The semifinals of the Olympic Men’s hockey tournament are set following a dramatic day of quarterfinal action, and the latest news as NHL teams resume practicing in today’s Morning Coffee Headlines.
CANADA, FINLAND, SLOVAKIA, AND THE UNITED STATES ADVANCE TO THE OLYMPIC SEMIFINALS
NHL.COM: Canada overcame 2-1 and 3-2 deficits to defeat Czechia 4-3 on an overtime goal by Mitch Marner.
Team Canada winger Mitch Marner (NHL.com)
Nick Suzuki tied the game 3-3 late in the third period for Canada after Czechia took the lead with too many men on the ice, which went unnoticed by the officials. Macklin Celebrini had a goal and two assists, and Connor McDavid collected two assists to tie an Olympic record for the most points in a single tournament with 11.
Lukas Dostal made 37 saves while Lukas Sedlak, David Pastrnak, and Ondrej Palat scored for Czechia.
Canada will face Finland in the semifinals on Friday.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: This game was the most dramatic of the four quarterfinal matchups. The Canadians’ victory was overshadowed by the loss of team captain Sidney Crosby with a lower-body injury suffered during the second period following a hit from Czechia defenseman Radko Gudas and another awkward one along the boards.
Crosby limped off the ice and didn’t return. He underwent an MRI following the game, leaving fans and pundits speculating about whether they had seen the last of him in this tournament.
Czechia played a tremendous game against a Canadian team that had blown them out earlier in the tournament, but head coach Radim Rulik wasn’t happy about the officiating. Following the game, Rulik complained about missed penalty calls during this tournament.
However, the Czechs also benefited when they scored that crucial goal with six skaters on the ice that the officials somehow overlooked. In fairness, both teams had justifiable cause to complain about the officiating in this contest.
An overtime goal by Artturi Lehkonen completed a three-goal comeback by Finland for a 3-2 win over Switzerland. Damien Riat and Nino Niederreiter gave the Swiss a 2-0 lead after two periods, but third-period goals by Sebastian Aho and Miro Heiskanen set the stage for Lehkonen’s overtime heroics.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: A thrilling comeback by the Finns and a heartbreaking loss for the Swiss, who haven’t medaled in Olympic Men’s hockey since 1948.
The United States will face Slovakia in the semifinals following a 2-1 overtime win over Sweden. Quinn Hughes tallied in overtime after Mika Zibanejad tied the game for the Swedes late in the third period. Dylan Larkin also scored, and Connor Hellebuyck stopped 28 shots for Team USA. Jacob Markstrom made 38 saves for Sweden.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Markstrom kept Sweden in this game as the Americans peppered him with 20 shots in the second period. They also played without defenseman Victor Hedman, who suffered an injury during warmups and spent the entire game on the bench.
This game felt like a chapter closing for the Swedes. Long-time stars such as Hedman, Markstrom, Erik Karlsson, and Gabriel Landeskog are in their mid-thirties, and this game was probably their final appearance in Olympic competition.
Slovakia advanced to the semis with a dominant 6-2 victory over Germany. Pavol Regenda tallied twice, Dalibor Dvorsky and Oliver Okulier each had a goal and an assist, and Samuel Hlavaj kicked out 25 shots for the Slovaks. Lukas Reichel had a goal and an assist for the Germans.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Slovakia continues to impress in this tournament. Their dismantling of Germany was a complete team effort. However, they’re about to face their biggest test of the tournament against a deep, star-studded American squad.
Finland vs Canada is on Friday at 10:30 ET, while Slovakia vs the USA is at 3 pm ET. The winner of those games will face off in the Gold Medal Game on Sunday, Feb. 22.
NHL NEWS
FOREVER BLUESHIRTS: New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin and defenseman Adam Fox were full participants at practice on Tuesday. There’s a good possibility the sidelined duo will return to the lineup when the Rangers resume action on Feb. 26.
EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers have brought back Paul Coffey to their coaching staff in an effort to improve their defensive game. Their defense was the league’s fifth-best last season under Coffey’s guidance.
SPORTSNET: Anaheim Ducks goaltender Petr Mrazek underwent hip surgery on Tuesday and is out for the rest of the season.
THE PROVINCE: Oft-injured Vancouver Canucks center Filip Chytil was struck in the face by a puck during practice on Wednesday. He will undergo X-rays to determine the extent of the injury.
YARDBARKER: Montreal Canadiens winger Patrik Laine was back on the ice with his teammates on Wednesday after skipping practice on Tuesday with a lower-body injury.
DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson’s absence from the lineup was revealed to be a minor knee procedure. He’s participating in practice, but has not yet taken part in contact drills.
BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins forward Pavel Zacha returned to practice on Wednesday in a non-contact jersey. He’d been sidelined since Jan. 29 with an upper-body injury.
TAMPA BAY 28: Lightning defenseman Maxwell Crozier will be sidelined for 10 weeks after undergoing core muscle surgery.