Saturday’s Olympic hockey slate delivered a full dose of drama, dominance, and a few familiar faces making big-time plays on the international stage. Four Avalanche players suited up for their respective countries, and whether it was a blowout, a nail-biter, or something in between, each game had plenty to unpack.
Finland 11, Italy 0 - Kiviranta, Lehkonen shine in dominant win
Let’s start with the most lopsided result of the day. Finland absolutely overwhelmed Italy in an 11-0 rout, and two Avalanche forwards played key roles in the offensive explosion.
Joel Kiviranta was back in the lineup and wasted no time making his presence felt. He found the back of the net twice - matching his season total with the Avs in just one international outing. That’s the kind of confidence boost any player welcomes, especially on a big stage like this.
Artturi Lehkonen also got in on the action in a big way. He tallied a goal and added two assists, including a slick setup on the game’s opening goal.
That tally came off the stick of Sebastian Aho, but it was Lehkonen and former Avs teammate Mikko Rantanen who did the heavy lifting to create the chance. That kind of chemistry doesn’t fade - and Finland is reaping the benefits.
Sweden 5, Slovakia 3 - A missed opportunity despite the win
Sweden’s win over Slovakia had all the makings of a statement game, but a late-game stumble cost them a shot at winning their group.
Heading into the matchup, Sweden knew the math: win by three or more, and they’d lock up the top seed. For most of the game, it looked like they were on track.
After a 2-2 tie midway through the second, Elias Pettersson stepped up in a big way. He scored late in the period to give Sweden the lead, then added another early in the third.
Lucas Raymond assisted on the second and scored one himself not long after, pushing the lead to 5-2.
With eight minutes left, Sweden just needed to keep Slovakia off the board. But a late slashing penalty on Raymond opened the door, and Dalibor Svorsky capitalized with a power-play goal. Slovakia struck again with under a minute to play, trimming the lead to 5-3 - just enough to deny Sweden the goal differential they needed.
As for Gabriel Landeskog, he was held off the scoresheet in this one, but his presence continues to be a steadying force for the Swedes.
USA 6, Denmark 3 - Americans rally after early wake-up call
Team USA didn’t have the smoothest start against Denmark, but once they settled in, their firepower took over.
Denmark jumped out to leads of 1-0 and 2-1 in the first period, despite being heavily outshot. Their second goal - coming on just their third shot - was one Jeremy Swayman will want back. But credit to the Americans: they didn’t panic.
They responded with three goals in an eight-minute stretch to take control at 4-2. Denmark clawed one back just before the second intermission, making it 4-3, but the U.S. stayed composed and tacked on two more in the third to put the game away.
Brock Nelson picked up an assist on the sixth goal, which came off the stick of Jack Hughes. That duo has been clicking lately, and their growing chemistry is becoming a real asset for this American squad.
With group play nearing its end, every goal and every shift is starting to carry more weight. For the Avalanche players representing their countries, Saturday was a mixed bag - from offensive breakouts to missed opportunities - but one thing’s clear: these guys are making their presence felt on the Olympic stage.