The Finnish opener against Slovakia remained tied halfway through the match, but quickly broke through in the third period. Slovakia scored first, Finland leveled early in the second, then conceded the go-ahead after a losing draw and never recovered. This was followed by two more goals for Slovakia within thirteen minutes of each other. Finally, Juuse Saros was pulled for the extra attacker with 4:25 left, and the empty-netter finished it off.
Finland’s top line needs a real identity
The Granlund-Hintz-Rantanen unit is believed to be an automatic advantage due to its recent success and line chemistry in the Dallas Stars’ recent playoff run, but its five-on-five profile doesn’t match its reputation. Overall, they have thrived on individual heroics, with the recent Stars postseason monsters around 42 percent in shot share and 45 percent in expected goal share. (Thanks for the statistic, David Castillo of StarsStack)
That was evident here. The Finnish top group had touches, submissions and controlled looks, but not enough possession that ended up on the net. There just wasn’t any momentum behind their supposed dominant line and the group didn’t seem to fit together as well as it did on paper.
This is also the paradox of Mikko Rantanen. His underlying numbers are not always dominant, but he can still decide a game with one sequence. Finland didn’t get that saving moment, and the line didn’t win enough shifts to create it.
Artturi Lehkonen seems to be the simplest solution next to Roope Hintz and Rantanen. He plays through contact and extends zone time, adding the necessary pressure. Finland’s best attacking minutes came when teams stayed alive long enough for layers to arrive, not when the first impression was clean.
Finland played like a favorite, not like a team chasing points
Finland’s pace was controlled for a long time, especially after the equalizer early in the second period. The problem was urgency. The group played as if they expected the game to open naturally, but then had no second gear as things tightened.
The third period punished small details. Slovakia’s 2-1 goal came immediately after a face-off win Ilta-Sanomat noted Sebastian Aho’s problems in the circle earlier, including a 33 percent face-off rate after two periods. Finland didn’t lose in one action, but the go-ahead was a clear example of how thin the Olympic margins are.
From there, Finland gave chase. After Slafkovsky’s 3-1 move, involving Nemec and Dvrsky, that was the moment when the match seemed out of reach.
Her Saros did not stop the flight
Juuse Saros did not have a catastrophic evening, but Finland needed a stabilizing save as the match turned. It didn’t come.
Related: 3 Finnish Men’s Team Players to Watch at the 2026 Winter Olympics
Once Slovakia took the lead, Finland’s attitude on the bench changed. With 4:25 to go, Saros went to the bench for the extra attacker at 3-1. Ilta-Sanomat registered the timing and then the empty goal after a struggle in Finland’s attacking side that culminated in a goal and a finish.
Saros went into this tournament with pressure and this opener contributed to that. Finland’s defensive detail in front of him needs to be cleaner, but the reality in short tournaments is that Finland also needs its starter to blunt the momentum when the game turns.
Finland will return to face their rival
Finland’s next match at the 2026 Milan Olympics will be against their main hockey rivals, Sweden, on Friday, February 13.
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