Jukka Jalonen and "our game"
Jukka Jalonen, the Finnish coach, has continued to develop the Finnish tactics. Often this brand of hockey is called, "meidän peli" - "our game" in Finland. It means tight control of the puck, controlled offensive starts and trying to control the flow of the game. This tactic has been developing in the international, larger ice. Over more than one decade Jalonen has been the number one mastermind of "our game" with good results, for example winning the 2011 Ice Hockey Championships.
Deadly attack
Finland has impressive depth, especially on both wings. While Puljujärvi, Laine and Saarela have carried the load so far, the biggest stars have been in hiding. With less potential but closer to their peak of potential Rantanen and Kapanen have been disappointing. Rantanen was beforehand the biggest star of this Finnish team. It's about time him to start producing. Kapanen has been fairly good, playing with high intensity and good two-way game, but his point production has been low.
Big Ice
While Canada played their first games in Helsingin Jäähalli, now they face larger ice surface in the Hartwall Arena. This is specifically difficult for the Canadian goalkeeper, Mackenzie Blackwood. The angles and the flow of the game are very different on the wider ice. The Finns, on the other hand, have always played on wider ice, so this is a great advantage for them.
Finland will win
Based on these three points, I argue that Finland will beat Canada today. The Canadians will most likely start the game physically and rushing towards the Finnish net. If Finland can keep themselves together and play with patience, they will eventually get the needed chances to score. The biggest challenge for the Finland will be goaltending - Veini Vehviläinen hasn't yet reached his standard of goaltending.
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