Finland 'destroyed' Sweden

The Finnish team scored five goals in the third period past a shell-shocked Swedish goalie... 

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  Finland's Niko Kapanen with the trophy. Photo: Bildbyrån

• Sunday night, May 15, Finland’s national ice hockey team destroyed Sweden in the final of the IIHF World Championships in Bratislava with a 6-1 win. Though Sweden dominated in the second period, Finland was the better team in the first period and the Swedish players made mistakes during the third period. Swedish goalie Viktor Fasth had earlier in the tournament only conceded six goals in as many matches...

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  Niko Kapanen scores 1-3 behind Swedish goalie Viktor Fasth. Photo: Bildbyrån

• Finland scored 5-1 and 6-1 in the last minutes and is world champions for the second time, and Sweden silver medalists. Congratulations Finland!

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  Close encounters between Marcus Krüger, Sweden, and Janne Niskala, Finland. Photo: Bildbyrån

• Downtown Helsinki was packed with jubilant hockey fans after the game and well into morning today. The Havis Amanda statue in the Market Square was decorously draped with a Finnish team jersey, and a crowd estimated in the tens of thousands congregated around the statue.

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  Janne Pesonen, Finland, scores 1-4 behind a shocked Viktor Fasth, Sweden's goalie. Photo: Matthew Manor/Pool/Bildbyrån

• Crowds in Helsinki are likely to be even bigger this evening, when the team - and the World Championship trophy - are presented to the public in the Market Square. Estimates of the crowd begin at 50,000 jubilant Finns... the game was followed on TV by every other Finn.

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  A jubilant Finnish trainer Jukka Jalonen with the trophy. Photo: Bildbyrån

• When it comes to hockey the two friendly neighboring nations turn into fierce rivals - the animosity is always good natured but a game between the two national teams is always much more than 'just a game'.