MILAN, Italy -- Underdog Italy made podium-contending Sweden work for its 5-2 win in the men's ice hockey group stage on Wednesday and Slovakia stunned defending champions Finland 4-1, as the Olympic tournament delivered thrills on its opening day.

Nylander gave Sweden the 3-2 lead at 16:46 of the second period by picking up a loose puck on the side of the net and lifting it past Clara into an open net. It was the first Olympic goal for the Toronto Maple Leafs forward, whose status for the game was unclear after missing practice on Tuesday.

By Amy Tennery and Trevor Stynes MILAN, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Finland beat Nordic rivals Sweden 4-1 to get their Olympic title defence back on track on Friday, Slovakia held off hosts Italy 3-2 to stay perfect and Czech Republic beat France 6-3 on the third day of the men's ice hockey tournament.

Raymond debuts as Sweden narrowly escapes underdog Italy's spirited challenge. Dominant shots mask offensive struggles in a tense Olympic opening victory.

Sweden’s win over Slovakia, combined with Finland’s 11-0 win over Italy left a three-way tie atop the Group B standings.

Team Canada took down Switzerland, 5-1, in a preliminary round game at the 2026 Olympics. See the highlights from the game.

Finland falters against Slovakia as Granlund showcases vision. Clara battles valiantly for Italy before an unfortunate injury.