Finland lost four games in the group stage but were already in the quarter-finals ahead of the match against Switzerland as Great Britain surprisingly beat Austria 4-2.
– It has been a tough group game, but now we focus on the next match, which will be a fresh start for us. We will go to Ostrava and play against Sweden and it will be fun, says Hannes Björninen to SVT Sport.
Ice Hockey World Cup
No zero for Sweden in the group stage: “You can’t be too good”
New goal by Erik Karlsson – best scorer in Tre Kronor
Now Finland can put the group stage behind them. Now it applies to Finland in the best of one match.
– It is a game that means a lot to both teams and it will be a fun game.
Mikael Granlund can be suspended
Max Friberg says you play boring hockey. What do you say about that?
– We have no comments about it but concentrate on our own game, says Björninen kindly.
In the final minutes, Finland’s biggest star Mikael Granlund brutally cross-checked the Swiss Andrea Glauser with a double-handled stick and received a match penalty. That incident must be investigated and may result in a suspension.
– I haven’t seen the whole situation so I can’t take a position. It must have apparently been a cross-checking to the head, says national team captain Jukka Jalonen to Viaplay according to Swedish EPN.
The match on Thursday will be played at 20.20.