The initial round of men’s hockey at the Olympics has concluded, revealing a promising path to gold for several Nashville Predators players. The qualification round is scheduled to commence on February 17, paving the way for the quarterfinals on February 18, the semifinals on February 20, and culminating in the gold medal game on February 22.
Canada, the United States, Finland, and Slovakia have secured automatic spots in the quarterfinals, while Denmark, France, Czechia, Latvia, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, and Italy will compete in the qualification round. Notably, Predators players Roman Josi and Filip Forsberg will represent Switzerland and Sweden, respectively, and are set to engage in the qualification round, while Juuse Saros and Erik Haula from Finland have advanced directly to the quarterfinals.
Roman Josi is poised to kick off Switzerland’s qualification efforts when they face Italy on February 17. Josi has been performing well, contributing a goal and an assist in their recent victory over Czechia, accumulating three points across three games. At the same time, Filip Forsberg’s team, Sweden, will take on Latvia on the same day, with the potential to face the United States in the quarterfinals. Forsberg, who initially began the tournament as Sweden’s 13th forward, has seen his playing time increase, recording an assist in three games.
Finland’s Juuse Saros has been a consistent player, starting all three games with a record of 2-1-0 and an impressive .946 save percentage. Erik Haula has also contributed as a third-line forward, tallying three assists through three games. Finland will meet the winner of the Switzerland versus Italy game in the quarterfinals on February 18.
The schedule for the upcoming qualification round includes:
– February 17: Switzerland vs. Italy at 5:10 a.m. CT
– February 17: Sweden vs. Latvia at 2:10 p.m. CT
In the quarterfinals:
– February 18: Finland vs. Switzerland/Italy winner at 11:10 a.m. CT
– February 18: United States vs. Sweden/Latvia winner at 2:10 p.m. CT
All matches will be available on NBC’s Olympics coverage, with streaming options on Peacock.
With the potential for standout performances from these Predators players, excitement builds for what they can achieve in the race for the gold medal at the Olympic Games.