MILAN, Feb 18 – Wednesday’s Olympic men’s hockey quarter-finals delivered heart-stopping overtime action, setting up compelling semifinal matchups as Canada prepares to face defending champion Finland and the United States gets ready to take on Slovakia.
The return of NHL stars to Olympic competition for the first time in a decade has kept hopes alive for a highly anticipated final showdown between longtime rivals Canada and the United States, while Finland continues defending their title and Slovakia pursues their first-ever gold medal game appearance.
Both semifinal contests are set for Friday at Milan’s Santagiulia Arena.
Canada entered as tournament favorites and reinforced that status during group play, scoring five goals against both Czech Republic and Switzerland while allowing just one, then demolishing France 10-2.
Despite topping their group, Canada faced the Czech Republic again in quarter-final action, where they trailed 3-2 late in regulation before tying the game and getting Mitch Marner’s overtime winner just 82 seconds into the extra period.
The close call may serve as a crucial reality check for Canada heading into their clash with Finland, whose resilient spirit powered a remarkable comeback victory over Switzerland.
Finland’s roster includes only one player from their 2022 championship team – Mikko Lehtonen, their lone non-NHL representative – yet they’ve demonstrated Olympic excellence by earning medals in four of the past five Games.
The defending champions started poorly, falling 4-1 to Slovakia before rebounding with a 4-1 victory over Sweden and an 11-0 rout of host Italy.
Those victories secured automatic advancement to the quarterfinals as the top second-place finisher, but Finland faced elimination when Switzerland built a two-goal advantage with under seven minutes remaining.
Two late equalizers and Artturi Lehkonen’s breakaway overtime goal in extra time preserved Finland’s tournament hopes, showcasing the determination they’ll need against Canada.
SLOVAKIAN SURPRISE
Slovakia entered with modest expectations despite their 2022 bronze medal but announced their presence with that early upset of Finland.
After defeating Italy and falling 5-3 to Sweden, a late goal against the Swedes gave Slovakia the group lead on goal differential, bypassing the playoff round and earning a favorable quarterfinal draw.
Slovakia handled Germany easily in a 6-2 quarterfinal victory.
Standing in their path is a United States team hungry for their first gold since 1980, after nearly squandering their opportunity against Sweden.
The Americans cruised through group stage with victories over Latvia 5-1, Denmark 6-3, and Germany, despite allowing Denmark to score first.
Wednesday’s Swedish quarterfinal proved far more challenging. The U.S. grabbed a second-period lead but couldn’t create separation, keeping Sweden within striking distance throughout.
A Swedish equalizer in the final minute forced three-on-three overtime, but Quinn Hughes scored the decisive goal to send the Americans through.
