On Sunday, Feb. 8, Finland and Czechia faced off in Finland’s second match of the tournament and for Czechia’s third. Both teams had yet to win a game heading into this one. There was a lot on the line for the two teams to get their first win under their belt.
Related: Guide to the 2026 Winter Olympics Women’s Hockey Tournament
Czechia scored a goal in the opening minutes of the first period, taking an early lead. Both teams had power play chances in the first, one for Czechia and two for Finland, yet neither team capitalized on the extra-player advantage. Right after Czechia killed the second penalty, they scored their second goal of the game to take an early lead.
In the second period, Finland took a seat for a cross-checking penalty, but Czechia didn’t capitalize on the extra-player advantage. They still held a two-goal lead heading into the final frame. The third period saw one power play chance for Finland, but they couldn’t capitalize on the extra-player advantage, nor during the five-on-five, giving Czechia their first win in the tournament with a 2-0 shutout victory.
Finland Has Yet to Score a Goal
Finland has only played two games during the Winter Olympics so far, due to their first game being postponed. Several players were dealing with illness, so it was in the best interest of both Finland and the team they were facing, Canada, to contain the spread of sickness. Finland played their first game on Saturday, when they were shut out by the USA, 5-0. They had a quick turnaround to take on Czechia back-to-back, and unfortunately for Finland, they had the same result.
Finland has played 120 minutes of regulation ice time and has been shut out in both games. They haven’t scored a single goal in the tournament, so their chances of progressing to the quarter-finals are diminishing. They’ll need to capitalize on offensive opportunities and find that scoring chemistry if they hope to continue in the tournament.
Both Teams Had Even Chances
Despite Finland not scoring in this game, they each had an even chance to get on the board. In the entire game, Finland outshot Czechia by just one, 25 to 24. Both teams were even in the offensive zone, and although it was Finland who had the extra shot, they just couldn’t connect.
Czechia scored early in the first period, on their second shot of the game. Late in the same period, they scored their second goal of the game on their sixth shot. They took 18 more shots in the remaining 43 minutes of the game, but since they were the only team to score in the first, it negated their lack of scoring in the final two periods.
Mlynkova Made Czech History
This might have been Czechia’s first win of the tournament, but this wasn’t the only win of the game. Natalie Mlynkova scored the game-winning goal late in the first to extend the team’s lead. This goal marked her third goal at the Olympic level, making her the first Czech player to score three goals in the tournament. Although she has only scored two goals in the 2026 Games, she scored her first in her first Olympics in Beijing in 2022 to give her this total.
Mlynkova currently plays for the Montreal Victoire in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL). This is her first season in the PWHL, after Montreal selected her in the second round, 10th overall. So far, she has played in 15 games and has recorded six points on four goals and two assists. She consistently finds scoring opportunities, which has led her to the success she has been having at this year’s Olympics.
This is only the preliminary round, and there is still one more guaranteed game for Czechia to play. There’s a chance she could increase her Olympic goal total soon.
Czechia Back on Monday, Finland Back on Tuesday
Czechia will play their second back-to-back of the Olympic tournament when they play Czechia on Monday, Feb. 9 at 3:10 PM ET.
Finland will have a day of rest and take on Switzerland on Tuesday, Feb. 10 at 3:10 PM ET.
