Canada vs Sweden: prediction & betting odds February 12, 2025

The match between the national teams of Canada and Sweden in the 2025 Four Nations Tournament will take place on February 13 at the Bell Centre in Montreal. Canada vs. Sweden: prediction and betting odds, statistics.

Canada

In the World Cup, the last similar tournament held in 2016, Canada emerged victorious, defeating Team Europe in the final over two games (3-1, 2-1), with Canadian captain Sidney Crosby being named the most valuable player. Notably, in the 21st century, Canada has won Olympic gold three times and has been crowned world champions seven times, reaching the finals in three of the last four World Championships. It is also worth mentioning that Canada has won the last two World Cups (2004, 2016).

• Canada has won in regulation time in 10 of their last 14 World Championship matches.
• At least six goals have been scored over three periods in 9 of Canada's last 12 World Championship games.
• Canada has failed to score against Sweden in the first period in 6 of their last 7 head-to-head meetings at the Olympics and World Championships.

Canada's Lineup

The most formidable forward line for Canada is likely to consist of Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, and Nathan MacKinnon. Crosby is the top scorer for the Pittsburgh Penguins, with 58 points this season (17 goals, 41 assists). Connor McDavid is the second-highest scorer for the Edmonton Oilers (22 goals, 49 assists) and is arguably the best hockey player in the world at the moment. Nathan MacKinnon is the leading scorer for the Colorado Avalanche and the top scorer in the entire NHL (21 goals, 66 assists).

The defense line also looks impressive, with only Alex Pietrangelo missing the tournament. Even without him, Canada should face no issues. With Cale Makar in the lineup, the team should feel confident, as he is the best offensive defenseman in the NHL (22 goals, 41 assists).

Sweden

In the 2016 World Cup, Sweden topped Group B but lost to Team Europe in the semifinals (2-3 in overtime). In this tournament, the team has always participated in knockout games but has never reached the final. Notably, in the 21st century, Sweden has won the World Championship gold four times and has been an Olympic medalist twice (2006 gold, 2014 silver). However, in the last six years at the World Championships, Sweden has not reached the final.

• Sweden has not lost in regulation time in their last four head-to-head meetings at the Olympics and World Championships (2 wins, 2 draws).
• The team has scored at least two goals over three periods in four previous head-to-head encounters at the Olympics and World Championships.
• Sweden has not lost to Canada in the first period in their last five meetings at the Olympics and World Championships (2 wins, 3 draws).

Sweden's Lineup

The leader among Sweden's three goalies is Filip Gustavsson, who is having the best season of his career, with a reliability coefficient of 2.6. In defense, Victor Hedman stands out as the top-scoring Swedish defenseman in the NHL, having earned 44 points (8 goals, 36 assists) for the Tampa Bay Lightning this season. Rasmus Dahlin, who can enhance Sweden's power play, and Gustav Forsling, who excels in penalty killing and is the most shooting Swedish defenseman this NHL season, also deserve mention. In attack, William Nylander plays a leading role, being the top Swedish sniper in the current championship and the leader in power-play goals, with 55 points for the Toronto Maple Leafs (33 goals, 22 assists).

Canada vs. Sweden: Match Prediction

A major advantage for Canada is that the team is not only strong in terms of names but also well-organized, with each player knowing their role, making the team appear balanced—a significant advantage. The only weak spot might be the goaltending unit, as all three goalies currently look rather modest, but I believe Canada can offset this with their powerful attack, which is rightly considered one of the strongest in the tournament.

Sweden also has plenty of stars, but they seem to lack cohesion. In this regard, I believe Sweden falls short compared to Canada, especially since many Scandinavian players are not in top form. Sweden's strong point is their defense, which will likely pose challenges for Canada, but the question is whether the team as a whole can find balance.

I think Canada will start the tournament with a victory, as they have all the necessary components for success. Moreover, Canada has beaten Sweden in 5 of their last 8 head-to-head encounters at the Olympics and World Championships (2 in overtime). I believe this time, the North Americans will secure the win in regulation time.

My prediction: Canada to Win