Finland needed this game badly. They got exactly what they came for. The Finns defeated Sweden 4-1 in one of hockey’s fiercest rivalries, responding emphatically after their shocking 4-1 loss to Slovakia in the tournament opener. The nerves that plagued Finland on Wednesday were replaced by the confident, structured play that makes them dangerous. The Swedes tried their best to get back in control of the game, but the Finns never allowed them that chance as they played like they had a chip on their shoulder.
Swedish goaltending falters in front of Team Finland’s dominant offense
Ottawa Senators forward Nikolas Matinpalo opened the scoring in the first period with a shot that beat Filip Gustavsson cleanly, one the Swedish netminder should have stopped. It was an important goal for Finnish confidence, settling a team that desperately needed a strong start.Florida Panthers center Anton Lundell made it 2-0 shortly after, tapping a puck out of the air past Gustavsson. The goal required video review for a potential high stick, but officials ruled it good. Finland had the early cushion they craved.Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin pulled Sweden within one on the power play, blasting a shot from the point past Juuse Saros. Toronto’s William Nylander and Detroit’s Lucas Raymond earned the assists.The power play came courtesy of a slashing penalty on Colorado’s Mikko Rantanen against Rasmus Andersson, adding spice to an already heated affair.But Finland answered emphatically. Los Angeles Kings forward Joel Armia roofed a shorthanded goal past Gustavsson with 7:13 remaining in the second period, restoring the two-goal cushion at 3-1. The rivalry reached a fever pitch at the second-period buzzer. While fighting carries an automatic game misconduct at the Olympics, both teams came as close to a brawl as the rules allow. All 10 skaters on the ice paired off in a melee featuring pushing, shoving, and gloves to faces. These two nations have decades of bad blood, and it showed.Rantanen, who took the penalty that led to Dahlin’s goal, atoned in the final minute. The Avalanche star buried an empty-net goal at 59:25 to seal the 4-1 victory and send the Finnish fans into celebration. Saros was outstanding in goal after allowing four to Slovakia, bouncing back when his team needed him most.Finland improves to 1-0-0-1 and gets back on track in Group B. Sweden falls to 1-0-0-1 after failing to build on their opening win over Italy.