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.๐ฅ Jesse Puljujarvi opens the scoring early.๐ซ๐ฎ #MensWorlds #CANFIN @leijonat @penguins pic.twitter.com/3C4oqqyh3i
โ 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.๐ฏ Finland doubles the lead early.๐ซ๐ฎ#MensWorlds #CANFIN @leijonat pic.twitter.com/3Vdz8Ex9wx
โ 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!๐จ Finns get in to the lead again.๐ซ๐ฎ #MensWorlds #CANFIN @leijonat pic.twitter.com/dZTg4GsmDM
โ 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
โข 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.
โ 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.
โข 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.