America’s national men’s hockey team suffered a devastating 1-0 loss to Canada on Friday, but will still be playing for hardware with the bronze medal game coming up Saturday morning at 12:00PM EST. The U.S. was shut out 1-0 by Carey Price and a very strong Canadian team Friday, and will be tested by another exceptional goaltender Saturday, regardless of whether Tuukka Rask or Kari Lehtonen starts for the Fins.
The Americans have no time to mourn their semi-final loss to Canada with the bronze medal game against Finland set to start less than 24 hours later at the Bolshoy Ice Dome. The Fins are no pushovers, having been many experts’ sleeper pick to make the gold medal final in Sochi. Finland meanwhile is also coming off a loss to a bitter rival in Sweden and will be looking to add to their medal total Saturday.
Missed the semi-final action? Take a look at our recap of the Canada-USA game here and then read on below for everything you need to bet this massive bronze medal match up.
Team USA vs. Team Finland Bronze Medal Game Betting Preview
When: Saturday, February 22nd, 10AM EST
Where: Bolshoy Ice Dome, Sochi, Russia
Line: USA (-185) vs. Finland (+165); total: 4.5.
Betting on Team USA
There’s no doubt coach Dan Bylsma will have his hands full getting the Americans ready for this game. His team of all-stars came to Sochi keen to avenge their loss in the gold medal game of the 2010 Winter Olympics, and instead dropped another marquee moment to their rivals from the north. After playing very well through qualification, particularly offensively, the American players won’t want to go home without a medal.
[sc:NHL240 ]This is an American team that is well-equipped to push Finland’s limits. Despite not scoring against Canada, the USA’s Phil Kessel remains a constant threat alongside linemates James van Riemsdyk and Patrick Marleau. As a trio the line has 18 points in just five games.
Los Angeles Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick looked very sharp against Canada and was powerless to stop the only shot that got by him. Look for him to rebound with another strong performance against Finland, who have struggled offensively at times.
Betting on Team Finland
Finland may not boast as many stars as the U.S., but they are a very good hockey team in their own right. They are the only country to have medaled three times since NHLers began playing at the Olympics in 1998, and they command a combination of elite goaltending and team chemistry that can be tough to match.
Finland is coming off a loss against a hated rival of their own, Sweden, in what was a tightly-played, defensive semi-final. The two Scandinavian countries have exchanged many blows on ice over the last several decades, and this game showed how far the Fins have come in attempting to best the powerhouse Swedes. Finland had the lead early in the second on a goal from Olli Jokinen, but couldn’t hold on as Loui Eriksson and Erik Karlsson scored in the second as well to take the lead for Sweden for good.
Coming into the bronze medal game, a significant question will be the health of Finnish starter Tuukka Rask, who missed the semi-final against Sweden with the flu. Rask is fourth in the NHL with a .928 save percentage. Goaltending is a strength for the Fins, who can also start Kari Lehtonen and his not-bad-at-all .916 save percentage, but Rask has an ability to steal games that Lehtonen may not.
Finland will need to find another gear offensively if they hope to beat the Americans. Aging hockey legend Teemu Selanne leads an forward group that lacks the NHL star power of some of the other Olympic favorites. With Minnesota Wild centre Mikko Koivu out with an injury, the Fins have had rely even more heavily on Valtteri Flippula and defenceman Sami Salo to jump start their offense. Against Sweden, this lack of elite scoring talent was evident.
Picking a Winner
If the Americans can come out strong and put the pressure on Finland, they should have the edge. The Fins had to play an extra game to make the semis after they lost to Canada in the group stage, and put it all on the line to produce a major quarter-final win against Russia. This bronze medal game will be their third game in as many days, and Selanne noted after their semi-final that the team was already quite tired.
Still, the Finnish goaltending is good enough even without Rask that if Kessel, Marleau, Patrick Kane and company don’t pot one early the defensive style of the Fins could keep things tight. If they do, this game could easily stay under the 4.5 total and reward bettors who picked a conservative outcome.
Do you like the Americans to bounce back with a big win Saturday? Bet on Team USA with Top Bet America’s best online sportsbook.
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