Medals within reach for the Hurricanes in Italy as we prepare for the knockout stage

The first week of action at the men's hockey tournament has concluded after a very exciting weekend in Milan. There have been a few big surprises overall, but things have been pretty status quo for the five Carolina Hurricanes representing their respective countries on the global stage. With the group stage completed, it's time for the real fun to begin.

Seth Jarvis, Jaccob Slavin, and Sebastian Aho are one win away from the medal rounds, securing byes into the quarterfinals by winning their groups or, in Finland's case, being the best second-place team. Meanwhile, Nikolaj Ehlers and Frederik Andersen have a little more work to do to get Denmark in a position to challenge for the podium.

Denmark is in an unenviable position after their win on Sunday

It felt like whether they won or lost against Latvia in their final group game, it was a real "pick your poison" situation for Denmark. A loss likely would've put them at #10 and facing Sweden. However, Frederik Andersen made 33 stops to win his first Olympic game, keeping Denmark out of last place in Group C. In turn, they finished ninth and earned a date with Czechia on Tuesday.

Frederik Andersen and Nikolaj Ehlers have performed well for Denmark in their first Winter Games. Andersen is in the top half of goalies in both save percentage (.918) and GAA (2.58). Ehlers is tied for second on the team with three points, recording a point in each of their three games. If Denmark finds a way past Czechia on Tuesday, they'll have Canada to contend with in the quarterfinals.

Finland got on the same page at the right moment

If you told me that the same team that lost to Slovakia to open the tournament would rebound for a pair of wins and earn a bye, I would've called you crazy. Finland looked completely disjointed in their first game, but they turned it around with a rivalry win over Sweden and a history-making 11-0 win over host Italy to finish second in Group B and advance to the quarterfinals.

Sebastian Aho took some time to get into it, dealing with a tough third period in the opener before doing nothing against Sweden. His two-goal effort against Italy got him into the swing of things, as it did for the entire team. All Finland needs to do is beat Switzerland or Italy in the quarterfinals to ensure a chance to play for a medal, though they'll likely face Canada or the U.S. in the semis.

Gold still runs through Canada and the United States...for now

As the only perfect teams during the group stage, it feels like "Gold or Bust" for both the Canadians and the Americans. Neither team faced much adversity during its three games, though Denmark gave the U.S. a bit of a scare on Saturday. Otherwise, it was business as usual for each side. Now, they're the top two teams heading into the knockout stage.

Neither Seth Jarvis nor Jaccob Slavin contributed a ton offensively for their respective teams. Jarvis suited up for two of the three games, finishing with a handful of shots against Switzerland and France. Slavin averaged a little under 15 minutes per contest, recording an assist in the team's win over Denmark.

Canada will face the Czechia-Denmark winner, while the Americans get either Sweden or Latvia in the quarterfinals. Odds are, it'll be the Swedes, which is the only other team comprised completely of NHL players. The remaining four teams will be reseeded for the semifinals, meaning Canada will deal with the lowest remaining team, leaving the Americans with the other semifinalist.