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When the 4 Nations Face-Off takes place in February, the odds-on favorites to win the tournament are Team Canada and Team USA.
But Team Sweden and Team Finland have what it takes to emerge as the best team in the tourney. Indeed, being slight underdogs playing in Montreal and Boston might be the best thing for the Swedes and Finns as they take on some of the world’s top talent.
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You need only look back at other international tournaments to see examples of Sweden and Finland thriving despite not being a favorite. From 2017 to 2022, Sweden and Finland won four of five World Championship gold medals – two apiece. In the 2022 Olympics, which didn’t feature NHL talent, Team Finland won gold.
Before that, Finland claimed two silver medals and four bronze medals dating back to the 1988 Olympics. In that same span, Sweden earned two golds, one silver and one bronze.
Clearly, Sweden and Finland can pull off big wins on the international stage, no matter the situation. And now, in the 4 Nations Face-Off, they can perform without as much pressure as the Canadians and Americans have heading into the tournament. While this writer believes the American team deserves to be the odds-on favorite to win it all, we’d be foolish to suggest Finland and Sweden don’t have a decent shot of emerging as the winners.
With talents including Toronto’s William Nylander, Vancouver’s Elias Pettersson, New Jersey’s Jesper Bratt and Los Angeles’ Adrian Kempe, the Swedes will have a potent offense. Their defense will also be strong, with Tampa Bay’s Victor Hedman, Buffalo’s Rasmus Dahlin, Pittsburgh’s Erik Karlsson and Boston’s Hampus Lindholm all on board.
Meanwhile, the Finns have a great deal of talent and balance in their lineup. At forward, Florida’s Aleksander Barkov, Dallas’ Roope Hintz and Carolina’s Sebastian Aho all will be dependable forces at both ends of the ice. And on ‘D,’ Finland has Dallas workhorses Miro Heiskanen and Esa Lindell, Buffalo’s Henri Jokiharju and Philadelphia’s Rasmus Ristolainen to give them a solid group.
Canada and the Americans have more depth on forward and defense, and that’s primarily why they’re favorites at the 4 Nations Face-Off. But there’s lots to like about Sweden and Finland, and stranger things have happened than a gold medal win for either group.
Related: Pure Skill Or Role Players: What Is The Best Way To Pick A Roster For 4 Nations Face-Off?
Whether their netminders can stand tall and outperform the other squads’ tandems will be part of the question.
Sweden likely will go with three veterans – New Jersey’s Jacob Markstrom, Ottawa’s Linus Ullmark and Minnesota’s Filip Gustavsson – who have experienced highs and lows at the NHL level. They’re good but not as elite as the projected American goaltending trio of Dallas’ Jake Oettinger, Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck and Vancouver’s Thatcher Demko (or Boston’s Jeremy Swayman). That’s another reason why the Americans are favored to win the 4 Nations Face-Off.
The same thing goes for Finland’s projected goalies at the 4 Nations Face-Off – led by Nashville’s Juuse Saros. How Finland performs could depend on whether Saros plays like he did in the Predators’ push to the playoffs last year or ends up like his start to this season with a sub .900 save percentage.
In any case, the 4 Nations Face-Off should be a terrifically entertaining series of games because you can envision a scenario in which each of the four participating teams wins it all.
The odds-makers will tell you the safer bets are either Canada or America to win the 4 Nations Face-Off, but don’t fool yourself into thinking Finland and Sweden don’t have a shot at becoming champions. They definitely do.
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News Summary:
- 4 Nations Face-Off: USA And Canada May Be Favorites, But Look Out For Sweden And Finland
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