Five World Championship wins in five for Finland after cruise past Great Britain

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/finland/rRWMzYQu/"]Finland[/a]'s 7-1 thrashing of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/latvia/44JaYkQ4/"]Latvia[/a] the day before secured their place in the Quarter-finals with three matches to spare, which gave head coach Antti Pennanen the chance to rotate his squad against a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/great-britain/C2UJnT9A/"]Great Britain[/a] side who had lost their first four matches.[/p][p]The Finns were in no mood to be charitable, breaking the deadlock in the opening minute when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/helenius-konsta/CCkpmIQp/"]Konsta Helenius[/a]' pass missed its intended target, but [b]bounced off the glass kindly for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/heinola-ville/jHxxiyPc/"]Ville Heinola[/a] to hammer past the goaltender[/b] with a one-timer.[/p][embed guid="39f6ec12-ecc2-43f2-adb1-e27d6bc9dea9" url="https://x.com/ViaplayUrheilu/status/2057892293596598635" social-type="twitter" /][p]Great Britain then offered some resistance for the rest of the period, keeping out Finland's next 14 shots on goal and having six of their own, albeit without forcing an equaliser. However, the second 20 minutes could not have been more one-sided in attack, as the [i]Leijonat [/i]had 17 efforts at goal to Team GB's zero.[/p][p]Two of those Finnish efforts found the net - in the ninth minute, [b]Heinola made it two for himself on the day and three for the championship when he controlled [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jokiharju-henri/Gd5gYXor/"]Henri Jokiharju[/a]'s pass with his skate before setting himself and firing[/b] through a crowd.[/p][p]Midway through the contest [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/merela-waltteri/xt3CAN68/"]Waltteri Merala[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/curran-johnny/GYCA0L3k/"]Johnny Curran[/a] were sent to the box for unsportsmanlike conduct, but that did little to halt Finland who added their third two minutes later when [b]intricate work between [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/granlund-mikael/lUeWxpf3/"]Mikael Granlund[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/raty-aatu/hQ2YUhqG/"]Aatu Raty[/a] teed up [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lehtonen-mikko/GU8BUg7n/"]Mikko Lehtonen[/a] to strike.[/b][/p][embed guid="e636823f-caec-46e5-b31c-c7d69272e760" url="https://x.com/ViaplayUrheilu/status/2057908596017435122" social-type="twitter" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/halbert-nathanael/AanDUqAC/"]Nathanael Halbert[/a] was penalised twice in the third period, but Finland couldn't make the most of either powerplay. However, they finally added a fourth with just over a minute to play, moving the puck around a tired British defence before [b]a clever [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/saarijarvi-vili/Stn8auIL/"]Vili Saarijarvi[/a] pass found Jokiharju, whose finish was just too good, sealing [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/finland-rRWMzYQu/great-britain-C2UJnT9A/?mid=M5DC63Kr"]a 4-0 win[/a] in which [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/korpisalo-joonas/vHmv2pUI/"]Joonas Korpisalo[/a] had to make just nine saves for his shutout.[/b][/p][p]Finland stay second in the table owing to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/switzerland/buO3jBAo/"]Switzerland[/a]'s superior goal difference, and on Sunday 24th Finland will look to remain perfect against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/austria/xWM7kVPi/"]Austria[/a] before closing the group against the Swiss two days later. GB's search for a first point continues on Sunday against Latvia.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/hockey/world/world-championship-2026/"]Follow the 2026 World Ice Hockey Championship on Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]