Jesse Puljujarvi scored two goals and Penguins teammate Valtteri Puustinen added a third to round out Finland's scoring in their 5-3 loss to Canada in the preliminary round of the World Championship in Czechia Saturday morning.
Puljujvari opened the scoring relatively early, as he caught his own rebound off of a deflection and shoveled it past Canadian goaltender Jordan Binnington with just 1:35 off the clock in he first period.
Finland wastes no time against Canada.💥 Jesse Puljujarvi opens the scoring early.🇫🇮 #MensWorlds #CANFIN @leijonat @penguins pic.twitter.com/3C4oqqyh3i
— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) May 18, 2024
It took just 2 minutes and 16 seconds for Puustinen to match that effort. He gave Finland a 2-0 lead on this power-play goal with 3:51 off the clock:
Valtteri Puustinen with a PP strike.🎯 Finland doubles the lead early.🇫🇮#MensWorlds #CANFIN @leijonat pic.twitter.com/3Vdz8Ex9wx
— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) May 18, 2024
Canada responded with two goals in the final 5:07 of the first period, but Puljujarvi brought the Finnish back on top with another rebound cleanup for a goal with 3:53 to play in the second period:
It's Jesse Puljujarvi time again!🚨 Finns get in to the lead again.🇫🇮 #MensWorlds #CANFIN @leijonat pic.twitter.com/dZTg4GsmDM
— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) May 18, 2024
Canada roared back and took a 4-3 lead on Brandon Hagel's short-handed goal with 8:28 to play. Dawson Mercer scored an empty-net goal to seal the win for the Canadians with 21 seconds to play.
MORE FROM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
• Marcus Pettersson scored late in the second period of Sweden's 7-2 rout of Latvia early Saturday morning.
Pettersson gave the Swedes a 6-2 lead towards the end of the second period with this wrister from in between the faceoff circles.
Marcus Pettersson makes it 6-2 with this great wrister.
— Steven Ellis (@SEllisHockey) May 18, 2024
That's it for Merzlikins, who is being replaced by Eriks Vitols. #MensWorlds pic.twitter.com/17M6E2HbWS
His goal was the final in a four-goal second period for Sweden. Erik Karlsson assisted on Fabian Zetterlund's goal, the first of those four in the second. Raivis Ansons did not play for Latvia.
• Justin Addamo logged ice time on France's fourth line in their 4-2 loss to Slovakia Saturday afternoon. He did not register a shot.