It was a big day for the hockey world as all eyes descended upon Milan for the quarterfinal round of the men's hockey tournament. Three Hurricanes were in action throughout the day, looking to push their teams to the medal rounds. After Slovakia did a number on Germany to start the day, few could've anticipated the action we were about to see, and our Hurricanes were right in the thick of it.
Canada survives Czechia as Jarvis gets his first point
It was not smooth sailing for the Canadian squad today. They were given all they could handle by the Czech team. They got off to an early start on another Macklin Celebrini tally, but they found themselves on the wrong side of 2-1 and 3-2 deficits late in the third period. With some help from Seth Jarvis, Canada found a way.
Jarvis picked the right time to record his first Olympic point. He got the puck to Devon Toews at the point, and his shot was beautifully redirected by Nick Suzuki, captain of the Montreal Canadiens and brother of the Chicago Wolves' Ryan Suzuki, to tie it. In overtime, Big Game Mitch Marner's backhand secured the win, ensuring Canada will compete for a medal of some color this weekend.
One of the big moments in the game was Sidney Crosby's exit in the second period with a lower-body injury. It meant Canada only had 12 available forwards, giving Jarvis a little more room to work. Jarvis played 11:20 in the game, drew a penalty, laid a big hit, and provided the assist. Depending on Crosby's availability, Jarvis should remain in the lineup, especially after another strong game.
Aho's goal sparks a comeback, Finland advances
The Finns found themselves in a very precarious position early against Switzerland. Juuse Saros was caught out of his net on the opening goal, and former Hurricane Nino Niederreiter added a little fuel to the fire with his first goal and point of the tournament. Through 40 minutes, Finland didn't have an answer for Leonardo Genoni. That's when Sebastian Aho stepped in.
With 6:06 remaining in regulation, Aho got the ball rolling by firing a wicked shot from the right dot, collecting his third goal of the tournament to pull the Finns within one. He was on the ice for the tying goal as well, with Miro Heiskanen earning credit on an all-Dallas tally. In overtime, Artturi Lehkonen was the hero, scoring on a breakaway to finish the job.
Aho was dynamite over the final two periods and change, finishing the game with three shots, including the comeback-starting goal. He played 23:33, which included a few overtime shifts. He's up to four points at the Olympics after having an assist added to his total after the Italy game. His three goals lead Team Finland as they try to defend their crown in the medal rounds.
Slavin, U.S. complete the trifecta with a thrilling win over Sweden
To close the day, the Americans joined the fun in requiring overtime to get the job done. However, they were the team that conceded the goal that forced overtime. Dylan Larkin got the scoring started in the second period with a tip in front of the net, but Mika Zibanejad tied it with the goalie on the bench. Quinn Hughes won it in OT, snapping one off the post and in to send the U.S. to the semis.
Unsurprisingly, Jaccob Slavin didn't see the ice in overtime. However, he was very active during the first two periods in the offensive zone, creating a few chances, one of which was nearly finished by Auston Matthews. It's not a part of his game that we see as ton, as evidenced by his three assists in 17 games with the Canes this season.
However, with the Swedes closing in throughout the third period, Slavin played over seven minutes. His most notable play saw him leave his feet after a puck got behind the U.S. Connor Hellebuyck poked it away, but Slavin still needed to swing his stick around to interrupt the pass. It kept the United States in the lead for that moment. Fortunately, the story has a happy ending.
With the quarterfinals behind us, all four remaining teams are guaranteed two games, one of which will be for a medal. The question is which medal will it be? The top four held firm, so, with the re-seeding, Jarvis and Canada will face Aho and Finland, while Slavin and the United States battle Slovakia. The Hurricanes' streak of medals will continue, and that's what really matters.