I think the entire hockey world was in shock when Slovakia knocked off Finland in the first game of the Olympics. Finland was the favorite going into that game, and the Slovaks pushed them around like it was nothing. You could tell that Miro Heiskanen wasn't worried about the loss, but still looked pretty embarrassed watching it live. Finland can really turn things around when they take on their nemesis, Sweden, this morning. This game should mean a lot to the Finnish Mafia.
This game means a lot for Finland in terms of seeding in the knockout round of the men's hockey tournament. Right now, they need to score a lot of goals to make up for the four they gave up against Slovakia. A win would go a long way for Finland in terms of pride and in building momentum for the remainder of their group games. Here are the four keys to this morning's game between Finland and Sweden.
Team Finland vs. Team Sweden Preview: 4. Forget what happened in the first game
Team Finland needs to forget what happened against Team Slovakia. That's in the past, and the only thing they can do is push forward. They will have to win today if they want a good seed in the knockout round. That means no screwing around and flooring it past Sweden. I want to see Mikko Rantanen charge the front of the net and pot a couple of goals to give Finland the edge this morning. Finland can win the game if the Finnish Mafia shows up and provides offense.
Team Finland vs. Team Sweden Preview: 3. Remember who they are playing
Finland has already been embarrassed by the Slovaks, and I doubt they want to be embarrassed by the Swedes. Finland needs to play one of their best all-around games to remind Sweden who the little brother is. Finland probably has one of the best offensive forward groups outside of Team USA and Canada. Losing to the Swedes would really embarrass the team that Finland put together for the Olympics. Everyone, including the Finnish Mafia, needs to show up this morning to beat their rival. Don't disappoint all the Finnish fans in attendance and watching at home.
Team Finland vs. Team Sweden Preview: 2. Shut down Landeskog
Team Finland needs to shut down Gabriel Landeskog if they want to beat their international rivals. The Finnish Mafia knows all too well how good a player Landeskog is. He returned to action when the Dallas Stars took on the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season. Esa Lindell and Miro Heiskanen will have the honors of trying to slow him down, along with the other Swedish forwards. Limit their offense, and Finland can get right back into the swing of things.
Team Finland vs. Team Sweden Preview: 1. Finish their shot selections
One thing I think many on the Finnish team would say is that they had great opportunities against Slovakia but couldn't capitalize on them. Finland has some talented scorers, and the Stars have a couple of them. Roope Hintz had a couple of shots that went off the post, and Rantanen had one if he just elevated the puck. If Finland had taken their time, they wouldn't have had any issues scoring. I can see Finland winning today's game if they take their time in Sweden's zone.