Miro Heiskanen is not as worried as fans after Finland's surprise loss to Slovakia

Well, that didn't go as planned, did it?

Team Finland, chock full of NHL talent, including four of the best current Dallas Stars players, lost Wednesday in the opening men's hockey game of the 2026 Olympics to Slovakia. Not only did the Finns lose, but they also looked brutal in the 4-1 defeat. Stars forward Mikko Rantanen, especially, was a target after the game.

Slovakia's roster includes just seven players currently in the NHL. Finland's entire roster consists of players from the best league in the world. Granted, the Slovaks aren't slouches - they're probably the sixth or seventh best team in the world, on paper or otherwise - but Finland's talent rates as elite. The loss alone was an upset, nevermind that it came by three goals.

Now, after Group B continued later into the Milan evening, Finland finds itself in a dire position. Sweden, perhaps the favorite of the group, anyway, beat host-country Italy 4-2 in a game that didn't necessarily scream Swedish Power. Still, Sweden won. And now Finland must beat their arch-rival on Friday to have any shot at capturing the top spot in the group. A loss would be devastating, ensuring the Finns don't automatically qualify for the quarterfinal round.

The tournament is a bit complicated for the uninitiated. With three groups, each group winner automatically advances to the quarterfinals. Then, the best second-place group finisher also gets a bye into the quarters. The remaining eight teams are seeded 5 through 12 and play win-or-go-home games against their counterparts (No. 5 plays No. 12, No. 6 plays No. 11, and so on) to clinch their spots in the quarterfinals. From there, it's a single-elimination tournament to the final, though the semifinal losers will play for the bronze medal.

If Finland were to lose to Sweden, it would have to beat Italy in its finale to avoid landing a No. 10, 11, or 12 seed. Given the Finns' talent, the team would likely be favored over its quarterfinal opponent. Except if they land the No. 11- or 12-seed, they'd then have to play either the tournament's No. 1- or No. 2-seed, which are likely to be heavy tournament favorites, the United States and Canada. Which team is projected for which seed largely depends on who you ask.

For Stars fans, some may hope Finland loses rather quickly so the likes of Miro Heiskanen, Mikko Rantanen, Roope Hintz, and Esa Lindell get back to Dallas in time to rest up before the regular season resumes. Regardless, no Stars fan wants to see another game like Finland played on Wednesday. No one wants their guys slumping when the NHL resumes.