Sakari Manninen has been as usual efficient in the World Cup. The center of the first chain already has three goals and two assists. Manninen admired his teammate’s assists and Marko Anttila’s goal.
TAMPERE. After four World Cup games, Finland’s best scorer is Sakari Manninen, which has collected powers 3+2. Late on Wednesday, the center caught a goal and an assist as the Lions defeated France 5-3.
– It has gone quite well, but the team here defines everything. You have to get a result with superiority, and today we got a goal in that. Our strength is the pounding of four chains, Manninen dodged his own meaning.
Manninen’s hit came out of nowhere at the end. The basis of the situation Mikko Rantanen, who turned quite a laser from his standing feet straight into the goal scorer’s shoulder. 95 percent of league players wouldn’t have caught the pass, but Manninen tamed the puck effortlessly.
– When he got the puck, I saw that he must be pushing hard between the guys. He made such a stupid pass. I had to stiffen my wrists myself so that the puck wouldn’t spin, Manninen laughed and described Rantanen’s passes as snappy.
There has been a clamor for the power of Mannine’s chain, and in the France game, the trio answered the clamor in the final set. The winning goal was a beautiful overhead kick, which Manninen served from a corner Teemu Hartikainen. The attack vehicle tipped the ball in from the front corner.
– France’s Alivoima pressed well and came on all the time. They did not let me calm down. Everyone defends the center away, but now it happened to find a gap. A nice touch from “Härski” and there was traffic again at the finish line.
Finland has played with 30 percent power, which can be considered quite good. On Wednesday, one yv goal was scored with three attempts.
– One in three yv must be hit. Yv has good pieces in place.
The best dominant team of the tournament has been Denmark with over 46 percent power. Hungary is a statistical jumbo on the zero line.
Anttila surprised with body manipulation
The star moment of the France game was Marko Anttilan 3–2 goal in the second period. The Leijona skipper got the puck in the middle area, the defender uunoted Vincent Llorcan and passed the goalkeeper Julian Juncan.
– Nice goal. Big, tall man and body illusion. It was still very itchy from skating over the mattress. It was like something from a textbook, Manninen described.
The Lions’ number one center reminded that it is not easy to stop Anttila, who plays with a long stick.
– He kind of knows how to hide it and is smart with it.
After the goal, the Löikö Mörkö inn ring from 2019, when Anttila dominated the playoffs of the World Cup against NHL stars, rang out in the Tampere arena. The song is based on Antero Mertaranta to the narration and it was published by DJ ILG ie Olli Hartonen.
On Wednesday, the audience lived fully along with the song, but Manninen did not.
– Did it come? I didn’t get it. Did it ring? I missed it, I would have laughed for sure! Manninen grinned.
The remaining Finnish matches of the opening series:
Fri 19.5. Finland–Hungary at 16:20
Sat 20.5. Finland–Austria at 16:20
Tue 23.5. Finland–Denmark at 20:20