The Matchup: Team Slovakia vs. Team Finland (Bronze Medal Game)
The Time: 2:40 PM EST (local time 20:40)
The Broadcasts: TV — Peacock, USA Network
A Medal for Nemec?
Yesterday’s matchup between the United States and Slovakia did not go so well for the Slovaks. While the game remained close for most of the first period, the game devolved more and more into a sideshow between Erik Cernak and the Tkachuk brothers as the score got out of hand. This is a bit of a shame for players like Juraj Slafkovsky and Simon Nemec, who
were a bit more focused on playing hockey and trying to score goals. To date, Simon Nemec ranks second among all defensemen in the Olympics with more than 10 minutes played in scoring chance contributions per 60 minutes played (12.29/60). Only Cale Makar of Team Canada (14.07/60) has been more creative.
On the Finnish side, their blueline contributions have been a bit lesser. Their top defenseman, Miro Heiskanen, has only created 7.4 chances per 60 minutes. All of Teams USA, Canada, and Slovakia have at least one defenseman generating 10 or more chances per 60 minutes, but Finland does not. We will see how that impacts this game, though the Finnish side obviously has a much more consistent offering of NHL talent than the Slovak team. Still, the Slafkovsky-Ruzicka-Tatar line has proved a difficult combination of size, skill, and tenacity for opponents to handle, and I think the Slovaks will make this a good game.
Another question is whether the Finnish team will be able to readjust their mindset from yesterday’s stunning loss to Canada, after they had led in the third period. Their effort was simply not consistent enough yesterday, and they were too defensive down the stretch. That said, their eyes were obviously set on Gold. They wanted it, badly, and it showed in their postgame comments. But still, I have to think there are some guys that are going to bring their A-game no matter what.
Your Thoughts
Who do you think will win the Bronze Medal game? Will Finland be able to shake off their disappointment and compete for Bronze? Will Nemec and Slafkovsky drive Slovakia to another upset? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, and thanks for reading.
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