If Team Finland is to have any chance at winning a medal in this year's Olympics, they're going to need excellent goaltending and strong defensive play.
That became even more apparent when it was announced arguably their two best forwards, Mikko Koivu and Valtteri Filppula, would be unable to play in the tournament due to injuries.
While they still have some talent in Aleksander Barkov, Mikael Granlund, Lauri Korpikoski, etc. they don't have enough top end guys or depth to trade chances with Canada, Russia or any of the big boys and expect to come out on top.
Luckily for Finland they have an excellent trio of goaltenders, led by Tuukka Rask, that should be able to keep games close, even against the toughest of opponents.
They also have some quality NHL defensemen such as underrated veteran Kimmo Timonen as well as two young guns with star potential in the steady and reliable Olli Maatta, along with the flashy Sami Vatanen. Those three, as well as Sami Salo, should be able to keep things stable on the back-end while contributing offensively; especially in power play situations.
While Finland's team isn't going to scare many on paper, they have enough tools in their tool box to pull off some upsets and perhaps medal in this tournament.
They'll need some guys to step up offensively, but their defense and goaltending, along with the tight-checking system they play, should give them a chance to win every night.
First game is against Austria on Thursday at 3 a.m. eastern.
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