For the first time in his career, Sebastian Aho took the ice as a Winter Olympian, dressing for the opening game of the men’s tournament on Wednesday. His Finnish side matched up against Slovakia to begin play in Group B, and I’m not sure many expected what transpired over the next 60 minutes. I know Aho and the Finns certainly didn’t.
Slovakia stunned Finland, and a good portion of the hockey community, by winning the first game, 4-1. Juraj Slafkovsky was excellent to start the tournament. Playing in his second Games, he scored the first goal early in the opening frame and added the backbreaker on the power play midway through the third. He completed a three-point game with an assist on the empty netter.
The real star of the show was Slovakian netminder Samuel Hlavaj. The Minnesota farmhand was the busier of the goalies, and he outdueled Juuse Saros with relative ease. He recorded 39 stops on 40 shots, with his most important being a late save on Roope Hintz with his right pad. It’s a game he and his teammates will never forget.
Aho was the most-utilized forward on Finland’s roster
As he is with the Hurricanes, Sebastian Aho was used in all situations for the Finns, getting time on the top power play and killing penalties. His line with Teuvo Teravainen and Artturi Lehkonen was on the ice quite a bit, and they were strong throughout the first two periods. Aho was more of a facilitator for his linemates, with Lehkonen finishing with four shots and Teravainen with three.
While he only had one shot in the game, Aho had more ice time (18:45) than any of Finland’s forwards and was fifth on the team overall. However, with all of that ice time, especially in the third period, came chances for mistakes and goals against. Suffice to say, the final 20 minutes weren’t kind to Aho and his mates.
The game-winning goal came with Aho’s line on the ice. He lost the draw to Dalibor Dvorsky and lost an edge in front of the net, falling and allowing Dvorsky to clean up a rebound around the crease. He was also part of the penalty killing group that allowed the goal to Slafkovsky. Lastly, Aho was on the ice for the empty netter, losing his position around the net before the puck crossed the line.
This loss puts Finland in a very tough spot. They were already facing incredible competition from rival Sweden in their group, and they’re now at risk of starting 0-2, with the Swedes looming on Friday. Fortunately, everyone competing makes it to the playoff rounds. It’s still a big hole for the Finns to climb out of, especially if they hope to medal.