Finland, Russia win pre-Olympic tournaments
Finland and Russia came out on top in a pair of tournaments in preparation for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.
On Sunday, Team Finland defeated Team Canada to secure its third victory in as many games at the Karjala Cup to finish with a 3-0 showing.
Mika Pyorala, who spent the 2009-10 season with the Philadelphia Flyers, was Finland's top scorer, picking up four points.
Mikhail Grigorenko, a former first-round pick of the Buffalo Sabres, laced up for Team Russia and led the tournament with six points. Team Canada's top scorer was Gilbert Brule, who last appeared in the NHL with the Arizona Coyotes. Brule finished with two points.
Team Canada's roster included a handful of former NHLers, including Wojtek Wolski and Mason Raymond.
Here's how the final standings shook out:
Rank | Team | W | OTW | OTL | L | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Finland | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
2 | Russia | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
3 | Sweden | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
4 | Canada | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
5 | Czech Republic | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
6 | Switzerland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Meanwhile, Team Russia took the top spot in the four-team Deutschland Cup, posting a perfect record over three games.
Artyom Fyodorov, who suits up for the KHL's Salavat Yulaev Ufa, led the tournament with six points. Mark Arcobello, who previously played for five NHL squads, led the Americans with two points in three games.
Team USA, whose lineup featured former Sabres captain Brian Gionta, went winless in the tournament, losing its final game to Germany on Sunday.
Rank | Team | W | OTW | OTL | L | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Russia | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
2 | Slovakia | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
3 | Germany | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
4 | United States | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
As the Winter Olympics draw nearer, the competing nations will continue to construct their final rosters over the coming months.
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