Juuse Saros Benched, Ex-Predators Goalie Steals Show vs. Sweden

Former Predators goalie Kevin Lankinen made 21 saves, including the dagger in overtime, to propel Finland to a 4-3 win over Sweden Saturday afternoon.

Representation of the Nashville Predators at the 4 Nations Face-Off got thin real quick following Juuse Saros's benching.

Saros, 29, allowed six goals in Thursday night's 6-1 loss to the United States and six goals in the Predators' 6-2 loss to Chicago on Feb. 7. In short, this has not been a great run for Finland and Nashville's No. 1 goalie.

Former Predators goalie Kevin Lankinen, now with Vancouver, took over for Finland, just as he did with the previously injured Thatcher Demko on the Canucks. The 29-year-old former undrafted goalie made 21 saves on 24 shots against Sweden, and his night was capped by a save on Adrian Kempe's power move that sent former Predators forward Mikael Granlund down the right wing to end the game in dramatic fashion in overtime.

Given how well Lankinen played, especially late in the game, and considering Saros's struggles over the last few weeks, it's hard to imagine a scenario where the Predators star steals his job back for Finland. If Lankinen starts a second game and falters, Finland's tournament will effectively be over anyway.

Predators forwards Gustav Nyquist and Filip Forsberg have yet to make a noticeable impact at the 4 Nations. Neither player has factored in on Sweden's six goals in the tournament, and Nyquist has played just 18 total minutes through two games.

Forsberg, especially, has been a disappointment. He scored two goals in his last game for the Predators before the 4 Nations break and has 21 goals, 31 assists, and 52 points in 54 games this season overall.

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With a day's rest, Lankinen and Finland will play Canada at 12 p.m. Monday, while the U.S., who secured a spot in the Final with a win over Canada on Saturday night, will play Forsberg, Nyquist, and Sweden at 7 p.m. Monday night.

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