, Simontaival scored the Finns’ 1-0 goal from Jarventie on a lateral give-and-go pass in front of the Germans’ net. Bugl didn’t have a chance top the shot as Munzenberger was out of position.
Kasper Simontaival finishes off the tic-tac-toe goal, Finland takes an early 1-0 lead over Germany!#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/SGaA3gJQjo— TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 17, 2022
TIC-TAC-GOAL! Kasper Simontaival connects with Jarventie and Maatta to get @leijonat on the board. #WorldJuniors #FINGER pic.twitter.com/Vna3nHrgKe— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) August 17, 2022
Finland continued to attack the Germans’ net with efficiency and aplomb, and Bugl got lucky as his goalpost bailed him out on a from-the-goal-line shot.
Back in the Finnish zone, the Germans tried to start shit with Eemil Viro, and Viro wasn’t buying what was being sold. He can hold his own physically, despite his 165-pound weight.
The Germans were not giving up, however!
They continued to forecheck, they continued to move the puck up ice fairly well, despite surrendering some turnovers in their own zone, and they moved through center ice easily, but they could barely get shots through, generating their first shot on the Finnish goal 7:20 into the 1st.
Viro was just steady and spare in his play, moving the puck efficiently and using his skating and short stick to make strong defensive plays as the Finns played 30-second shifts.
Finland earned the first power play as Munzenberger smeared a Finn along the wall in the German defensive zone, and, at 9:27 of the 1st, Finland headed to the PP.
Finland set up a very good “umbrella” power play and cycled the puck through the Germans’ zone, and as the Germans could not clear the zone, the Finns just kept generating more and more momentum as they exhausted the first German PK unit.
The Germans blocked shots and passes, however, and a goalpost for Simontaival kept Germany down by only a goal.
That being said, at 11:03, the Finns worked the puck down low and used another lateral pass for Hirvonen to chip another back-door goal past Bugl. It was 2-0 Finland.
Finland’s strong power-play strikes again! 🤯#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/hGx1XMVxvu— TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 17, 2022
Roni Hirvonen makes it 2-0 Finland on the doorstep! #WorldJuniors
🔗: https://t.co/JqJ5Dnb7ZVpic.twitter.com/sGgWwoXbgT— Elite Prospects (@eliteprospects) August 17, 2022
Sadly, Eemil Viro took a penalty for hooking–a marginal one–at 11:26, giving Germany a power play.
The Germans did a good job of establishing possession and control in the offensive zone, and they made the goaltender Merilainen’s life difficult, and Rossmy scored a 2-1 marker at 8:50 to give the Germans life.
Bennet Rossmy puts Germany on the board! #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/bkJhsUXU9X— TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 17, 2022
🚨 Bennet Rossmy gets @deb_teams on the board! #WorldJuniors #FINGER pic.twitter.com/ogeH1NhRKA— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) August 17, 2022
But Germany took a penalty at 13:32 as Blank slashed the stick of a Finnish player, and Finland headed back to the power play.
Hirvonen hit the goalpost quickly as the PP cycled in the Germans’ zone, but Bugl made a huge glove stop on Simontaival as well…
And Bugl didn’t see Jarevente’s 3-1 marker at 14:48. The Finns earned a second power play goal, and the Germans were down by 2 goals again.
Roby Jarventie snipes to make it 3-1!
Finland’s power-play is now 11 for 18 in the tournament. Wow. #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/K3MdebDreq— TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 17, 2022
Roby Järventie snipes to restore Finland’s two-goal lead! #WorldJuniors
🔗: https://t.co/7TRKf2J7DZpic.twitter.com/MQefkgL76e— Elite Prospects (@eliteprospects) August 17, 2022
Staggeringly, Finland improved to 11-for-18 on the power play, per TSN’s Dennis Beyak.
When Viro was on the ice, he was ever-square to the puck, efficient, he moved the puck well, held his own in physical battles, and just played solid hockey. No fuss, no frills, but solid play against the Germans’ forecheck and physical forwards.
As the period wound down, the Finns began to absolutely dominate in terms of territorial play, but the Germans weren’t giving an inch, either.
Even in the offensive zone, on a long shift, Viro was efficient in moving the puck, he passed and shot pucks well, gapped up when playing defensively, and he easily transitioned from left defense to right defense when necessary.
The 1st period ended with the shots 10-8 Finland. Germany had been dominated territorially.
In the 2nd period:
Finland continued to roll four lines as the 2nd period started, and as they might play 3 games in 4 nights, they needed to score a couple more goals to break the game wide open and conserve some energy.
Viro’s first shift accompanied that of the second forward line, and he was just spare and efficient, as per usual, chasing down a German dump-in while avoiding getting hit with a quick spin move.
The Finns, who are very good at playing trap hockey, slowed the pace of the game right down in the early stages of the 2nd period, just playing 4 men back in the neutral zone, steering Germans to the outside of the slot and mostly stifling the Germans’ scoring chances.
Blank got a good scoring chance on a wraparound attempt some 4:15 into the 2nd, but nothing came of it;
Viro and Heimosalmi had a quiet shift near the 5-minute mark;
To their credit, some 6:10 into the 2nd period, the Germans were pushing the pace a bit, but the Germans couldn’t quite score, and Maximilian Glotzl took a penalty at 6:17, affording the Finns another power play opportunity.
The Germans really stiffened up during the PK, and the Finns got a little too cute trying to make back-door passes, so the Finns didn’t get a single shot off on their power play.
There’s not much to say about Viro that hasn’t been said–his positioning is impeccable, his skating and mobility are great, he’s not going to be an offensive star, but his puck movement is good, and he’s sneaky physically in terms of evading checks.
He’s just a smart little bugger.
As the game’s halfway point passed, the Germans tried to crank up the intensity in the Finnish defensive zone, and the Germans were dismantling the Finnish attack, which had generated all of 1 shot in 11:07 of 2nd period time…
I think the most encouraging thing about Viro is what pace he plays with. He’s really played two full seasons at the pro level with TPS Turku of the Liiga, so Viro is spare in terms of his decision-making because he knows that when he gets the puck, he has to move it quickly. And he does so wisely (most of the time).
13:48 into the 2nd period, the Finns were just playing far too cutely in the offensive zone, and the Germans were beginning to rack up shots on Merilainen, so the comeback attempt was on.
Brad Lambert was called for high-sticking at 15:42 of the 2nd period, giving Germany a crucial power play.
Viro played on the penalty-kill, and he helped clear the front of the net, and he left the ice quickly as the Finns kept their PK shifts short;
But you might expect that the Germans would make it close, and Rossmy chipped a STELLAR backhander off the post and in behind Merilainen of an elegant pass from Hakon Haneault, and it was 3-2 with 2:39 left in the 2nd.
Bennet Rossmy cuts Finland’s lead to 1 with his second goal of the game! #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/VbLr16xefw— TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 17, 2022
Bennet Roßmy with a sweet little backhand down low fools Leevi Meriläinen and brings Germany within one goal! #WorldJuniors
🔗: https://t.co/VIVRaus3GHpic.twitter.com/a5TlwJ0k0A— Elite Prospects (@eliteprospects) August 17, 2022
Bennet Rossmy again! Off his backhand!@deb_teams #WorldJuniors #FINGER pic.twitter.com/HI9XdgWp2F— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) August 17, 2022
Germany was going to make Finland work for their win.
The 2nd period ended with the Germans leading in shots 17-12. Finland had 2 shots on goal in the 2nd period.
In the 3rd period:
The Germans hoped to complete their comeback in the 3rd period, while the Finns wanted to put Germany away.
The Finns attacked right away, and Germany responded with a rush in which they went offside, so there was a faceoff only 28 seconds in;
The Finns also dominated possession and control early, and Rossmy flipped the puck out of play at 1:18, affording Finland a crucial power play.
Finland did at least generate a couple of shots on the power play, but the Germans were on a mission, so to speak, and their defensive play was excellent over the course of the penalty-kill.
Germany killed the penalty.
As play continued, some 4:10 into the 3rd, the Finns began to dominate possession and control in the offensive zone, however, and the Germans stood up to Finland, mucking things up and playing a particularly physical brand of hockey.
Due to special teams play and the Finns trying to stack their defensive pairings, Viro didn’t earn much ice time early on, and Yannick Proske took a dumb penalty for hooking 200 feet from his net, giving Finland a power play at 5:21.
The Finns’ power play was better this time, and they actually generated shots and puck possession in the offensive zone, but Bugl was strong and he saw every shot against…
But Roby Jarventie scored a slick goal to make it 4-2 at 6:22, and the Finns were able to breathe again, with their power play going 3-for-4.
Roby Jarventie scores again to make it a 4-2 game! #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/ckfSRvqtN5— TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 17, 2022
🚨 POWERPLAY GOAL! Roby Jarventie gets his second of the game and puts @leijonat up 4-2 over @deb_teams #WorldJuniors #FINGER pic.twitter.com/822QWbq2je— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) August 17, 2022
Viro returned to the ice some 8:02 into the 3rd period, lugging the puck up ice and helping Finland reverse and re-set.
Viro took another shift soon after, spun off a hit, and chipped the puck out of danger;
At the 10:00 mark, Germany was leading in shots 19-18 but trailed 4-2.
The Finns were reverting to dump-and-chase hockey in an exceptionally physical game as the 3rd period began to wind down, and they were playing efficient, simple hockey as the Germans trapped.
Put bluntly, the Germans just weren’t aggressive enough.
More smart outlet passes from Viro on the next shift, as well as a lateral pass to Puutio for a shot that Bugl had to hold onto.
Again, Germany was more than willing to muck it up south of center ice, but they were far too patient in terms of generating offense…
The Finns blocked a German slap shot with 6:40 remaining…
And the Germans chipped the puck out of play with 5:40 remaining, in the offensive zone, facilitating what seemed like the last TV timeout of the game.
With 5:20 remaining, the Germans iced the puck, and they’d fallen behind in shots leadership, with Finland up 21-19…
Worse for the Germans, they took a penalty with 4:48 left, down by 2 goals. #24 Blank headed to the box for roughing.
So the Finns put the game away as Maatta deked and dangled his way to a 5-2 goal with 4:07 remaining/15:53 elapsed.
Joel Maatta strikes on the power-play giving Finland a 3 goal lead! #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/ZCcLpl2fan— TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 17, 2022
Finland did take a late penalty with 1:56 remaining, with Jarventie taking a penalty for slashing.
The Germans pulled Bugl and went 6-on-4 for their power play, and the Germans did a good job as Viro and the Finns tried to keep their goaltender’s eyes clear of screens.
Viro blocked a shot and blocked a pass, too, and he cross-checked a German on top of it all before going off with about 40 seconds remaining.
The Germans finished with spirited hockey, but they were done.
🇫🇮 @leijonat is off to the #WorldJuniors semi-finals! pic.twitter.com/GcuF2gZBI6— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) August 17, 2022
Finland moves on to the semis! 🇫🇮
The Fins defeat Germany 5-2 on the back of a strong power-play and will advance to the final four. #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/FyMrCUQtBd— TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 17, 2022
