Finland edge US in shootout to reach semis

The US' Keith Ballard, front, vies with Finland's Tuomo Ruutu during their quarter-final game at the ice hockey world championship in Moscow on Thursday. PHOTO: AFP

Jere Lehtinen scored the lone goal in a penalty shootout to give Finland a 5-4 victory over the US and a place in the semi-finals of the ice hockey world championship.

Finland next take on Russia today for a spot in the final.

Earlier, Matthew Lombardi scored twice to lead Canada into the semi-finals after a 5-1 win over Switzerland. Canada will face Sweden. The Canadians beat the Swedes in the 2003 and 2004 championship games.

After five US players and four Finns failed to convert their penalty attempts, Lehtinen put his shot past US goalie John Grahame into the roof of the net.

"It's kind of a relieved feeling. I was a little nervous," the 1999 Stanley Cup champion and 1995 world champion said. "But our goalie [Kari] Lehtonen kind of gave it to me easier because he saved the shot from the US shooter before me. I knew what I wanted to do. The goalie was pretty deep so I just wanted to shoot it high and I got a pretty good shot."

The US rallied four times from a one-goal deficit before capitulating.

Tomi Kallio scored on a power play at 15:32, putting the Finns ahead 4-3 at the end of the second period. But Andrew Hutchinson equalized on another power play with 5:40 remaining, one-timing a cross-ice pass from Phil Kessel to send the game into overtime.

Tuomo Ruutu put Finland ahead with 2:57 to go in the first period, taking the puck off the boards and firing a slap shot under Grahame's right leg.

Tobias Petersen equalized the score 48 seconds into the second period, while the US was short-handed. The two teams traded goals twice more, with Pekka Saravo and Jari Viuhkola putting Finland ahead only for Tyler Arnason and Lee Stempniak to tie for the US.

"They came out hard at the beginning and took it to us but we battled back," Arnason said. "It's disappointing to lose in a penalty shootout but in a tournament like this, where you play a lot of games, it's part of the game I guess."

Finland earned the bronze last year in Latvia.

The Swiss hurt themselves with nine penalties, more than twice the Canadians' four.

The win avenged Canada's 2-0 loss to Switzerland at the Turin Olympics.

"Obviously we touched on it but it wasn't our main focus," Lombardi said. "Everybody knew what happened and you move on from there. We're not going to sit around and talk about that the whole time."