Because of the aggressive time zone difference\u2014 Milan is nine hours ahead of Vegas\u2014 there\u2019s a good chance you missed some (or all) of the preliminary round.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I\u2019ll confess, I skipped every single one of the 3:10 a.m. games. But because we live in a beautiful new age of technology, I was able to go back and watch the replays on Peacock. Thank you, Peacock!<\/p>\n
So, if you haven\u2019t had the chance to watch the nine Golden Knights don their nations\u2019 colors and take the ice in Milan, don\u2019t fret. I\u2019ve got you covered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Team USA<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s start with the home team, shall we? The Golden Knights have two representatives playing for Team USA, and both are important in their own right.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Through three games of group play, Jack Eichel has easily been one of the best forwards for Team USA. For a two-way center like Eichel, offensive stats don\u2019t tell the whole story\u2014 but his are impressive. He has a goal and three assists and has recorded 12 shots on net.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Team USA might have the best\u2014 or at least the deepest\u2014 defensive corps in the tournament. Hence, Noah Hanifin isn\u2019t asked to do \u2018too much.\u2019 He\u2019s averaging just 11:09 TOI, but he\u2019s been excellent in his limited role. Hanifin has a goal and two points in three games and has been very physical.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Despite a few shaky performances, Team USA exits the preliminary round with nine points and a perfect 3-0-0-0 record. Thus, they earned a bye to the quarterfinals and will face either Sweden or Latvia at 12:10 p.m. PST on Wednesday.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Team Sweden<\/p>\n
One Swedish player hails from the Golden Knights, and it\u2019s their newest addition, Rasmus Andersson.\u00a0<\/p>\n
With all the talented offensive defensemen on Team Sweden\u2014 Erik Karlsson, Rasmus Dahlin, and Victor Hedman\u2014 Andersson isn\u2019t very high on the pecking order. That\u2019s resulted in a less-than-ideal showing on the global stage.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In two games where he averaged 16:03 TOI, Andersson failed to record a point and was a -2. This resulted in a healthy scratch on Saturday against Slovakia.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Despite their six points and 2-0-1-0 record, Sweden hasn\u2019t played up to expectations yet. There\u2019s still time to rally and make a push for a medal, but they\u2019ll have to do it the hard way.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sweden will play Latvia in an elimination game on Tuesday at 12:10 p.m. PST. The winner will advance to face Team USA in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Team Czechia<\/p>\n
Because they\u2019re in a strong group, Czechia would have had to hit the ground running during the preliminary round to earn a bye into the quarterfinals. Unfortunately for Czechia, that hasn\u2019t exactly happened.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Despite playing on the top line with David Pastr\u0148\u00e1k, Hertl hasn\u2019t found his stride. He has yet to record a point in the tournament. However, it\u2019s not for lack of trying\u2014 he\u2019s recorded nine shots on goal. In all fairness, he\u2019s averaging 19:29 TOI, which is over two minutes more than he plays with the Golden Knights.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not just Hertl who\u2019s struggling. Despite having a talented roster, Czechia just hasn\u2019t found its footing. After the preliminary round, they have four points and a 1-0-1-1 record.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Team Czechia will face off against Denmark at 7:40 a.m. PST on Tuesday; the winner will advance to the quarterfinals to play Team USA on Wednesday.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Team Switzerland<\/p>\n
The Olympics are all about unexpected success stories; this year, that honor goes to Switzerland.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Schmid started just one game for Switzerland; unfortunately, it was against the biggest powerhouse: Canada. He made 34 saves\u2014 including a real beauty against Sidney Crosby on a breakaway\u2014 but allowed five goals and finished with a .872 save percentage. \u00a0<\/p>\n
However, Switzerland didn\u2019t let its loss to Canada derail its tournament. With five points and a 1-1-1-0 record, they\u2019ve been a dark-horse Olympic success story. \u00a0<\/p>\n
They\u2019ll play Italy on Tuesday at 3:10 a.m. PST; the winner will advance to face Finland in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Team Canada<\/p>\n
O, Canada; our home and native land. It\u2019s far too early to say they\u2019re guaranteed to win gold, but it will take one helluva performance to knock them off. They\u2019re firing on all cylinders, and all three Golden Knights are chipping in.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mark Stone, Mitch Marner, and Sidney Crosby joined forces to form the most formidable third line in the tournament. All three players have at least four points, and it\u2019s in no way a case of Crosby dragging an inferior line into the fight.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In three games, Stone recorded two tallies\u2014 one, a shorthanded strike, stood as the game-winning goal\u2014 and four points. He was a +4, played on both special teams units, and averaged 15:36 TOI.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Marner, Stone\u2019s familiar linemate, has been equally impressive. After three games, he has yet to score a goal, but boasts two assists and is a +5. Marner, too, played on both special teams units and averaged 15:46 TOI.<\/p>\n
Finally, there\u2019s Shea Theodore. With such a star-studded team, Canada hasn\u2019t asked Theodore for any heroics. He averages just 15:46 TOI through three games, which is a far cry from his 23:42 this season in Vegas. However, he\u2019s been both effective and impressive. Theodore recorded one assist and is a +2. He also quarterbacks the second power play unit.\u00a0<\/p>\n
With nine points and a perfect 3-0-0-0 record, Canada gets a bye into the quarterfinals. They\u2019ll face either Czechia or Denmark on Wednesday at 7:40 a.m. PST.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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