NHL 4 Nations Face-Off Predictions: Finland vs. Sweden (Saturday)
All four teams will play on Saturday. The results of these games could shift the perception of who the best teams are. Here are our top picks for Saturday’s NHL 4 Nations Face-Off game Finland vs. Sweden.
Saturday’s 4 Nations Face-Off Best Bets: Finland vs. Sweden
(4 Nations Face-Off odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Finland vs. Sweden
Sweden started the game against Canada slow offensively, unable to get through the blue line. Defensively, they could not interrupt Canada from passing the puck and getting shot opportunities. However, they became much more aggressive in the third period, which helped them force overtime and come away with a point.
Adrian Kempe and Mika Zibanejad showed up in this game but they could have produced a better offensive effort with an excellent offensive lineup that includes William Nylander and Filip Forsberg.
Sweden could keep Filip Gustavsson between the pipes, but they also have former Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark as a possible option.
All of the weaknesses for Finland popped up during their 6-1 loss to Team USA. We knew that without Miro Heiskanen on the blue line, they would struggle against the depth of the USA forwards. It proved they couldn't contain on the 5-on-5 or the penalty kill.
They have a great collection of forwards, including Sebastian Aho and Aleksander Barkov, but they could not get anything going against that stellar blue line. Their expected goal rate was only 28.5%.
The question will be who gets the start in the net. Juuse Saros collapsed in the third period, allowing four of the six goals in that period. He finished with a .813 save percentage. He might get a shot at redemption, but he could have a short leash.
The resilience of Sweden against Canada could propel them as a dark horse in this tournament. They should be able to attack a Finland defense that is very thin and has proved they aren’t up for the challenge.
Pick: Sweden 60-Minute Moneyline (-120)