Finland follows first Olympic hockey gold with world title; U.S. loses bronze game

Finland followed its first Olympic hockey title by winning the men’s world championship at home, beating Canada 4-3 in overtime in Sunday’s final in Tampere.

Sakari Manninen scored the overtime winner after Canada potted two empty-net goals in the final 2 minutes, 12 seconds, of regulation to force OT. It was the third consecutive world championship final between Canada and Finland and second in a row that went to overtime.

Nashville Predators forward Mikael Granlund scored twice for Finland, which became the first nation to win the Olympics and men’s worlds in the same year since Sweden in 2006.

Captain Valtteri Filppula became the 30th member, and first Finn, in the men’s hockey Triple Gold Club, players to win Olympic, world championship and Stanley Cup titles in a career. The rest of the members are Canadians, Russians, Swedes and Czechs.

The Canadian team included NHL All-Stars Mathew Barzal and Thomas Chabot, plus 19-year-old Kent Johnson, the No. 5 overall pick in last year’s draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The NHL didn’t participate in a second straight Olympics, but NHL players on teams that aren’t left in the Stanley Cup playoffs do play at world championships.

Earlier, the Czech Republic beat the U.S. 8-4 in the bronze-medal game, a day after the U.S. had its 11th consecutive loss in a world championship semifinal.

The U.S. last finished better than third at a standalone worlds in 1950.

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SAKARI MANNINEN IS THE OVERTIME HERO