Finland vs. Sweden – Live Stream, Tips and Olympic Hockey Match Preview
Crunch Sports Staff
in Olympics 21 Feb 2021
Mikael Granlund #64 (L), Ossi Vaananen #4 and Teemu Selanne #8 of Finland (credit: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
One of international hockey’s fiercest rivalries will be renewed this afternoon as Finland take on Sweden, with a place in the Gold medal-game the reward for the winners of what is sure to be a hotly-contested contest, and one with plenty of regional and historical precedent.
The game is scheduled to start at 12:00 GMT.
In the UK, the game airs live on BBC’s interactive service, while live coverage is available online with bet365.
Get Finland vs. Sweden coverage here:
Preview:
The Swedes have been the well-oiled machine that everyone expected them to be in these games, devouring competition en route to a 4-0 record and a semi-final berth. They handily defeated the Slovenes on Wednesday, in a game which they were expected to win. Having emerged from a group which included the Czech Republic and Switzerland, it has been argued that the Swedes have yet to face real stiff competition in the tournament. Still, the pedigree of their roster says that they will be plenty ready for the Finns on Friday.
Leading the charge for the Swedes will be defenseman Erik Karlsson, who has been perhaps the very best player of the entire tournament on any team. The dynamic former Norris-trophy winner for the Ottawa Senators entered his first Olympics with high expectation, which he has met at every turn thus far. He has 6 points (2-4) from four contests, and will be relied upon heavily to give much the same offensive contribution in Friday’s semi-final.
Starting in net for Sweden will, of course, be Henrik Lundqvist. The New York Rangers star and 2006 gold medal winner has been stellar to this point in the tournament for the Swedes, and is a big reason for their undefeated run. Though the Finns aren’t a particularly dominant team offensively, Lundqvist is likely to face plenty of high-quality scoring opportunities, as the Finns trend towards high-value scoring chances. As such, he will need to be sharp, and should be well rested after having been tested little in the Quarterfinal win over the Latvians.
The Finns shocked the hockey world on Wednesday, summarily defeating the host Russians 3-1 to end their tournament abruptly. In spite of a respectable 2-0-1 round robin record, which included a hard-fought overtime game with Canada, many didn’t consider the Finns a bet against the Russians. A strong team game and some stellar goaltending showed that they are indeed a team to reckon in the remainder of the tournament.
The biggest reason for the Finn victory on Wednesday was goaltender Tuukka Rask, who deserves as much commendation for his Olympic performance as perhaps any goaltender in the tournament. With the Finns missing their four best national center icemen (M. Koivu, Filppula, S. Koivu, Barkov), it was understood at the start of the tournament that they would need to play a more conservative, defensive style of hockey. They are able to do this, in large part thanks to the indomitable Rask. His 37-save first-star performance against the Russians was the stuff of legend.
For scoring, the Finns currently rely on a rag-tag group of NHL veterans and KHL/Finnish league stars. Chief among those is Minnesota Wild center Mikael Granlund, who has been thrust into a first line center role in the absence of the aforementioned. He has been a revelation for his country, with 5 points (3-2) including the back-breaking third goal against the Russians on Wednesday. For the Finns to stand a chance against a potent Swedish attack, they will need the combination of Granlund and veteran Teemu Selanne to continue to excel.
Though North American observers may argue it, this is probably the best regional rivalry in hockey. These two countries played out a fierce goal medal contest in 2006, and lingering hatred from the myriad World and World Junior Championships contested between them should make for a raucous atmosphere at the Bolshoy Ice Dome on Friday.
If things are to go as expected, Sweden should be the favorite. On paper, they are a better team, and have rolled through much of the tournament to this point. Still, there’s something to be said for preparation. Whereas the most difficult game the Swedes have had to this point was probably a 1-0 win over Switzerland, the Finns have played powerhouse Canadian and Russian teams. As such, they are season, and should be ready for the level of play the Swedes will bring.
One match-up to watch in this will be the goaltending duel between Rask and Lundqvist. These are two of the very best goaltenders in the world, playing on rival teams in both the NHL and the Olympics. It will make for compelling, low scoring hockey, which plays right into the offensively-challenged Finns wheelhouse.
