Finland clinches Group B with decisive win over United States
Finland took down another international hockey powerhouse Tuesday morning, defeating the United States 6-2 and clinching the Group B title in the process.
The Finns wrap up the round robin with 16 points - same as the Americans - but earn the tiebreaker with the head-to-head victory. They'll play Switzerland, which finished fourth in Group A, in the quarterfinals, while the U.S. will play Group A's third-seeded Czech Republic.
Carolina Hurricanes star Sebastian Aho was an offensive catalyst yet again, netting a hat trick that gave him nine goals in the tournament. Mikko Rantanen also scored, while Markus Nutivaara picked up two helpers. Harri Sateri continued his stellar play in goal, stopping 31 of 33 shots.
Patrick Kane led the way offensively for the Americans, recording a goal and an assist. In the process, he set the U.S. record for points and assists in a single World Championship, per USA Hockey.
Finland has continued to prove in this tournament that it's one of hockey's top nations, defeating Canada and the U.S. by a combined score of 11-3.