The first round of elimination has come and gone, and all four of the Utah Mammoth\u2019s Olympians are still standing.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s how the tournament has gone for each of them to this point.<\/p>\n
Clayton Keller, Team USA<\/p>\n
You know what\u2019s rare? When a team goes undefeated through the entire group stage, but is still one of the most heavily criticized in the tournament.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s the boat Team USA is in. They were the lone powerhouse in Group C, which featured the fewest NHL players in the tournament. Those were games Team USA was supposed to win by seven or eight goals, but they only beat each team by three or four goals.<\/p>\n
When the American coaching staff was searching for a spark, they turned to Mammoth captain Clayton Keller, who skated in his first game of the tournament on Sunday against Germany. He did not register a point in the game, but his line did score.<\/p>\n
All signs point to him remaining in the lineup on Wednesday against Sweden, which should be USA\u2019s toughest test yet.<\/p>\n
JJ Peterka, Team Germany<\/p>\n
As one of the only NHL players on his team, JJ Peterka\u2019s role has understandably been big. His 20:58 of playing time per game is the fourth-most among all forwards in the tournament.<\/p>\n
Peterka has factored into a third of Germany\u2019s goals in the tournament: one goal and three assists for four points in four games. <\/p>\n
Germany\u2019s quarterfinal game is against Slovakia. On paper, the teams are somewhat evenly matched, with seven NHL players each. That said, Slovakia has exceeded most people\u2019s expectations to this point, so Germany will need a big performance to make the semifinals.<\/p>\n
Olli M\u00e4\u00e4tt\u00e4, Team Finland<\/p>\n
As a defensive defenseman, Olli M\u00e4\u00e4tt\u00e4\u2019s job is to bring stability. That\u2019s what made him so valuable to both Utah and Team Finland last season, though his role on both teams has decreased this year.<\/p>\n
M\u00e4\u00e4tt\u00e4 has averaged just 13 minutes a game, though he\u2019s somehow Finland\u2019s fifth-most used defenseman. Miro Heiskanen and Esa Lindell carry the team in that regard, both landing in the top four in the entire tournament in terms of ice time.<\/p>\n
With an assist and a +2 rating, M\u00e4\u00e4tt\u00e4\u2019s contributions to his team have been net-positive. And his calm, intelligent demeanor, which helped the Pittsburgh Penguins win the Stanley Cup in both 2016 and 2017, tends to rub off on those around him in the best possible ways.<\/p>\n
Finland is the favorite in their quarterfinal matchup against Switzerland on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Karel Vejmelka, Team Czechia<\/p>\n