iida karhunen: Finland's late surge sends Leijonat into semifinal vs. Canada Friday at 5:40 PM ET
Finland produced a pulsating comeback to beat Switzerland in overtime and earned a marquee semifinal date with Canada Friday at 5: 40 PM ET. The win — sealed by Artturi Lehkonen's extra-time strike — was fuelled by veteran leadership in the dressing room and left Switzerland's head coach visibly devastated after the defeat.
Semifinal schedule and context
The final four in Milan are set: Canada will meet Finland Friday at 5: 40 PM ET, and the United States will face Slovakia later that night at 10: 10 PM ET. The quarterfinal round delivered high drama — three of the four games required overtime, and each was ultimately claimed by the pre-tournament favorite. Canada escaped a scare, edging the Czech Republic 4-3 in overtime while also losing captain Sidney Crosby to an in-game injury; the extent of that injury remains unclear. Despite that setback, Canada still fields top-tier talent including Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, keeping them firmly installed as tournament favorites going into the semis.
How the comeback unfolded — leadership in the locker room
Finland's turnaround against Switzerland felt improbable until Sebastian Aho's timely goal at 53: 54, the moment that abruptly shifted momentum. With that strike sparking belief, Miro Heiskanen leveled the match to 2-2 just over a minute from time when Finland pulled its goalie and pressed with intensity. In overtime, Artturi Lehkonen delivered the decisive blow, producing an eruption on the bench and sending Finland into the semifinal round.
Players and coaches pointed to a critical exchange during the second intermission as a turning point. With the head coach present, Finland's veteran core stepped up to calm the dressing room and refocus the group. Mikael Granlund and Aho were singled out among those who spoke, and Lehkonen said that "all the big boys" took turns urging the team to fight until the final buzzer. The message was simple — keep it straightforward, get the puck to the net and trust each other — and it translated into the furious late push that produced the equalizer and eventual overtime winner.
Swiss aftermath: anger, heartbreak and praise for the goalkeeper
Switzerland's camp left the rink stunned. The head coach expressed raw frustration and declined to expand on his feelings beyond saying he was furious and deeply disappointed. The tying goal credited to Heiskanen was painful for the Swiss, made worse because the puck took a deflection off Jonas Siegenthaler's stick on the play.
Despite the loss, Switzerland found positives in their tournament goaltender, who had been a standout through the earlier rounds. The keeper finished with 28 saves in the quarterfinal, and teammates lauded his elite performance throughout the event — a run that included shutouts earlier in the tournament. Still, the team must now regroup from a bitter defeat where the margins were razor-thin and the emotional toll obvious.
With Friday's 5: 40 PM ET semifinal looming, narrative lines are clear: Finland rides momentum and locker-room leadership into a showdown with an offense-heavy Canadian squad, while Switzerland must process a narrow elimination that left its coach and players visibly shaken. The stage is set for high stakes and intense rivalry as the medal rounds approach.
