It doesn't feel like this was just the third day of action of the men's tournament in Italy. It feels like these guys have been playing for a week. Friday saw two Hurricanes in action, with one trying to lead his team to a bounce-back performance, while the other took the ice for the first time. It left plenty to talk about as we head into another busy weekend.
Aho needs to become more noticeable for Finland to have any hope
After a stunning upset loss to Slovakia on Wednesday, Finland knew it couldn't afford to play the same way against its bitter rival, Sweden, on Friday morning. To their credit, they looked much better, but it wasn't the top guys leading the charge. Instead, it was guys like Joel Armia, Erik Haula, and the Florida trio of Lundell, Luostarinen, and Mikkola. Juuse Saros also bounced back in a big way.
Outside of the empty-net goal to seal it from Mikko Rantanen, Finland's Top 6 has been largely absent from the first two games. Sebastian Aho was a massive non-factor in Friday's 4-1 win. He didn't record a shot, nor did he create any chances for his teammates to do anything noteworthy. Aho played 17:53 in the game, and most of it was spent just skating around.
If Finland wants to do anything substantial once the playoff rounds begin, they need Aho and the entire Top 6 to get going. That's especially true for the top power play, which has looked abysmal thus far. The Finn's second unit has been far more dangerous. Aho isn't on the scoresheet yet, and Italy, Finland's final group opponent, has been a tough draw in its first two contests.
Jarvis gets ice time and chances in a one-sided win for Canada
To close the day, we got our first look at Seth Jarvis with Team Canada at the Winter Olympics. The Canes' sniper took Brad Marchand's spot in the lineup. Playing time was limited for him throughout the contest, but he got a few good looks, especially in the third period, that he couldn't quite turn into goals.
Jarvis played his best over the final 20 minutes, skating for over five minutes. It led to some chances against Akira Schmid. The first one saw him streak past a defender before being denied on a breakaway. The second was a flurry of opportunities, one that he sent wide, and another that was kicked out. He played just 9:19, the least on the roster, but Jarvis made good use of his minutes.
With the win, Canada secured the top spot in Group A. They have one group game left on Sunday against France, and Jarvis more than earned a chance to get another look. With it being a largely inconsequential game, it might even be worth elevating his role a little to keep other guys fresh before the real games begin.
Saturday's slate: Aho and the Finns will conclude group play against Italy at 10:40 am EST, with their hopes of topping the group looking incredibly slim. Italy has refused to be pushed around, but Aho really needs a good game. The final game of the day will see Jaccob Slavin and the Americans battle Nikolaj Ehlers and the Danes, though Frederik Andersen will not be in the net for this one.