BEIJING, Feb 10 (Reuters) – Sweden survived a gritty Latvia fight back to win 3-2 in their Beijing Olympics men’s ice hockey opener on Thursday with both teams skating off believing the gold medal is up for grabs.
Finland certainly believe they can claim their first ever Olympic gold in the sport after brushing aside Slovakia 6-2.
With the National Hockey League pulling out of the Games due to a COVID-19 surge that created havoc with its schedule, the Olympic tournament has no clear favourite.
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The early action at the National Indoor Stadium has underscored just how wide open the medal hunt is going to be.
Of the first four games, three have been decided by a single goal, including one major upset that saw Olympic debutants Denmark shock the Czech Republic with a 2-1 victory.
“Watching the games yesterday anything can happen,” Sweden forward Fredrik Olofsson told Reuters.
“You can’t take anything for granted, everyone has a shot…
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