2026 Olympic Men’s Hockey: Top standouts from Finland vs. Sweden
You can always count on games involving Finland and Sweden to be entertaining, and the rough-and-tumble affair definitely delivered.
In the end, Finland managed to pull off a 4-1 victory to bounce back after a tough loss to Slovakia.
Slovakia’s victory against Italy will keep them in the top spot in Group B, but Finland, Sweden and Slovakia all have a chance at battling for the top spot heading into the final two days of round-robin action. Both Sweden and Finland have a goal differential of zero to keep things tight.
It was an ugly opening period for Sweden, who found themselves trailing 2-0 early. Ottawa Senators defenseman Nikolas Matinpalo scored his first goal of the season, in any division, on a point shot at 7:44. Eight minutes later, Anton Lundell managed to tip a shot from near the boards overtop goaltender Filip Gustavsson and in to make it a 2-0 game.
Sweden needed something early in the second to spark their comeback, and Rasmus Dahlin was able to score on the man advantage to make it 2-1. That gave Sweden some hope, only for Joel Armia to take advantage of a giveaway to make it 3-1 after 32:47. That ended up sealing the deal, with the Swedes failing to capitalize on any of their late-game scoring opportunities, while Mikko Rantanen would find the back of the empty net in the final minute of play.
Here’s a look at the top performers from Friday’s action:
Finland
#74 Juuse Saros, G (Nashville Predators): Saros was shaky against the Slovaks, but made 34 saves for the Finns today. He did a great job of tracking shots through traffic and stood tall during the third-period onslaught. Saros should be Finland’s No. 1 for the medal round, but they’ll need more performances like his today and less like the one on Wednesday, where he never seemed to look comfortable.
#23 Esa Lindell, D: (Dallas Stars): Lindell was all over the ice for the Finns. He had four shots in the first 40 minutes and probably should have had a goal or two for his efforts. Lindell has the ability to lean on someone like Miro Heiskanen as a D partner, but that allows Lindell to play a bit more freely and confidently with the puck.
#41 Miro Heiskanen, D (Dallas Stars): That’s two excellent games for Heiskanen now. Finland’s top defenseman averaged around nine minutes a period, and for good reason. He’s by far the team’s best defenseman, continuously shutting down opponents on the rush. His ability to slow the pace down when needed is great, and he has the speed to throw opponents off their game on the rush, as well.
#40 Joel Armia, C (Los Angeles Kings): Armia looked great as a depth guy for Finland in the first game and he upped the ante with a second-period goal today. He’s great at stealing the puck and has a nice, quick release – two things he put on display on his goal. Armia is a smart forward who plays with a lot of muscle and is fearless around the crease.
#15 Anton Lundell, C (Florida Panthers): Lundell was great in the first Finnish game, using his strong frame to force opponents to have to take their eyes off the puck to move him. His ability to get to the front of the net is critical to Finland’s attack, and it led to his 2-0 goal in the first period. He’s having an excellent season, and while he’s not a play-driver, he can definitely finish them – even in dirty areas. Lundell also saved a sure goal in the third period – his bench appreciated that.
Sweden
#26 Rasmus Dahlin, D (Buffalo Sabres): Dahlin has been Sweden’s best player through two games, and I’m not sure it’s even close. The Sabres defenseman is so underrated, especially with all the love guys like Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes receive. Dahlin is so smart, so skilled and plays with a boatload of confidence. He had three points in the opener against Italy and then scored the lone goal today on the power play. A huge effort, all around.
#23 Lucas Raymond, RW (Detroit Red Wings): While a goal still alludes him, I liked Raymond’s game, especially early. He had an assist on the Dahlin goal, and had three solid shots of his own as one of the few Swedish wingers who seemed determined to try and score tonight. Sweden’s offense is definitely an issue right now, but Raymond always seems to find ways to get quality chances on net for his country.
PRESENTED BY DAILY FACEOFF’S OLYMPIC COVERAGE
Catch Every Goal from the 2026 Milan Games! The 2026 Milan Games are almost here, and the world’s best men’s and women’s hockey players are ready to battle for gold! The Nation Network is bringing you every game, every jaw-dropping save, and all the drama with live reaction streams and full recaps. Don’t miss a moment of Olympic hockey action—men’s, women’s, and everything in between—on the Daily Faceoff YouTube channel. Subscribe now and stay on top of every play!