Both teams enter the matchup with knowledge of the historic rivalry but also know the importance of staying alive in the tournament.

Sweden is third in the 4 Nations Face-Off standings with one point it earned in a 4-3 overtime loss to Canada on Wednesday. Finland lost 6-1 to the U.S. on Thursday and will be eliminated from contention to be in the final if they lose to Sweden in regulation.

Finland is making a change in net for its second game of the 4 Nations Face-Off. Coach Antti Pennanen said Kevin Lankinen will start against Sweden on Saturday after Juuse Saros allowed six goals on 32 shots in Finland's 6-1 loss to the United States in each team's first game of the tournament.

Finland versus Sweden will also be a must-watch for Canucks fans as Lankinen will face off against Elias Pettersson. In his first game for Sweden, Pettersson recorded a shot, a hit and a blocked shot in 16:32 of ice time. Puck drop for Finland versus Sweden is set for 10:00 am PT and can be viewed on Sportsnet.

The two last faced each other in the IIHF World Championship in 2019. Finland defeated Sweden 5-4 in overtime in the quarterfinals and went on to win gold; Lankinen allowed four goals on 18 shots in that game, including one by Pettersson. “As of now we’re not teammates for a week,” Lankinen said. “But maybe when we get back, we’ll talk more.”

The 4 Nations Face-Off continues as we continue our 4 Nations Face-Off odds series with a Finland-Sweden prediction and pick.

Following a crushing defeat to the Americans, Finnish Head Coach Antti Pennanen told media Friday that Vancouver Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen will get the start Saturday against Sweden.

That’s what we work so hard for.” Lankinen last played for Finland in the 2019 IIHF World Championship, where he helped it win the gold medal by making 43 saves in a 3-1 victory against Canada in the final.