Finland beats Switzerland 2-0 in first game after WJC coaching change
MONTREAL — Finland got its first win under a new coach, and that put Switzerland into a tough quarter-final against the United States at the world junior hockey championship.
Playing its first game with Jussi Ahokas behind the bench after the shock firing of Jukka Ruatakorpi, Finland turned on the jets against the flat looking Swiss for a 2-0 victory on Saturday night in the final group stage game for both teams.
It was too little, too late for Finland (1-3-0), which had already been eliminated from medal contention and will have to endure the indignity of a best-of-three series against Latvia beginning Monday at the Bell Centre to avoid relegation from next year’s world juniors.
Finland has never ranked lower than seventh since the world juniors debuted in 1977, but can finish no higher than ninth in the 10-team tournament this time.