Quite the epic day of hockey, no?
Four teams remain in the men’s hockey tournament of the Winter Olympics. Three of Wednesday’s four quarterfinal matchups went to overtime.
Slovakia, which won 6-2 over Germany to start the day, probably watched those games and wondered why they were so difficult.
But the dream of Canada and the United States meeting in the gold medal game stays alive following their epic overtime victories in Milan.
Five Vegas Golden Knights players will compete in the medal round. Three will head back to Las Vegas.
The five are thrilled to still be playing. No one is probably more excited than Mitch Marner.
The Knights’ star winger scored the biggest goal of his professional career 1:22 into overtime to give Canada a 4-3 win over the Knights’ Tomas Hertl and Czechia in the game of the tournament.
MITCH MARNER CALLS GAME IN OT. 🇨🇦💥#WinterOlympics pic.twitter.com/8nCO7eg2fa
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 18, 2026
Marner carried the puck through the neutral zone, evaded all three Czechia skaters and finished with a backhand on goaltender Lukas Dostal.
“Pretty special,” Marner said. “Cool to just contribute and make a play when you need it. There were so many big plays in that game that made it what it is.”
Czechia almost delivered the biggest international upset in recent memory. Canada trailed 3-2 with about seven minutes remaining after winger Ondrej Palat’s go-ahead goal.
That rush started after Hertl — who had no points through four games — blocked a shot from defenseman Thomas Harley to start the rush. Hertl recorded his first point of the tournament on that play.
But it shouldn’t have counted, because the referees inexplicably missed Czechia having six skaters on the ice.
Suzuki and Doughty struggled to sort out the 3-on-2 coverage on the goal that almost ended 🇨🇦’s Olympic tournament. Why? 🇨🇿 got away with having 6 players on the ice.
Credit eagle eye @DimFilipovic for noticing, but this screen shot is from right after Harley’s shot got blocked. pic.twitter.com/f58ydhjbrI
— Thomas Drance (@ThomasDrance) February 18, 2026
Canada redeemed itself when center Nick Suzuki — the captain of the Montreal Canadiens and a first-round pick of the Knights in their inaugural draft — tied the score on a deflection with 3:27 to go.
That set the stage for Marner, Canada’s version of Captain Clutch.
Marner scored the overtime winner for Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off last year against Sweden. He also had the primary assist on Connor McDavid’s championship-clinching goal against Team USA.
Marner scored the biggest game of his life wearing a maple leaf on his sweater — not the blue and white one he donned in Toronto for 10 years, and was ridiculed countless times for his playoff shortcomings.
“As a teammate, I haven’t experienced (Marner not being clutch),” Knights captain and Canada player Mark Stone said. “(The) 4 Nations, he gets a huge overtime goal for us, makes an incredible play for the winner. Then tonight, when we need him the most, he makes the play. So … I think it’s a Toronto thing.”
Stone had two shots and was a minus-1 in 15:29. He committed a turnover that sprung Czechia’s tying goal in the first period.
Knights defenseman Shea Theodore played 12:13.
Hertl’s rough tournament ends with one shot and going 6 of 17 in the faceoff circle, but he made up for it with that block and the assist on Palat’s goal.
Team USA survives
The gold medal hopes of the Knights’ Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin are still alive after the United States survived a scare of its own.
Defenseman Quinn Hughes scored the game-winner 3:27 into overtime to give Team USA a 2-1 win over Sweden.
QUINN HUGHES! USA WINS! 🦅 pic.twitter.com/WxbCRKxPiO
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 18, 2026
Sweden winger Mika Zibanejad tied the score with 1:31 remaining after the Swedes pulled goalie Jacob Markstrom for the extra attacker.
Eichel led all U.S. forwards with five shots. The only one to have more was Hughes — his goal was his sixth shot. Hanifin played 5:46 and had one shot.
Knights defenseman Rasmus Andersson was a healthy scratch for the second consecutive game. His tournament ends with two games played, and he was a minus-2.
Team USA will face Slovakia in the semifinals at noon Friday.
Schmid, Switzerland sent home
Canada will face Finland, the 2022 gold medalist, in the semifinals Friday after the Fins pulled off a miraculous comeback to beat Switzerland 3-2 in overtime. Puck drop is set for 7:30 a.m.
Finland rallied from 2-0 down with six minutes left, forced overtime with 1:12 left, then won at 3:23 on a breakaway from winger Artturi Lehkonen.
Knights goaltender Akira Schmid was not the backup to Leonardo Genoni. Schmid’s tournament ends with five goals allowed in a 5-1 loss to Canada in his only start.
Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.