It’s not the game the United States men’s hockey team wanted to be playing in, but it’s the opportunity for a medal they have now.
After the 1-0 loss to Canada in Friday’s semifinal (oh Jamie Benn, you make me feel so conflicted), the Americans still have a shot at a bronze medal if they can get through the ageless Teemu Selanne and the very game Finns. Finland also had a tough, low-scoring loss in the semifinals as they lost to Sweden 2-1.
Kari Lehtonen started in net for the Finns as Tuukka Rask was out with the flu, but there’s no word if he will be back between the pipes for the medal. The game-winning goal from Erik Karlsson is one he’d almost certainly like to have back, but it wasn’t like the team in front of him did much either.
Antti Niemi hasn’t played yet in this tournamnet while Lehtonen is 1-1 with three goals against in two games.
Here’s where you can find the game on television. It’s even at a reasonable hour this time around.
| Team | Team | Time | Channel | |
| United States | v | Finland | 9 A.M. CST | NBCSN |
Both teams will likely have a pretty solid emotional hangover after the close losses. The Finns were rolling pretty well, even managing to drag the Canadians to overtime in the group round, before the Swedish defense and power play managed to quiet them. The Americans had by far the most prolific offense until the Canadians wouldn’t even let them have the puck for long stretches.
The one that bounces back the fastest is the one that will leave Sochi with a medal.