{"id":483515,"date":"2026-02-12T18:22:44","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T23:22:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/?p=483515"},"modified":"2026-02-13T06:21:23","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T11:21:23","slug":"2026-winter-olympics-preliminary-round-hockey-predictions-finland-sweden","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2026\/02\/12\/2026-winter-olympics-preliminary-round-hockey-predictions-finland-sweden\/","title":{"rendered":"2026 Winter Olympics Preliminary Round Hockey Predictions, Finland vs Sweden"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Welcome to\u00a0Last Word On Hockey\u2019s\u00a0<\/span><\/em>Olympic\u00a0Predictions. Each day, our writers here at\u00a0<\/span>Last Word On Hockey<\/i>\u00a0<\/span>look at the games and give in-depth analysis. Our team breaks down the key matchups, storylines, and stats, then makes predictions based on how they might play out. For this edition, we will look at Team Finland<\/a> taking on Team Sweden<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span>Don\u2019t forget to check out more Olympic Predictions, as our writers will continue this series throughout the Olympics, right up to the Gold Medal Game.<\/p>\n<\/header>\n

2026 Olympics Hockey Predictions with Finland and <\/span><\/strong>Sweden
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International Head-to-Head Record:\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>Sweden has a 25-12-2 record plus five ties against Finland since 1976.<\/p>\n

Time: <\/span><\/strong>6<\/span>:10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST), 3:10 a.m. Pacific<\/p>\n

How to Watch<\/a>: In Canada: SN, CBC, CBC Gem, TSN<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In the United States: USA Network, Peacock<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Location:\u00a0<\/strong>Santa Giulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan, Italy.<\/span><\/p>\n

This past Wednesday featured two scintillating games in Group B, with Slovakia getting an upset victory over Finland, and Sweden winning in nerve-wracking fashion over Italy. Will we get more of the same with today’s Group B action? The two most prominent teams of the group face-off in a rivalry that has spanned decades. You could call it the Nordic form of the Canada-USA rivalry, with how deep it is. Finland is 0-1 in the preliminary round, with 0 points, while Sweden is 1-0 in the preliminary round, with 3 points.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Finnish Story with 2025 IIHF World Ranking at Sixth<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Some additional information for Team Finaland can be found in the links contained within for their roster<\/a> and\u00a0projected lines<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Coming off a crushing 4-1 defeat at the hands of Slovakia on Wednesday, this is basically a must-win game for Finland. The 2022 Olympic winners were stifled by Slovak goaltender Samuel Hlavaj, who stopped 39 out of 40 shots on Wednesday. Eeli Tolvanen<\/a> recorded the only goal.<\/p>\n

Captain Mikael Granlund<\/a> said postgame on Wednesday<\/a> that there is no panic in the locker room, as the “most important games are ahead of us”. While that holds true, the margin of error is as slim as it can be.<\/p>\n

The 2025\u00a0 IIHF Fourth Ranked Swedish Side’s Story<\/h3>\n

Again, further information on Sweden’s current status can be contained in the links. We have their roster<\/a> and projected lines included in them.<\/a><\/p>\n

The Swedes survived a scare against Italy on Wednesday, ultimately winning 5-2. The score was close to the very end, despite the shots being 60-22 in favour of Sweden. Victor Hedman<\/a> and captain Gabriel Landeskog<\/a> chalked their performance up to nerves and a bit of rust, and gave props to Italian netminder Damian Clara for his outstanding performance.<\/p>\n

There were some questionable lineup decisions from the Swedes on Wednesday, such as Filip Forsberg<\/a> only playing one shift in the entire game. Given his proven offensive ability, it would favour Sweden to play him more. Oliver Ekman-Larsson<\/a> dressed for the game as the seventh defenceman, but did not play a single shift. It could be due to Sweden’s staff looking to manage the workload for some players, but against such a rival in Finland, things should change.<\/p>\n

Starting Goalies<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Below are the projected starters for tonight\u2019s game. Please check social media for the most updated information before making any player prop bets.<\/p>\n

Finland will likely start Juuse Saros<\/a> for a second consecutive game. In 44 NHL games this season with the Nashville Predators, he has a 21-17-5 record, a 3.20 goals-against average, and an .892 save percentage. He stopped 21 out of 24 shots in Wednesday’s 4-1 loss against Slovakia. It is possible Finland could pivot to Kevin Lankinen<\/a> in net as they did at the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off\u00a0 Tournament, but in a high-stakes game such as this, would they make such a decision?<\/p>\n

Based on practice on Thursday, Jacob Markstr\u00f6m<\/a> looks to be the starter for this game, marking a change from Filip Gustavsson<\/a>. Markstrom has had a rough season with the New Jersey Devils so far. In 30 games, he has a 15-13-1 record, a 3.20 goals-against average, and an .882 save percentage. This will be his first Olympic appearance in his career, but it is not his first taste of international play by any stretch. He played in the IIHF World Championships in 2010, 2013, 2016, and 2019, winning gold for Sweden in 2013.<\/p>\n

Prediction and Best Bets<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This one is tough. Finland needs to win this game and will likely play with a high level of urgency. Sweden has a win under their belt, but would love to win this rivalry game. Sweden’s team looks better on paper, and we predict they will edge Finland out in this one.<\/p>\n

Prediction: Sweden wins 4-3.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Best Bets<\/strong><\/h3>\n

To wrap things up, here are our anytime goal scorer picks. For Finland, we will pick Mikko Rantanen<\/a> to score a goal. On the Swedish side, we will pick Adrian Kempe<\/a> to pot one.<\/p>\n

Now, please check out the next page of this article for predictions for Italy vs Slovakia.<\/p>\n

Please play responsibly, check for your local rules and age restrictions; some jurisdictions require ages 21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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More Group B Olympics Hockey Predictions: Italy vs Slovakia<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Time: <\/span><\/strong>6<\/span>:10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST), 3:10 a.m. Pacific<\/p>\n

How to Watch<\/a>: In Canada: SN, CBC, CBC Gem, TSN<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In the United States: USA Network, Peacock<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Location:\u00a0<\/strong>Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena in Rho, Lombardy, Italy<\/span><\/p>\n

While Sweden and Finland face off in Milan, Italy and Slovakia will play their game at the same time in Rho. Viewers, you will need to pick a game to watch, or toggle between games if you so wish.<\/p>\n

The Italian Story<\/h3>\n

The host Italians are currently ranked 18th in the IIHF’s world rankings. Their roster<\/a> and\u00a0projected lines<\/a> can be found here.<\/p>\n

Italy put on a valiant effort against Sweden on Wednesday, scoring first and having the game tied for half of the game. Considering that none of the players on Italy have any NHL experience, it was a much closer game than anyone could have expected. The Italian crowd was surely jubilant and jumping out of their seats, watching such a good effort.<\/p>\n

Anaheim Ducks goalie prospect Damian Clara stopped 46 out of 49 shots he faced in an impressive performance. He certainly gained a positive reputation after that game against Sweden. Unfortunately, he suffered an injury in the third period while stretching out to stop an Elias Pettersson<\/a> shot. Davide Fadani played the final 13 minutes of the game and stopped 9 out of the 10 shots he faced.<\/p>\n

Having lost the first game, it will be an uphill climb for Italy in this group stage. However, the Italians should be playing under zero stress, having fun and enjoying the sport of hockey that they love. There should already be a lot to be proud of.<\/p>\n

The Slovakian Story<\/h3>\n

Slovakia does manage to be inside the top ten, as they sit ninth in the current IIHF’s world ranking. To prepare for today’s action, here are their roster<\/a> and\u00a0projected lines<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Slovaks scored an upset victory over Finland on Wednesday with a score of 4-1. Samuel Hlavaj was a huge reason they won, as he stopped 39 out of the 40 shots he faced. Juraj Slafkovsky<\/a> had an excellent game, with two goals and an assist. If only he had a stick in his hands for the fourth goal, else he might have gotten a hat trick.<\/p>\n

Slovakia is in an interesting position, as they have three points in the group stage. If they end up winning this game in regulation, they will give themselves a massive opportunity to advance to the quarterfinals.<\/p>\n

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Most career goals at the Olympics:<\/p>\n

17 \u2014 Teemu Selanne
14 \u2014 Marian Hossa
13 \u2014 Olli Jokinen
13 \u2014 Daniel Alfredsson
11 \u2014 Pavel Bure
11 \u2014 Mats Sundin
10 \u2014 Jarome Iginla
9 \u2014 Ilya Kovalchuk
9 \u2014 Jaromir Jagr<\/p>\n

Juraj Slafkovsky has 8 and he's only 21 years old. pic.twitter.com\/FBr3moQgLy<\/a><\/p>\n

— Big Head Hockey (@bigheadhockey) February 11, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n