MILAN — Martin Nečas is turning the Olympic stage into his personal showcase.
The dynamic winger drove Czechia into the quarterfinals on Tuesday, scoring the opening goal and adding an assist in a tense 3–2 victory over Denmark. Once again, when the moment demanded composure and creativity, Nečas delivered.
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The Colorado Avalanche star has been electric throughout the tournament, now totaling seven points in four games. That production ties him for second overall in Olympic scoring alongside Switzerland’s Timo Meier, trailing only Canada’s Connor McDavid, who leads the field with nine points in three contests.
The opening period unfolded cautiously, with both teams probing for weaknesses but generating little in the way of high-danger chances. Czechia held a slight 8–6 edge in shots, yet neither side was able to seize momentum in a tightly checked, feeling-out frame.
The tempo shifted dramatically in the second.
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Nečas broke through at 25:39 on the power play, hammering a one-timer from the faceoff dot. It was the first true flash of dominance in the game — and a sign of things to come. He was arguably the most dynamic player on the ice throughout, and that edge began to tilt the contest in favor of the Czechs.
Denmark answered swiftly. Alexander True netted his first-ever Olympic goal at 29:02 to tie the game 1–1, finishing off a clean sequence in tight.
“Yeah, just good play by Joachim there, finding me back, and I just had to put it in the empty net, so that was nice.”
The response from Czechia was immediate and emphatic.
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In a blistering stretch spanning less than two minutes, the Czechs struck twice to reclaim control. David Kämpf buried a goal at 30:15 from the top of the crease, with Nečas contributing a deft saucer pass for the secondary assist. Moments later, at 31:24, Roman Červenka snapped a top-shelf finish past the goaltender off a feed from David Pastrňák, stretching the lead to 3–1 and firmly swinging the momentum in Czechia’s favor.
Czechia now faces a daunting test, drawing Canada in the quarterfinal at 7:10 p.m. local time Wednesday — less than 24 hours after the final horn sounded — a punishing turnaround against the tournament’s heavy favorite.
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