Dramatic Overtime Wins Propel Canada and U.S. Forward

The Olympic men’s hockey tournament continued to deliver thrilling action on Wednesday, as both Canada and the United States secured their places in the semifinals after hard-fought quarterfinal victories. Canada overcame a late challenge from Czechia, while the U.S. Narrowly defeated Sweden in a game decided in overtime.

Canada Survives Scare Against Czechia

Canada needed overtime to dispatch Czechia 4-3 in a dramatic quarterfinal clash. Mitch Marner scored the winning goal, sending Canada through to the next round. Canada had previously dominated group play, winning their first three games by a combined score of 20-3, including a 5-0 win over Czechia.

The game saw a back-and-forth battle, with Macklin Celebrini giving Canada an early lead. Czechia responded with goals from Lukas Sedlak and David Pastrnak. Nathan MacKinnon equalized for Canada and Nick Suzuki tied the game late in regulation, forcing overtime.

U.S. Edges Sweden in Thrilling Overtime Battle

The United States also faced a tough test against Sweden, ultimately winning 2-1 in overtime. Quinn Hughes scored the decisive goal, securing the victory for Team USA. The game was tightly contested, with Dylan Larkin opening the scoring for the U.S.

“If you dwell on it, it’s not going to be good,” Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin said. “We’ve played in the NHL a long time now, and everyone knows you have to focus on the next shift. If you start dwelling on the past, the past can mess with your game, mess with your confidence. It’s just, move on, keep chugging along.”

Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin

Sweden’s Mika Zibanejad forced overtime with a late goal, but Hughes’ heroics sealed the win for the Americans.

Semifinal Matchups Set

The U.S. Will now face Slovakia in the semifinals. Canada will play either Finland or arch-rival Canada.

Olympic Overtime Rules

The Olympic hockey tournament utilizes a 3-on-3 overtime format during the quarterfinal stage. If a winner is not determined in overtime, a shootout follows. Group play follows NHL rules with 5 minutes of 3-on-3 overtime, followed by a shootout that is a minimum of five rounds.