Euphoric scenes as Czechs beat Finland to break quarter-finals hex

There were scenes of euphoria in Cologne on Thursday evening, as the Czech ice hockey team overcame Finland in a tense penalty shootout. The win represented a real breakthrough for the Czechs, who had previously been knocked out at the quarter-final stage at the World Championship four years in a row. They now face Sweden for a place in the final.

For four years the Czech Republic’s ice hockey players seemed to be jinxed at the World Championship, going out at the quarter-final stage every time. So far the Czechs have had mixed results in this year’s competition, and Thursday’s game didn’t get off to the best start either, with Finland going 1:0 ahead after just 55 seconds.

Tomáš Vokoun (left), photo: CTK

But the Czechs managed to level the score at 1:1 early in the third period and that was the way things stood at the end of overtime.

During the shootout that followed, in-form goaltender Tomáš Vokoun forced the Finns to make two misses. When Jan Marek’s penalty somehow crossed the line, the Czech bench erupted and the players piled on top of goalie Vokoun, who had this to say afterwards:

“This is what hockey is like, what sport is like. Compare where we were five days ago or so and where we are now – that’s what’s beautiful about sport. That’s why we play matches, you never know what’s going to happen. It’s a great feeling.”

On the down side, finding the net was again one of the Czechs’ main weaknesses. Jaromír Jágr was particularly guilty of blowing decent goal chances. But the team’s biggest star says he doesn’t care if he doesn’t score, as long as the Czechs win, and says Thursday’s victory was deserved.

Jaromír Jágr (right), photo: CTK

“I hoped for a bit of justice, because we had far more of the play, far more chances, and we deserved to go through. Compared to how we played against Sweden in last year’s quarter-finals: we would have been very lucky to go through then because they were better. This year we had far more of the play. We felt good. We were lucky too, but there was something behind our luck.”

Jágr and Co. have already beaten Sweden once at this year’s World Championship. They face them again on Saturday for a place in the final.