USA vs. Finland Women's Hockey Live Stream Schedule, Odds

The United States will open its gold-medal defense at the Winter Olympics on Thursday in Beijing.

Team USA will take the ice against Finland in the last of four games spread across the day. Making a solid first impression in a group that includes reigning world champion Canada will be imperative.

                        

When: Thursday, Feb. 3 at 8:10 a.m. ET

Watch: USA Network

Live Stream: Peacock

Odds (via DraftKings): United States -4000 (bet $4000 to win $100); Finland +1100 (bet $100 to win $1,100)

              

Finland and the United States were also drawn into the same group four years ago. Team USA was a 3-1 winner thanks to goals from Monique Lamoureux-Morando, Kendall Coyne Schofield and Dani Cameranesi.

Then the U.S. swept aside the Finns 5-0 in the semifinals.

The same story played out at the 2021 Women's World Championship. The United States prevailed 3-0 over Finland in the group stage and won by the same score in the semis. Those results epitomize Finland's history on the world stage. The country has collected three bronze medals in the Winter Olympics to go along with one silver and 13 bronzes in the World Championship.

Finland is consistently one of the top teams in Europe but time and again gets stymied by the United States or Canada in the knockout stages.

This isn't necessarily a battle-tested roster for head coach Pasi Mustonen, either. Lucas Aykroyd of the IIHF's official site noted how Finland has 13 first-time Olympians.

The United States, by comparison, has eight players participating in their first Winter Olympics. Hilary Knight is set to feature in her fourth Games, while the quartet of Coyne Schofield, Brianna Decker, Amanda Kessel and Lee Stecklein are embarking on their third trips.

Having missed the most recent World Championship, goaltender Maddie Rooney is back in the squad as well. She boasted a 1.16 goals-against average and a .946 save percentage in four starts at the 2018 Winter Olympics.

"When I think about Finland, it's a heck of a draw, but I think it's a perfect way to start," head coach Joel Johnson said. "It's going to be one of those situations where if we don't show up ready to go we're going to be in for a long day."

Finland is the third-ranked team in the world for a reason. With six goals, Petra Nieminen was the co-leading scorer alongside Canada's Melodie Daoust at the 2021 Worlds, and Anni Keisala acquitted herself nicely between the pipes in place of Noora Raty.

The United States is the heavy favorite for a reason. Team USA has had Finland's number of late, and generally speaking, the roster hasn't experienced much of a talent drain between the 2018 Winter Olympics and now.

But the U.S. will find itself the victim of a big upset if it starts off flat-footed Thursday.

                 

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