Finland vs Sweden Hockey: Saros Makes 34 Saves in 4-1 Group Stage Victory

Finland revived its Olympic campaign with a 4-1 win over Sweden as Juuse Saros stopped 34 shots and Joel Armia netted a short-handed goal.

Finland secured a 4-1 victory over Sweden on Friday in Milan, rebounding from an opening loss to Slovakia. Goaltender Juuse Saros anchored the win with 34 saves, while Joel Armia provided a pivotal short-handed goal. This matchup occurred exactly 20 years after their gold medal encounter at the 2006 Turin Games. The result leaves the Group B quarterfinal qualification undecided heading into Saturday's slate.

Nikolas Matinpalo opened the scoring on Finland’s second shot of the game, using a wrist shot that beat Filip Gustavsson glove side before caroming off the left post. The Finns extended their lead to 2-0 in the first period when Eetu Luostarinen worked the puck out of the corner; his shot deflected off Anton Lundell’s stick and past Gustavsson. Sweden responded during the middle frame on a power play, where Rasmus Dahlin found the back of the net to cut the deficit to 2-1.

Finland regained a two-goal cushion during a penalty kill later in that same session. Erik Haula shielded the puck from three Swedish defenders before finding Armia alone in front of the net for the short-handed tally. Tensions peaked at the conclusion of the second frame, resulting in a scrum that left three helmets on the ice. Consequently, the third period began with six players in the penalty box—three from each side—serving infractions for roughing and holding.

Related: Finland secured a 4-1

Lundell and Saros Preserve the Lead

Florida Panthers center Anton Lundell played a dual role in the victory, scoring once and later preventing a Swedish goal midway through the final period. With Finland leading 3-1, Lundell swept a loose puck off his own goal line to deny a potential comeback. Saros credited his teammate for the defensive effort, while Lundell noted he was lucky to be in position before any Swedish player could push the puck home.

Sweden’s Filip Gustavsson, who previously allowed two early goals in a 5-2 win over Italy, could not stop the Finnish momentum. Finland successfully killed off two Swedish power plays in the final 20 minutes to maintain their advantage. Mikko Rantanen eventually sealed the 4-1 final score with an empty-net goal in the closing minutes. Sweden forward Adrian Kempe noted the late-game physicality was an attempt to shift momentum and ignite the fans and bench.

Canada Dominates Switzerland Behind McDavid and MacKinnon

Related: secured a 4-1 victory

Canada improved to 2-0 in the tournament with a 5-1 win over Switzerland. Connor McDavid recorded his first Olympic goal on a first-period power play, converting a back-post pass from Nathan MacKinnon with a wrist shot. MacKinnon finished the game with one goal and two assists. Shortly after McDavid's opener, Swiss goaltender Akira Schmid denied Sidney Crosby on a breakaway by using his left skate to block a backhand shot.

McDavid later assisted Thomas Harley, who beat Schmid through the pads to make it 2-0. Switzerland's lone response came from Pius Suter, who tapped in a power-play goal. During the second period, 19-year-old Macklin Celebrini scored from close range on a pass from MacKinnon to make it 3-1. Crosby added to the lead in the third period by redirecting a Mitch Marner pass into the crease. MacKinnon capped the scoring by sliding home a rebound with less than seven minutes remaining. The Swiss loss was compounded by a leg injury to Kevin Fiala, who was removed from the ice on a stretcher.

Group Standings and Saturday Outlook

Slovakia moved to 2-0 to lead Group B following a 3-2 win against Italy. Matus Sukel and Libor Hudacek scored for Slovakia before Adam Ruzicka netted the game-winner in the third period. Italy’s Matt Bradley and Dustin Gazley scored to keep the game close, with Gazley’s goal coming with 3:35 left on the clock. Slovakia faces Sweden on Saturday to determine the group's final hierarchy, while winless Italy meets Finland.

Related: ## Canada Dominates Switzerland

In Group A, Czechia recovered from its loss to Canada by defeating France 6-3. France held a 3-2 lead midway through the contest following two goals from Louis Boudon and one from Hugo Gallet. However, David Pastrnak equalized at 3-3 before Matej Stransky gave the Czechs the lead late in the second. Filip Chlapik and Roman Cervenka added third-period goals to secure the win. Martin Necas and Michal Kempny also scored for Czechia in the opening frame. The United States, currently idle, will return to Group C action against Denmark on Saturday. The tournament format dictates that the three group winners and the highest-ranked second-place team earn direct entry to the quarterfinals.