Kevin Lankinen to replace Juuse Saros in goal for Finland at the 4 Nations Face-Off vs. Sweden

By Canadian Press on February 14, 2025.

MONTREAL (AP) — Kevin Lankinen will start in net for Finland against Sweden in the 4 Nations Face-Off on Saturday after Juuse Saros allowed six goals on 32 shots in a 6-1 loss to the United States in each team’s tournament opener, coach Antti Pennanen said.

“We have three good goalies,” Pennanen said after practice Friday. “It’s a good situation for us. Juuse, I think he was really good the first 40 minutes, but 6-1, so we need to do something. And Kevin, he has played good games lately, so that was behind that decision.”

Saros’ struggles stretched into the 4 Nations from his rough half-season-plus in the NHL with the Nashville Predators. The 29-year-old has lost 29 of his 41 starts, ranks 38th among goalies with a 2.95 goals-against average 33rd with an .899 save percentage.

Asked how he would evaluate his performance against the U.S., Saros said: “Obviously you always want to help your team even more on games like that.”

Saros’ new, eight-year, $61.92 million contract does not even kick in until next season.

Lankinen is 19-8-7 for the Vancouver Canucks with a 2.53 GAA and a .905 save percentage, making just above the league minimum at $875,000. A late bloomer who was never drafted, he grinded through minor leagues in Finland and North America before breaking through.

“I feel like there’s still more — a lot more — to accomplish, so many more levels to step up to, and I feel like every single season so far has been good progress,” Lankinen said. “Some of the pieces are coming together, but at the same time I recognize there is so much more to achieve.”

Pennanen hinted at making other lineup changes after scratching Kaapo Kakko and Juuso Valimaki on Thursday night but would not reveal much. Valimaki said he was not playing.

“Could be, but tomorrow you will know about those,” Pennanen said. “Again, 6-1, I think you need to do something but I know more exactly tomorrow, and those changes are public tomorrow.”

Canada’s Makar sick

No. 1 defenseman Cale Makar should play for Canada against the U.S. on Saturday night after missing practice with an illness.

“Expect is a big word, but I’m confident,” coach Jon Cooper told reporters in Brossard, Quebec. “I’m confident he’ll be there.”

Canada is down to just six healthy defensemen after losing Shea Theodore to injury midway through the second period against Sweden on Wednesday night and getting ruled out for the remainder of the tournament. Travis Sanheim is replacing Theodore in the lineup.

Up front, Sam Bennett is expected to go in for Travis Konecny. Cooper formed a line of all three players he coaches with the Tampa Bay Lightning — Anthony Cirelli, Brayden Point and Brandon Hagel — with Bennett centering Brad Marchand and Seth Jarvis.

Sullivan coy on changes

If the U.S. is making any changes, coach Mike Sullivan isn’t telling.

“We always consider lineup changes,” Sullivan said Friday.

Sullivan gave his players the day off after beating Finland. Chris Kreider and Jake Sanderson were the healthy scratches against Finland, but winning so convincingly might lead the staff to stick with the same 12 forwards and six defensemen.

One noticeable in-game adjustment — beyond putting brothers Matthew and Brady Tkachuk together and watching them run roughshod over the Finns — was with the D-pairs, putting Noah Hanifin with Adam Fox and Jaccob Slavin with Brock Faber.

“We had our reasons on why we switched them up,” Sullivan said. “I’m not going to get into what those reasons are, specifically. But we just felt that we wanted to affect a little bit of change amongst the pairs back there. We thought it would give us a better opportunity to get potentially advantageous matchups and give us a better chance to win. That inevitably is why we did it.”

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Stephen Whyno, The Associated Press