This Lions chain received special praise from Antti Pennanen: "Yes, I liked it"

ZÜRICH. Head coach Antti Pennanen saw Finland defeat the Czech Republic in the quarter-finals of the World Championships quite comfortably with a score of 4-1. Apart from the two quick penalties for the Lions and the subsequent 1-3 goal from the Czech Republic, Pennanen found little to criticize in his team’s performance.

– We played quite solidly. There was no doubt about the winner… A good start, we attacked in a versatile manner. Of course, there was a bit of luck as well, Pennanen began.

The Czech Republic came into the match with the defensive tactics that the Lions had expected before the game.

– It was a game we expected, to see how the Czech Republic would come and how we would play against them.

Penalty discipline has been one of the key themes for the Lions in the last week of the tournament.

– Of course, we need to adapt. In the Switzerland game, we had too many penalties, and now we didn’t take too many, but a few were in bad spots.

In the third period, the Lions kept the Czech Republic in check in a clinical manner. They maintained good puck possession, leaving the opponent with little opportunity for a comeback.

– The key is that we can attack; otherwise, it will be a long 20 minutes. We emphasized during the intermission that we need to continue good attacking and long attacks. Of course, we also need to defend. We succeeded in that as well as we needed to. Attack responsibly and have long attacks, Pennanen summarized the events of the third period.

In addition to the reliable first line, one line received special mention from the head coach for their performance in the Czech game.

– I really liked the play of Anton Lundell’s line. Patrik Puistola, Lenni Hämeenaho, really good work. Of course, Sasha’s (Aleksander Barkov) line. Those are important moments when they can carry the puck to the other end and maintain possession. Overall, a really good performance from everyone.

According to Pennanen’s initial information, the Lions also avoided injuries as they head towards the medal games.

– At least nothing has come to my attention yet. There are always some minor issues, but nothing serious has been reported.

There is no need to worry about the team’s mental state, according to Pennanen.

– The confidence is good. Of course, their goal shook us a bit. The mental state is good. Experienced players and confidence in the matter. I’ve felt very confident all day, Pennanen concluded.

The Lions’ semi-final opponent on Saturday will be determined after the late matches this evening. Without major surprises, the tournament’s top favorite, Canada, will be skating against them on Saturday.