Finland excited for 'great opportunity' against Canada to stay alive at 4 Nations

BOSTON -- Finland was not happy.

It was Thursday and the Finns had just lost their first game at the 4 Nations Face-Off by five goals to the United States, one they believed they were in after two periods and could win before it spiraled out of control.

"I think we were just [ticked]," forward Erik Haula said.

It was that anger and sense of pride that Finland was able to channel two days later, when it defeated Sweden 4-3 in overtime Saturday, put its rival on the brink of elimination and provided new life.

It was the ultimate turnaround for the ultimate underdog in this best-on-best tournament. And that swing, that win after that loss, puts Finland in a better-than-expected position Monday, retaining a real shot at facing the U.S. in the championship game Thursday.

Should Finland defeat Canada in regulation at TD Garden (1 p.m. ET; MAX, truTV, TNT, SN, TVAS), it will assure itself a spot. A win in overtime or a shootout and the Finns go to the final with anything other than a regulation victory by Sweden against the U.S. (8 p.m. ET; MAX, truTV, TNT, SN, TVAS).

"Obviously, the score of the game didn't really reflect on the big picture of it," Haula said Sunday of the loss to the U.S. "You lose 6-1, you lose 6-1. There's no denying that, but you're frustrated with how it went, and you almost want to play another game and do better."

Finland took that next game. It did better.

It was yet another example of Finland punching above its weight, especially given the losses on defense leading into the tournament, seeing Miro Heiskanen, Rasmus Ristolainen and Jani Hakanpaa become unavailable because of injuries.

"You have to marvel at the Finns," Canada coach Jon Cooper said. "Because you can go to any tournament and they always seem to be the team that probably never gets the respect they deserve until they're in the final and you're like, 'How did Finland get here?'

"But it's every tournament. It's World Juniors, they do World Championships. They're always, always, always hanging around. It's because they just play a disciplined style. I think everybody in the country knows exactly how they play. They have an identity to them."

It's an identity. It's a belief.

"We always have belief in each other," Haula said. "Our strength is our team game. We're a tight-knit group always when we get together. Those are things that Team Finland's always been able to do and get the energy out of there."

It's a feeling that comes from the top down, from players who have won the Stanley Cup including their captain, Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov, the most recent NHL captain to lead a team to an NHL championship.

"Our leaders," coach Antti Pennanen said, of where their confidence starts. "We have really good leaders like Barkov, [Sebastian] Aho, [Mikko] Rantanen. They're used to playing here and they support our players. Of course, good result yesterday gave a lot of confidence for us, and it was a huge win, but for me it's more the players, how they act."

They'll need it against Canada, a team with 15 Stanley Cup winners.

"They have an All-Star team over there," Haula said. "I just think it's a great opportunity for Finland to know what we can do. Our goal is to give ourselves a chance, play our best 60-minute game we can and hopefully get the win."

Haula said Finland can learn from its game against the U.S. and use that knowledge when it takes on Canada, given the similarities in talent level between the two teams.

It won't be easy.

But if it can win? If Finland can rebound from the worst loss in the tournament -- the only one by more than two goals -- it would mean a tremendous amount, especially for the team from the smallest country participating, a team that was overlooked and under respected.

What would it mean?

"A lot, of course," Pennanen said. "It's going to be a big battle for us, and it means a lot because [we] respect Team Canada a lot and the hockey history, so it's going to be a big thing for us if we can win against that team."

Finland will again turn to goalie Kevin Lankinen, who made 21 saves against Sweden after Juuse Saros started against the U.S.

There, again, is belief in him, during a season he has played above expectations for the Vancouver Canucks, going 19-8-7 with a 2.53 goals-against average, .905 save percentage and four shutouts in 34 games (32 starts).

It's a story that fits Finland's narrative. Four days after it looked like it might be a rougher-than-expected week, there's a chance for it to upset Canada and advance.

"It's kind of like a semifinal before the final game," defenseman Henri Jokiharju said Sunday. "It's big stakes on the line, so it's going to be fun for sure tomorrow."

The confidence is high. The belief is high.

Finland is not cowed. Not by Canada, not by anyone.

"It's just a great opportunity for us to play against them," Haula said. "It's a great challenge for us. We're going to try to meet it head-on."