The 4 Nations Face-Off has begun! We’re now onto the second games four each of the four teams. The tournament continues on Saturday, with Finland and Sweden trying to bounce back from opening-game setbacks. Let’s take a look at this matchup between Scandinavian rivals in this dose of 4 Nations Face-Off Predicitons.
4 Nations Face-Off
Finland vs Sweden
Time: 1 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST)
Where: Bell Centre in Montreal
TV: ABC; Sportsnet; ESPN+
Both teams are coming off losses in the first game of the tournament. However, Sweden appears to be in better shape than Finland. The Swedes got off to a slow start against Team Canada. However, they rallied and forced overtime before Mitch Marner turned back Sweden’s rally with an overtime-goal.
Finland started off well against the United States thanks to Buffalo Sabres defenceman Henri Jokiharju. However, the bottom dropped out for the Finns and they let up six straight goals to the Americans en route to a 6-1 loss.
Both countries are trying to get some sort of momentum before heading into the final game of group play. Here’s a look at the storylines in this round of 4 Nations Face-Off predictions.
The Finland Story
Finland started strong, but a four-goal third period doomed it to a comprehensive defeat. Juuse Saros was under siege in the third period as their strong start was all four naught. The Nashville Predators netminder let in all six goals in the first game against Team USA.
Vancouver Canucks goalie Kevin Lankinen is the confirmed starter for this game after Saros was shaky in the opener. However, always check social media for any last-minute news.
Finland’s defence will have to play better if it wants to stand a chance. Many could tell how much they miss injured Dallas Stars defender Miro Heiskanen. Players like Olli Maatta will have to do better against Sweden’s strong forward group.
The Sweden Story
Sweden came out flat against Canada’s devastating attack. However, the Swedes withstood the storm and clawed their way back into the game. Adrian Kempe and Joel Eriksson Ek each tallied third-period goals in order to force the extra session. However, Marner would help Canada escape with the 4-3 overtime victory.
The Swedes will have to get off to a better start in order to get the win over their old rivals. Kempe and the Swedes are hoping build off the comeback in order to get a better matchup in the semifinals.
Minnesota Wild netminder Filip Gustavsson is the confirmed starter for this game. He started the first game against Canada and stopped 24 shots in the loss.
Prediction
Both teams are hungry for a win and there’s also some history between the two teams. However, Sweden seems more prepared to rebound after their loss. Finland has to pick itself off the mat if doesn’t want to finish fourth.
Prop Bets of the Night
We close out our 4 Nations Face-Off predictions with some prop bets. For Finland, take Aleksander Barkov to get the over on 0.5 points. On the Sweden side, take William Nylander to score a goal.
Main photo by: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
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The post 4 Nations Face-off Predictions: Finland vs Sweden appeared first on Last Word On Hockey.