Finland’s Goaltending Conundrum: After Olympic Opener Loss, Is It Time for a Change in Net?
Juuse Saros was always going to be the guy for Finland when the puck dropped in Milano-Cortina. With NHL players back in the Olympics for the first time in over a decade, the Nashville Predators’ netminder earned the starting nod on the strength of his body of work over the years. But after a rocky Olympic opener, Finland may need to reevaluate its goaltending situation - and fast.
Saros gave up three goals on 24 shots in a 4-1 loss to Slovakia, a team that came into the tournament without many NHL names and started an AHL goalie. It was an upset, plain and simple - and a result that’s already putting Finland’s medal hopes in question.
To be clear, Saros didn’t lose the game on his own. Finland struggled across the board, missing their top center Aleksander Barkov and looking out of sync in all three zones. But when your goalie is supposed to be one of your biggest strengths, and he’s letting in goals that swing momentum the other way, the spotlight gets hot in a hurry.
The loss stings more when you consider what Finland came into this tournament expecting. The goal was a top-four finish, minimum.
Even after a bumpy showing at last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off, they still see themselves as part of that elite tier alongside Canada, Sweden, and the United States. But if they’re going to prove that, they’ll need better goaltending - or at least a spark.
Enter Joonas Korpisalo.
The Boston Bruins goalie wasn’t even supposed to be here. He didn’t make the original roster and wasn’t planning to make the trip.
But when Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen went down with an injury, Korpisalo got the call as Finland’s third-string option. He watched the opener from the press box, and now, with the team facing Sweden next, the question becomes: is it time to give him a shot?
It’s not like Saros has been lights-out this season. His numbers - a 3.20 goals-against average and .892 save percentage - tell the story.
And his struggles aren’t new. At the 4 Nations Face-Off, he posted a 3.96 GAA and .870 save percentage, losing both of his starts.
That’s not the kind of form you want from your No. 1 heading into a short, high-stakes tournament.
Korpisalo and Kevin Lankinen haven’t exactly been dominant this season either, but both have shown flashes of stronger form lately. And that might be enough. Saros gave up 11 goals in his final two NHL starts before the Olympic break, and his Olympic debut didn’t offer much reassurance.
This isn’t just about goaltending, though. Finland is missing Barkov, and that absence is being felt across the lineup.
Without their top center, the lines get shuffled, players are asked to take on bigger roles, and the overall depth takes a hit. Against Slovakia, that lack of depth showed - and it could be a problem against deeper, more structured teams like Sweden, Czechia, or even Switzerland.
Still, goaltending is the one position that can mask a lot of flaws. A hot goalie can carry a team through a rough patch.
Right now, Saros doesn’t look like that guy. And if Finland wants to avoid an early exit, they’ll need someone to step up between the pipes - whether that’s Saros finding his form or someone else taking the reins.
The Olympic tournament layout gives Finland time to recover, but the margin for error is thin. A bounce-back performance against Sweden could shift the narrative. But if the goaltending doesn’t improve, Finland’s stay in Milano-Cortina might be shorter than expected.