U.S. and Canada Survive Nail-Biting Overtime Wins in Olympic Hockey Quarterfinals
The Olympic men's ice hockey tournament delivered heart-stopping drama as the United States and Canada narrowly escaped quarterfinal upsets with overtime victories, setting the stage for a potential gold medal showdown. In a day filled with tension and late-game heroics, both North American powerhouses faced moments of uncertainty before securing their spots in the semifinals.
U.S. Edges Sweden in Overtime Thriller
When Sweden's Mika Zibanejad scored with just 91 seconds remaining to tie the game, the pressure mounted for the U.S. team. Veteran players like Dylan Larkin admitted to feeling unprecedented nerves. "That's as nervous as I've been ever in a hockey game," Larkin said. However, Quinn Hughes emerged as the hero, scoring in overtime to give the U.S. a 2-1 victory. "Just relief," Hughes remarked after the game, highlighting the emotional roller coaster.
Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck played a crucial role, stopping 28 of 29 shots, including a critical save on Lucas Raymond during the second period. The win keeps alive the possibility of a U.S.-Canada gold medal match on Sunday.
Canada Rallies to Defeat Czechia
Canada faced a similar scare, trailing Czechia with under four minutes left in regulation. Drew Doughty, a player with gold medals and Stanley Cup rings, confessed to feeling butterflies. "I never had a doubt, but it was getting a little nerve-wracking," Doughty said. Nick Suzuki tied the game with 3:27 remaining, deflecting a shot from Devon Toews past goaltender Lukas Dostal.
In overtime, Mitch Marner scored just over a minute in, securing a 4-3 win and avoiding what would have been a stunning early exit. Coach Jon Cooper praised the team's resilience, stating, "Everybody had complete faith in whoever was going over the boards. It just felt it was like a matter of time." Jordan Binnington's 21 saves, including a breakaway denial of David Pastrnak, were instrumental in the victory.
Finland and Slovakia Also Advance
Finland mirrored Canada's comeback, rallying from a two-goal deficit to beat Switzerland 3-2 in overtime. Miro Heiskanen tied the game with 72 seconds left, and Artturi Lehkonen scored the winner. "We are a relentless team," Heiskanen said. "We never give up."
Slovakia dominated Germany 6-2 to reach the semifinals, with Dalibor Dvorsky and Pavol Regenda leading the offense. Despite an injury scare to star Juraj Slafkovsky, who went head-first into the boards, Slovakia's performance has been a surprise. Alternate captain Erik Cernak noted, "Before the tournament, if we would say we're going to make semifinals, probably people would laugh at you. But we did it."
Looking Ahead to the Semifinals
The semifinals are set for Friday, with the U.S. facing Slovakia and Canada taking on Finland. Hughes acknowledged the challenge ahead, saying, "It's gonna be an extremely hard test. They've been rolling. It's Game 7 every night now." As the tournament progresses, the intensity only promises to increase, with medals on the line and national pride at stake.
