2016 World Cup of Hockey Day 4 Game Thread: Rivalry Day! Finns meet Swedes, USA faces Canada

So today is kind of a big one at the World Cup of Hockey. In the early game, old rivals Sweden and Finland face off with the Finns turning to a new goalie in need of a win. Meanwhile, it’s do-or-die for Team USA against the tournament’s scariest line-up.

Schedule and Broadcast Info

• Team Finland vs. Team Sweden, 3 p.m., ESPN, SN, TVA Sports
• Team Canada vs. Team USA, 8 p.m., ESPN, SN, TVA Sports

(I’m gonna go out on a limb and say these next few hours might be the most ESPN many of you have watched in a looooooong time. I know it will be for me.)

Sweden-Finland is a big hockey rivalry that doesn’t get as much play as, say, US-Canada or US-Russia or even Canada-Russia. But there’s a lot of talent on both sides and the Finns, who got schooled by Team North America in the first game, need a win. Tuukka Rask will start in net for Finland instead of Pekka Rinne, and Henrik Lundqvist is back for Sweden after a bout of the flu kept him out of their win against Russia over the weekend.

It all comes down to this for Team USA: lose to Canada and their tournament is essentially over. Team Europe has already secured four points including a shutout win over the Americans. Losing here means zero points with one game remaining.

So, uh, what’s the gameplan, T.J. Oshie?

Yeah. Okay. Good luck with that.

Canada whooped the Czech Republic in its first game, 6-0. Swapping Dustin Byfuglien and Kyle Palmieri in for Jack Johnson and Brandon Dubinsky probably won’t scare them too much. But hey, you never know. Maybe it turns out to be Uncle Sam’s day.

But we know one guy who’ll be ready.