The Czech hockey players lost to the Finns 1:6 at the Swedish Games

Finnish ice hockey player Arttu Ruotsalainen (right) beats Czech goalkeeper Petr Kváča at the Swedish Ice Hockey Games in Malmö on February 11, 2023.

Malmö, Sweden – In the second match at the Swedish Games in Malmö, the Czech hockey players lost 1:6 to the Finns and for the first time in the season they lost points against the reigning Olympic champions and world champions. The national team's only goal was scored by forward Hynek Zohorna, who closed the score of the match at the beginning of the third period.

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Photo gallery: Hockey national team 2022/23

Both goalkeepers alternated in the Czech goal. Petr Kváča was replaced by Aleš Stezka after conceding the fourth goal in the 24th minute. Forward Arttu Ruotsalainen scored two Finnish goals.

The third tournament of the Euro Hockey Tour will be finished by coach Kari Jalonen's team on Sunday with a match against Switzerland from 12 noon.

Already in the second minute, Flynn committed a foul against the rules, and the Czechs had to defend themselves in four, but they resisted unscathed. The calm start brought the first bigger chance only in the tenth minute, when after a throw-in by Kempné, Chlapík got to the puck, found captain Kovář in an ideal position between the circles, but his shot was handled by the Finnish goalkeeper Jatkola.

In the 12th minute, the Zábranský defender lost the battle with the lengthwise blocking, after a quick combination he shot from a good position just behind the Matinpalo circles and the Finns were in the lead. Exactly three minutes passed and the Czech team already had a two-goal deficit. Sallinen found the advancing Aaltonen with a great pass to the back post, for whom it was no problem to hit the open part of the goal.

Soon after the break, the hopes of the Czech team to return to the match fell even more. Although Aaltonen missed a huge chance, Ruotsalainen added a third strike 69 seconds after the start of the second half. The two Finns repeated their successful cooperation and after the fourth goal he replaced Kváča in the Stezka goal.

Moments later, he was the first Finn to score in today's Matinpalo match. Černoch had a great chance to reduce the ball in the power play, but he missed the open goal from an angle. Shortly after the end of the numerical advantage, the pressured Kovář directed the puck in a difficult position outside. Flek then went two on one with Musil, to whom the puck bounced straight to Jatkol during processing. Stezka kept a clean sheet until the 29th minute, when he burned through everything in front of him with a shot from the blue line of Saarijärvi and with the help of the stick increased the score to 5:0. In the 37th minute, Jääskä also succeeded with a shot under Stezek's hand.

Jatkola kept a clean sheet until the middle of the 42nd minute, when, after Smejkal's action, he reduced Zohorn on the second attempt. Exactly five minutes into the third period, Flek could have scored after a solo shot, but the Finnish goalkeeper pushed the puck away with a jumper. In the 52nd minute, the goal structure saved Stezka after Friman's shot, immediately on the other side Smejkal failed to face Jatkol.