HELSINKI, Finland -- If there are two teams that apparently don't understand the concept of a preseason game, it's Sweden and Finland.
They faced off in the first game of a home-and-home series to begin the exhibition slate for the World Cup of Hockey, and the matchup didn't disappoint. As expected, the play between the rival nations was physical and chippy before it culminated in a 3-2 overtime victory for Finland Thursday night at Hartwall Arena. The game was a bit sloppy to begin, but that's understandable given the fact that it was the first game of the season for both teams.