The following game account written by Ray Turchansky is from today's
Edmonton Journal:
 
FINNS OUT-TOUGH AMERICANS
LACK OF DEPTH CATCHES UP TO US
 
        The players came off the ice, giving each other the high Finn, as
it were.
        For Harri Rindell, it brought back memories of Matti Hagman and
the early days of hockey in Finland.
        "It was a question of mental toughness today," said Rindell, the
coach of Team Finland, after it outlasted the United States 6-4 [sic, see
note below] in the world junior hockey championship Friday night...
        Certainly this was a game the Finns could have given up on, thus
ending any hopes of challenging for a top spot in the event.
        But they showed the fans at the Centrium that the desire is
there, and at 3-1, are still in the running...
        Niko Halttunen, the Finns' Player of the Game, said, "We believed
more than the USA."
        The Finns dominated the first period with a 14-7 margin in shots
but led only 1-0.
        Then the Americans stormed back and won the second period with a
20-14 advantage in shots and three straight goals before Finland stopped
the bleeding to trail only 3-2 after 40 minutes.
        The last period was anybody's game.  The teams alternated scoring
five goals, with Tommi Miettnen tying it at 4-4 at 16:18.
        Mikko Helisten notched the winner at 18:46 and Jere Karalahti
added an empty net marker at 19:31.
        "We can't play a wide open game with skill teams like Sweden or
Finalnd, "said US coach Jeff Jackson.
        "They were finding the seams and beating us."
        "Those are physical skills and I can't criticize anyone for a
lack of physical skills."
        In a game with very little defence, it came down to the US power
play line of Richard Park, Adam Deadmarsh, and Deron Quint against a
kaleidoscope of Finnish offence.
        The Americans scored three times on the power play, with each
member of that line counting once.
        The other US counter went to Jason Bonsignore, the Edmonton
Oilers first round draft pick, who recorded his second goal in four games
by banging in a rebound after Finnish goalie Jussi Markkanen stopped a
wrap around.
        Miettinen led the Finnish attack with two goals, while Tommi
Sova, Veli-Pekka Nutikka, Halttunen and Karalahti rounded out the scoring.
        The loss reduced the Americans to 1-3.
END OF ARTICLE.
 
For those who are following the US players, here is the total scoring for
the US:
1. Bonsignore 2 (Haggerty, Fitzpatrick) 7:12 of second
2. Park 1 8:06
3. Deadmarsh 2 (Park, Quint) 10:12 pp
4. Quint 1 (Deadmarsh, Park) 6:53 of third
5. Hilton 1 (Lafleur)  11:05
 
Yes, you are reading correctly.  The box score in the Journal shows a 7-5
score as I posted last night based on a radio report.  How the Journal
reporter slept through two goals I do not know, but I can't supply more
detail because I was not there.
 
Arthur Berman  [log in to unmask]