Attilio Biasca scores winner as Switzerland stuns Finland in World Junior Championship opener

It only took one game, but the 2023 World Junior Championship saw its first shock of the tournament with Switzerland beating Finland 3-2 in overtime in Moncton.

Switzerland last beat Finland on Dec. 31, 2019, a 5-2 victory for the plucky underdogs. Their last win before that came at the 2014 tournament in the shootout.

The first period had nothing to write home about, with both teams taking a real neutral stance. That all changed at 22:24 when an ill-timed pinch by Switzerland’s defense, with Sami Paivarinta and Kalle Vaisanen both touching the puck before Konsta Kapanen scored on the rebound.

Despite the deficit, the Swiss definitely looked like the better team and kept the pressure on. It eventually paid off as Lenni Hameenaho gave the puck away in front of the Finnish net. Lorenzo Canonica was there to capitalize, making it 1-1 with just under eight minutes to go in the second.

The Swiss started off strong in the third, entering with a 16-9 shot advantage. At 44:43, Jeremy Jabola was the last to touch a Mats Alge shot that was lost in a crowd in front of the Finnish net, giving Switzerland its first lead of the tournament. It was short-lived, though, as Vaisanen’s snipe at 48:09 forced the game into extra time.

It didn’t take long for the Swiss to end the game. Just 41 seconds into overtime after Lian Bichsel was stopped on a breakaway, Halifax Mooseheads star Attilio Biasca was in the right spot at the right time to rip a shot past Aku Koskenvuo, securing the shocking victory for Switzerland.