Senators Olympic Tracker: Stutzle Leads Tournament in Goals, Matinpalo Scores for Finland
Tim Stutzle scored again for Germany in an upset loss to Latvia, and Nikolas Matinpalo made a memorable impact in his Olympic debut during the fourth day of men's hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina. All six Ottawa Senators players were in action on Saturday, showcasing their skills on the international stage.
Tim Stutzle's Performance for Germany
Stutzle scored his third goal of the tournament in a 4-3 loss to Latvia on Saturday morning. With the German net empty and chaos ensuing around the Latvian crease, Stutzle took a feed from Leon Draisaitl and shot the puck off multiple bodies in front, cutting the deficit to 4-3 with 2:19 remaining in the third period.
Germany had numerous opportunities to tie the game in the subsequent two minutes of 6-on-5 play, including hitting a post and facing multiple huge saves from Latvian netminder Arturs Silovs. Stutzle finished with one goal, five shots, and a plus-1 rating in 26:14 of ice time in the upset defeat. He is now tied with Slovakia's Juraj Slafkovsky for the tournament lead in goals.
With a record of 1-0-0-1 (W-OTW-OTL-L), Team Germany is currently in third place in Group C. Fans can catch Stutzle next when Germany faces the USA on Sunday, February 15, at 3:10 p.m. on TSN and CBC.
Nikolas Matinpalo's Debut for Finland
In his first-ever Olympic game on Friday, Nikolas Matinpalo made a significant impact for Finland. Seven minutes into the first period against Sweden, the 27-year-old defenseman received the puck at the top of the left faceoff circle, opened up his hips, and sent a laser of a wrist shot off the left post and past Filip Gustavsson to make it 1-0.
Matinpalo, who was scratched for Finland's tournament-opening 4-1 loss to Slovakia on Wednesday, wore a subtle smile as he broke out of the post-goal group hug and headed to high-five the rest of his team on the bench. This game marked Matinpalo's first action since January 24 and only his third game of 2026, as he has been a frequent healthy scratch with the Senators.
Team Finland, with a record of 1-0-0-1, is now in second place in Group B. Matinpalo could play his second game of the tournament on Saturday at 10:40 a.m. when Finland takes on Italy, available on SN and CBC.
Other Senators in Action
Brady Tkachuk and Jake Sanderson (USA): Tkachuk and Sanderson each played their second game of the tournament on Saturday at 3:10 p.m. when the United States faced Denmark on TSN. Tkachuk had a goal and three shots in 15:33 of ice time in Team USA's 5-1 win against Latvia on Thursday, while Sanderson recorded two shots in 16:18. Team USA, with a record of 1-0-0, is first place in Group C.
Lars Eller and Mads Sogaard (Denmark): Eller played his second game of the tournament on Saturday at 3:10 p.m. when Denmark took on the United States on TSN. Mads Sogaard could get the call in net against Team USA, as coach Mikael Gath indicated he would not start Frederik Andersen for a second straight game, likely opting to save his No. 1 goalie for a more winnable game against Latvia on Sunday. Eller had four shots and one minor penalty for tripping Stutzle in a 3-1 loss to Germany on Thursday, while Sogaard dressed as the backup goalie. Team Denmark, with a record of 0-1-0, is last place in Group C.
The 2026 Winter Olympics continue to highlight the talent of Ottawa Senators players, with Stutzle leading the goal-scoring race and Matinpalo making a splash in his debut. As the tournament progresses, fans can expect more exciting performances from these athletes on the world stage.
