World Junior Hockey Championships 2016 Final: Finland vs. Russia Score, Reaction

For the second time in three years and the fourth time in their history, the Finns took home the gold medal, defeating Russia on Tuesday, 4-3, in the World Junior Hockey Championships.

Kasperi Kapanen was the hero, scoring the overtime winner at 1:33 to win the tournament for Finland. Patrik Laine, Sebastian Aho and Mikko Rantanen all scored as well for the champions, while Kaapo Kahkonen saved 22 shots.   

The team's top players certainly came up when it mattered most, per Mark Masters of TSN:

Now Kapanen will have some nice hardware to show off to his teammates:

Finland's Jesse Puljujarvi (17 points), Aho (14 points) and Laine (13 points) finished as the tournament's top three scorers.

Vladislav Kamenev scored the game's first goal—the only tally until a torrid third period—on a Russian power play in the first period, ripping a one-timer past Kahkonen. The Russians locked things down from there, playing conservatively and looking to protect their lead.

That strategy worked through the second period before things heated up. Laine scored the third period's first goal just 24 seconds into the frame on a wrister, though Andrei Svetlakov gave Russia the lead back a little over a minute later.

Aho pulled the Finns even again with 10 minutes remaining, beating Alexander Georgiev after Puljujarvi found him down the left side and open in the crease, and they took the lead on the power play behind Rantanen's goal at 17:51. But Russia wouldn't quit, scoring a goal on a Svetlakov deflection with just six seconds remaining to send the game into overtime.

Russia's comeback was for naught, however, as Kapanen gave the Finns the gold medal in extra time after deking two defenders, wrapping around the net and putting home the game-winning shot.

Roni Rekomaa/Associated Press

Still, for Russia, the silver medal marked the sixth straight tournament in which the Russians have medaled, the longest current streak in the world. And if nothing else, the Russians' late game-tying goal and strong start helped to provide a brilliant gold-medal contest.

The day belonged to Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Kapanen, however, and his Finnish teammates.