Finland Stuns Top-Seeded Americans in Overtime Thriller to Reach Gold

Michael Cosensalo ended it twenty-three seconds into overtime, and when the puck crossed the line the Inwood Ice Arena fell into the particular silence of a crowd that has just watched something it cannot quite believe. Finland 6, United States 5. The Finns are going to the Gold Medal Game. The Americans, who led this game in the third period and had every reason to think they would win it, are not.

The first period was Finland's from the first shift. Helisomppi opened the scoring at 8:54 elapsed on assists from Hetfleischqvist and Carltonen, and Cosensalo doubled the lead at 12:59. With fifteen seconds left on the clock — the period all but over — Cosensalo struck again unassisted to make it 3–0 at the horn. Three Finnish goals, zero American shots that troubled Shaun Moranqvist in any serious way. It looked, at that moment, as though the rest of the evening would be a formality.

The second period said otherwise. The United States came out with desperation and found results almost immediately: Jokisch scored 53 seconds into the frame — Adolfino assisting — to make it 3–1. Barely seven minutes later Herrera converted at 8:04 elapsed with Porter and Adolfino assisting to bring it to 3–2. Then, thirty-six seconds after that, Girdick — the player-goaltender spelling Methvin — made it 3–3 at 8:40 elapsed with Coash assisting. Three American goals inside eight minutes and forty seconds. The building, stunned into silence through the first period, had become unrecognizable.

Finland steadied. With the tie in place and the period running toward its close, Hetfleischqvist put the Finns back in front at 14:09 elapsed — just 51 seconds remaining in the period — assisted by Helisomppi and Carltonen, to make it 4–3. A gut-punch goal, perfectly timed, that sent both sides into the second intermission with the outcome very much undecided.

The third period opened with the United States needing a goal to tie and finding one quickly. Mike Kerr knotted the score at 4–4 just 4:35 into the frame, unassisted, on a play that silenced the Finnish bench. A minute and eleven seconds later — at 5:46 elapsed — Kerr scored again, this time with Adolfino and Durrant assisting, to give the United States a 5–4 lead. The home crowd erupted. For the first time all night, the Americans were ahead.

Finland responded with the coolness of a team that has been in difficult games before. Kressiharju — who had worked Helisomppi's assist all night on the forecheck — tied it at 5–5 at 14:24 elapsed, with just 36 seconds left in regulation. The building groaned. Overtime.

And overtime lasted twenty-three seconds. Helisomppi gained the zone on the rush, drew the American defense, and slipped a pass to Cosensalo, who did not hesitate. His shot was past Methvin before anyone in the building had fully settled. Goal. Game. Series. Finland to the gold medal round. It was the fastest overtime finish this tournament has seen, and it came on the biggest stage of the night.

Three goals, one assist, four points. Two strikes in the first period that built the Finnish foundation, a composed overtime winner to close it out. Michael Cosensalo was on the ice for the moments that defined this game at both ends — when Finland went ahead and when they finished it. 

Mike Kerr scored twice in seventy-one seconds to give the United States a lead they had not held all night. Both goals were pivotal; the second, briefly, looked like the one that would send the Americans to the gold medal game. That it did not is a matter of thirty-six seconds of regulation and twenty-three of overtime. Kerr deserved a better result than bronze. He will have to settle for the chance to earn it Saturday against Czechoslovakia.