First Goal Importance…

Teams scoring the first goal of the game are 16-1-1 in the World Cup of Hockey 2004 tournament … The Sept. 10 Semifinal between Finland and USA was the only time which the team that scored first lost … USA led 1-0, but Finland scored the game's final two goals for a 2-1 win … The second Team Finland goal represented the first lead change of the entire tournament … The Sept. 4 Finland/Sweden game was the only other time the team which scored first did not win (Finland scored first, game ended in a tie).

TEAM CANADA VS. FINLAND - FINAL GAME

The home team for the Canada/Finland game will be determined by a coin toss to be held on Sunday.

• Team Canada and Team Finland met once earlier this year in a major senior international competition, an overtime 5-4 Team Canada win in the Quarterfinals of the 2004 World Championships … Finland led 2-0 after the first period on goals by Peltonen and Kallio … Canada tied the game when Heatley and Bouwmeester scored power-play goals 3:58 apart in the second period … Niemi and Brewer traded goals to end the second period tied 3-3 … Rintanen gave Finland a lead 1:55 into the third, but Staios tied the score 4:07 later … Heatley netted the game-winner 5:33 into the overtime session … Luongo was in net for Team Canada and Noronen was in net for Team Finland.

Team Canada vs. Team Finland

5-4 OT Canada           2004 World Championships, Quarterfinals

2-1 Canada                2002 Olympics, Quarterfinals

2-1 Finland                2000 World Championships, Bronze Medal Game

5-1 Canada                2000 World Championships, Qualifying Round

4-2 Finland                1999 World Championships, Qualifying Round

CANADA NOTEBOOK:

• Canada has advanced to the Finals of all six prior World Cup of Hockey/Canada Cup tournaments … Canada has now advanced to the Finals in four of the last five major senior international tournaments(World Cup of Hockey/Canada Cup, Olympics, World Championships), including each of the last three (2003 World Championships, 2004 World Championships, World Cup of Hockey 2004) … Canada has advanced to the Semifinals in 14 of the 17 major international tournaments since 1993, qualifying for the Finals nine times (5 First Place, 3 Second Place finishes).

• Canada made just one change to its line-up over the last three games, starting goaltender Luongo in place the injured Brodeur … Canada line combinations (from Saturday's Semifinal against Czech Republic)

Forwards:

Lemieux - Sakic - Iginla

Smyth - Lecavalier - Heatley

Gagne - Richards - St. Louis

Draper - Thornton - Doan

Defense Pairings:

Regehr - Niedermayer

Brewer - Foote

Hannan - Bouwmeester

• Canada has scored goals in 11 of its 15 regulation periods played during the tournament … Canada has registered five multi-goal periods, highlighted by its four-goal second period in the Quarterfinals against Slovakia … By comparison, Canada has only allowed goals in five of its 15 periods played, with just one multi-goal period allowed (Period 3 of Semifinal vs. Czech Republic).

Canada Scoring by Period:

                                 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Overtime |Total

Goals For              3      10      5         1          19

Goals Against         0      2       4         0          6

Canada Number of Goals                           Canada Number of Goals
by Period                                                        Allowed by Period

0 goals - 4 times                                  0 goals - 10 times

1 goal - 6 times                                   1 goal - 4 times

2 goals - 4 times                                  2 goals - 1 times

3+ goals - 1 time                                 3+ goals - 0 times