Winter Olympics: USA and Canada escape the shocks in the quarter finals of ice hockey in the men’s competition 

As NHL players were returning to the Winter Olympics for the first time since 2014, these games were supposed to be a relatively easy walk in the park for Canada and the USA. Nevertheless, both teams that featured stars failed in the Wednesday men’s ice hockey quarter-final matches.

Quinn Hughes scored the overtime goal to pull the US ahead over Sweden 2-1 after allowing the goal of Mika Zibanejad with 91 seconds left in the third period. Dylan Larkin was the only person to score a US goal in regulation when he deflected a shot by Jack Hughes.

Hughes said, “Just relief”, when asked about his emotions after the game.

In the meantime, Canada had a closer quarter-final. Nick Suzuki brought the game to a draw with a deflection and 3:27 remaining, Mitch Marner scored in overtime, and Canada escaped what would have been a beautiful exit at the Olympics as it came back against the Czech Republic to win the game 4-3.

“I never had a doubt, but it was getting a little nerve-wracking,” defenseman Drew Doughty said.

Canada trailed 7:42 to come when Ondrej Palat put the puck in the net with a pass sent by Martin Necas. The objective was to see the Czech bench and fans go crazy in a massive celebration, which did not last long.

Suzuki almost managed to do everything to the trying goal, passing the puck tothe point of Devon Toews and then deflecting the shot of the defenseman past Lukas Dostal. The Canadians yet managed to lose: Jordan Binnington had to deny David Pastrnak a break-even point during a break with 70 seconds remaining to take the game beyond the first and second periods.

Canada then scored on a backhanded goal by Marner at 1:22 in overtime and advanced to the semi-finals on Friday. 

“It is the it-factor, man: Mitch Marner’s got it,” coach Jon Cooper said. “He doesn’t disappoint. Sometimes your hair falls out, but in the end, he never disappoints. 

Canada is the most successful country in terms of goals in the history of Olympic ice hockey. However, there is more than just the problem that the main team of this year has in terms of their tessel on Wednesday. They lost star Sidney Crosby to injury 5 minutes into the second period, who seemingly had his right leg give way as he was about to hit rough Czech Republic defenseman Radko Gudas. Crosby was later pushed through the boards and crushed by Gudas and Necas, and he took off the ice two seconds later.