canada vs czechia hockey — Marner and Suzuki lift Canada in dramatic OT quarterfinal
Wednesday, February 18, 2026 — Mitch Marner split two defenders and beat Lukas Dostal with a backhand in three-on-three overtime to lift Canada to a 4-3 quarterfinal victory over Czechia, preserving the Canadians' run in the Olympic tournament.
Late surge and overtime heroics
The game felt poised for an upset before Nick Suzuki's late intervention. Suzuki redirected a point shot with just under three and a half minutes remaining to knot the score at 3-3, setting the stage for Marner's decisive play in extra time. Marner's finish came after a swift rush in the three-on-three period, where he found the crease, split two defenders and tucked a backhand past Dostal to end the drama.
Earlier, Macklin Celebrini opened the scoring just over three minutes into the contest, continuing a red-hot tournament in which he has already reached five goals. The Czechs answered through Lukas Sedlak before David Pastrnak converted a power-play chance to give Czechia a 2-1 lead in the first period. Canada responded in the second when Nathan MacKinnon cashed a power-play marker to level the game at 2-2, and then Suzuki provided the late equalizer that forced overtime.
Big saves, momentum swings and a scare for Canada
Jordan Binnington was pivotal in the closing stages, making a massive stop on Martin Necas on a breakaway just ahead of the final minute of regulation. That save preserved the tie and proved crucial once extra time began. Canada outshot Czechia 16-5 in the second period after a tight opening frame in which the lead changed hands.
The victory did not come without concern: Canadian captain Sidney Crosby was ruled out of the game ahead of the third period with a lower-body injury. Crosby left the bench roughly six minutes into the second period after an awkward hit from Radko Gudas and limped toward the dressing room, forcing a late-game lineup adjustment for the Canadians.
Context and what it means moving forward
The quarterfinal was a rematch of the teams' group-round opener, where Canada recorded a 5-0 victory. While that earlier result suggested a comfortable path for Canada, Czechia pushed the Canadians to their limits in a one-game elimination setting. Celebrini's continued scoring form has been a major storyline for Canada; he now has five goals in the tournament and has matched notable teenage scoring feats from past Olympic events.
Connor McDavid assisted on the first two Canadian goals, reaching 11 points in the tournament and matching the all-time points mark for an Olympics featuring NHL players. McDavid's playmaking alongside the likes of Marner, MacKinnon and Suzuki has kept Canada dangerous even when the lineup faced interruptions.
With the win, Canada advances from the quarterfinals and will need to monitor Crosby's status as it prepares for the semifinal round. Goaltending depth, top-line production and youth scoring have all combined to carry Canada through an uneven but ultimately successful night. Czechia, meanwhile, leaves the ice with a performance that showed plenty of fight and the ability to challenge heavy favorites in a knockout setting.
Final score: Canada 4, Czechia 3 (OT). The win keeps Canada's pursuit of an Olympic medal alive as the tournament moves into its final stages on the road to the podium.
