After losing its opening game, Finland responded with a comprehensive 4-1 victory over arch-rival Sweden on Friday.
Nikolas Matinpalo opened the scoring on a seeing-eye shot from the point that went off the post and in. Anton Lundell added an insurance marker eight minutes later, as Finland carried a 2-0 lead into the first intermission, generating most of its offence against the run of play.
Joel Armia added a short-handed marker in the second period, while Mikko Rantanen notched an empty-net marker to seal the victory with 35 seconds remaining.
Slovakia defeated Italy 3-2, to take a commanding lead in Group B, setting up a massive showdown against Sweden on Saturday morning. Finland will square off against Italy to conclude the preliminary round on Saturday morning as well.
Canada will face off against Switzerland during Friday afternoon’s marquee matchup, with both teams vying for the top spot in Group A. After a dominant 5-0 win against Czechia, Canada has emerged as the tournament favourite, while Switzerland looms in the background as a tough opponent looking to upset some of hockey’s established powers. Czechia will face off against France, looking to rebound from its opening game loss.