Finns going for gold after blanking Russia

TURIN -- The Canadians, the Czechs, the Russians . . . the pre-tournament guesswork didn't figure Finland among the favorites at Olympus. The Finns were interesting, and hard working, but their roster was aging and their netminding, with Miikka Kiprusoff opting to remain in Calgary, lacked the necessary showstopper.

Now, courtesy of a convincing 4-0 dismissal of the Russians last night, Finland's fifth shutout in seven matches at the XX Winter Games, the high-Flying Finns will face neighboring Sweden for the gold medal tomorrow at Palasport. It will be the first time in Olympic history the heated Scandinavian rivals will square off for the gold.

''We were confident we could get a win, but I don't think we expected this kind of result," said Finnish captain Saku Koivu, who is the Canadiens captain when he works his NHL job in Montreal. ''We knew we were missing guys coming into the tournament, but we talked about it before the first game, and said, 'It's the guys in this room who are going to get it done.' "

Against the talented Russians, the Finns rolled out the same ingredients that made them 5-0 in the qualifying round, and delivered their 4-3 victory over the United States that sent the Yanks home despondent. The Finns were fast, dogged in their checking, and on the rare occasion they allowed the Russians a half-decent chance on net, netminder Antero Niittymaki (21 stops) turned it back with relative ease.

The Finns opened the scoring with 6:13 gone in the first, Ville Peltonen connecting on a power play. In the second, with the Russians beginning to show signs of frustration, the Finns bumped it to 3-0 on a goal by Toni Lydman, a one-time slap shot off a Koivu feed, then one by Koivu, who knocked home a rebound that bounced off the rearboard.

By late in the third period, after Olli Jokinen banged in the 4-0 lead with 9:17 gone, the frustrated Russians turned undisciplined and chippy. Ilya Kovalchuk picked up a pair of minors, roughing and cross-checking, at 10:40, and later Darius Kasparaitis picked up roughing and boarding penalties at 14:05.

Had fabled Russian coach Viktor Tikhonov been behind that Russian bench, his laser vision would have left Kovalchuk and Kasparaitis with holes bored through their helmets.

''We were worried about [Russia's] talent and skill," noted Finnish winger Teemu Selanne. ''But thank God there is only one puck out there."

The Finns, because of their near-flawless defensive execution, did not allow the Russians to get into their trademark rush-and-pass game. The ex-Soviets like to break a puck-carrying winger over the line, have him curl up once cracking the zone, then deliver a soft-serve pass on a string to a late-arriving teammate. All night long, the astute Finns either took that pass away, or thoroughly denied a chance to generate it.

''We have no secrets," said Lydman. ''We have no magic tricks. We roll our lines out, all four of them, and we keep our five-man units tight. The Russians like to have that guy come in high in the zone, but we didn't give them much there all night."

As rush after rush failed, it was clear the Russians were gripping their sticks a little tighter. Then came the flurry of third-period minors, taking away what little chance Russia had of rallying against the sons of Suomi.

''At the end, you could tell they were frustrated," said Lydman. ''But that's what we were looking for."

The Swedes have only one Olympic gold, won in '94, the last time amateurs suited up at the Games. They were silver medalists in 1928 and 1964. The Finns have never won gold, but played in the championship game at Calgary in '88, losing to the Soviets, the last time the Russians wore their trademark CCCP sweaters in the Games.

''I don't think there was a single person outside our team who believed we could go this far," said Jokinen, who makes his millions as a star forward for the Florida Panthers. ''When I left, I told my teammates over there that I'd see them again Tuesday, the 28th, for our game against Tampa. I don't think they believed me --they were kind of shaking their heads."

Now the Finnish mission is to have the Swedes shaking, too.

''It's dream -- a dream final for us," said Koivu. ''In Finland, there is no one more hated for a hockey game than Sweden."