VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Nina Tikkinen scored two goals, Marjo Voutilainen got the go-ahead score in the second period and Finland rebounded from an early deficit for a 5-1 victory over Russia on Sunday night.
Saija Sirvio and Venla Hovi also scored for the Finns, a medal contender ranked third in the world entering the Olympic women's hockey tournament.
The Finns acknowledged a case of nerves, which was evident in missed passes and tentative physical play against the hard-nosed Russian team. Finland also had two early scares: Russia's Alexandra Vafina scored the game's first goal during a power play, and Finnish captain Emma Laaksonen limped off the ice with an apparent leg injury during the rough-and-tumble first period.
"We had everything to lose and not much to gain, so it's hard to play like that," said four-time Olympian Laaksonen, who said she was fine. "We were a little surprised how physical it was, but I like the way we responded. We're making improvements all the time."
Finland eventually took control, forcing the Russians into a series of penalties with their speed, and Tikkinen scored back-to-back goals in the third period. Noora Raty, who played in the Turin Games as a 16-year-old prodigy, made 13 saves as Finland outshot Russia 34-14.
"Our strategy was to take quite a few shots and score the first goal, but when they scored first, it was upsetting," Tikkinen said. "This game was very physical, lots of penalties, but we got better and better when we gained more confidence."
Laaksonen struggled to the bench after a collision with Russia's Svetlana Terentyeva late in the first period, putting no weight on her left leg. She went to the dressing room but returned for the second period.
Three-time Olympic goalie Irina Gashennikova stopped 29 shots for the Russians, whose steadily improving program has targeted the Sochi Games in four years for a medal. Russia still doesn't have the overall talent of the North American powers or Sweden or Finland, but the team should be competitive for the No. 5 spot in Vancouver.
"There were a lot of penalties to us, and some of the penalties shouldn't have been [committed]," Russian forward Iya Gavrilova said. "I don't think we should play this way. We have to play smarter."
After Sirvio's tying goal late in the first, Karoliina Rantamaki grabbed a loose puck and fed Voutilainen for an early goal in the second. Hovi then put Finland up 3-1 with an exceptional deflection during a power play, swatting an already redirected shot out of midair and between Gashennikova's pads.
Russia had a two-person advantage for 95 seconds in the second period, but couldn't score.
Tikkinen scored twice in just over eight minutes with two assists from 19-year-old linemate Michelle Karvinen, a Dane with a Finnish father. Karvinen plays in a second-division men's league in Denmark.
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