When it comes to the Olympics, it’s not about the start. It’s about the finish, or Finnish in some cases. Finland lost their first game 4-1 and looked like the inferior team to Slovakia while doing so. 20 years back or more, Finland was viewed as the sneaky team, the one that could catch people by surprise (they earned Silver in the 2006 Olympics). Now, that team is Slovakia (go figure), although it’s unclear how far they will go in the long run.
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They’ve won their last two games since, and in impressive fashion at that. The 4-1 win over Sweden was a bounce-back, and the 11-0 stomping against Italy was a statement. Finland is finding its footing at the right time and playing their best hockey as the tournament picks up.
Finland Has Incredible Offense
Even if the latest game is adjusted for inflation, where beating down on a nation with zero NHLers isn’t fair, it’s hard to deny how potent the Finnish offense is. Specifically, they have the game-changing forwards who can take over on any shift. Mikko Rantanen is the star of the top line but Sebastian Aho, Anton Lundell, and a handful of other skaters stand out.
The last two games displayed the depth of Finland. They aren’t just generating offense on the top line but finding goals throughout the lineup. It’s by design as the coaching staff rolls out four lines and mixes up the elite players instead of matching them on the same line, a strategy that is often criticized. That said, the Finnish forwards have elite players on both wings throughout the lineup.
A lot of teams are built up the middle. The USA and Canadian squads are a case in point, with centers being bumped to the wings to add versatility to the forward lines. Finland is the reverse, where they get their offense from the wings, and it’s fascinating to see how that matches up against the nations they’ll face in the knockout rounds.
Saros Found His Footing
Juuse Saros had a rough outing against Slovakia, allowing three goals on 24 shots in the 4-1 defeat. It raised concern for Finland, considering he struggled in the Four Nations and, at times, has played poorly with the Nashville Predators despite being an elite goaltender. It comes with being a smaller yet athletic goaltender, where the big saves will be there and some bad goals (it comes with the territory).
He needed to put together great starts, and he has. Saros shut down the Swedish offense, stopping 34 of the 35 shots in a 4-1 win, and then put together a 15-save shutout against Italy to secure Finland’s spot as a top team in the knockouts. Throughout his career, Saros has shown that when he’s on, he’s one of the best goaltenders in the world, and the past two games have shown that.
It’s also a plus that the defense in front of him has been great. The Esa Lindell and Miro Heiskanen pair is incredible, while Niko Mikkola and Rasmus Ristolainen have stepped up on both ends. It’s why Saros was only asked to stop 15 shots in the shutout win over the Italians because the defense in front of him was good enough to make the job an easy one.
How Far Can Finland Go?
Finland wasn’t the standout of their group. They didn’t impress the way the Slovaks did, a nation that many are starting to note for its top tier of talent. Finland also displayed some of the issues that can hold them back in the long run, specifically, their lack of centers, which was a prominent issue in their first game.
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That said, this Finnish group can’t get overlooked. They are leaning into a quick passing, fast-paced game that is tough to stop, and with elite play in the net, they can win any type of game. Finland can go on a run, and as the presumed four seed in the bracket, they have a path to Gold. They won’t be the favorites but they aren’t the underdogs either, certainly not after their last two games.
