Welcome to Last Word On Hockey’s Olympic Predictions. Each day, our writers here at Last Word On Hockey look at the games and give in-depth analysis.

Canucks' Kevin Lankinen and Finland lost 4-1 to Slovakia, while Elias Pettersson and Sweden won 5-2 against Italy in their first games of the 2026 Winter Olympics.

MILAN (AP) — Gabriel Landeskog stood on his couch as the clock ticked down to Sweden beating archrival Finland to win the gold medal at the 2006 Turin Olympics. The 13-year-old jumped up and down at the buzzer.

Finland defeated Sweden 4-3 in overtime at the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament last year, then Sweden avenged itself with a 2-1 victory at the IIHF World Championship. Sweden is favored with a tag at -198 with the goal total set at 5.5 via DraftKings.

Slovakia opened the 2026 Winter Olympics with a decisive 4–1 victory over defending champion Finland, powered by two goals from Juraj Slafkovský and a 38-save performance from Samuel Hlavaj.

NHL players are back at the Olympics, and preliminary play opened with two contests in Milan. Here's how Day 1 went.

If Sweden and Finland aren't at the top of Group B at the conclusion of the preliminary round, then the Olympics will have turned upside down.

The preliminary round is over. It’s time to play for a medal in women’s hockey at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games.