canada vs czechia hockey — Marner and Suzuki lift Canada in OT
Mitch Marner split defenders and buried a backhand in three-on-three overtime to give Canada a 4-3 quarterfinal victory over Czechia on Feb. 18, 2026 (ET). Nick Suzuki’s late tying goal and a pivotal stop from Jordan Binnington helped Canada survive a scare and advance to the semifinals.
Game timeline: momentum swings and clutch finishes
Canada opened the scoring early when Macklin Celebrini struck just over three minutes into the game. The lead was short-lived: Lukas Sedlak tied the game before the 10-minute mark, and David Pastrnak put Czechia ahead on a power play about five minutes later while Celebrini sat in the penalty box for interference. That power-play marker marked the first time Canada trailed in the tournament.
Canada rallied in the second period. Nathan MacKinnon netted a power-play goal to level the score at 2-2, and the Canadians dominated puck possession and chances in that frame, outshooting Czechia 16-5 after a tight opening period. The third period again saw Czechia strike first when Ondrej Palat put them ahead 3-2, only for Nick Suzuki to tip home a point shot with just under three and a half minutes remaining to force overtime.
In the extra session, Marner split two defenders and beat Lukas Dostal with a backhand to end the game and send Canada through. The finish capped a tense, back-and-forth contest that had threatened to upend the favorites.
Key performers, injuries and goaltending
Marner’s overtime heroics and Suzuki’s late equalizer were the headline plays, but several other storylines stood out. Celebrini extended his hot tournament to five goals, and his seven points now put him among the top-scoring teenagers in Olympic history. Connor McDavid assisted on Canada’s first two goals, tying the all-time points record for a single Olympics featuring NHL players with 11.
On the defensive side, Jordan Binnington delivered a timely save late in regulation, stoning Martin Necas on a breakaway just ahead of the final minute to preserve the tie. His steadiness between the pipes proved vital in a game where momentum shifted repeatedly.
Canada also faced adversity on the injury front. Captain Sidney Crosby exited the bench roughly six minutes into the second period after taking an awkward hit and was ruled out before the third period with a lower-body injury. The team will navigate the next round without its veteran leader while medical staff evaluate his condition.
What this means for the tournament path
The win keeps Canada’s gold-medal bid alive and ends what would have been a major upset. The teams had already met in the preliminary round, where Canada posted a decisive 5-0 victory, but this knockout game showed that single-elimination drama can tilt either way. Czechia pushed the top seed to the limit and earned praise for resilience, while Canada leaned on veteran finishers and depth scoring to escape.
Canada must now regroup quickly. The loss of Crosby clouds the team’s lineup decisions for the semifinal, and officials will be watching his status closely in the hours ahead. For Czechia, the narrow elimination underscores both the progress made in the tournament and areas to address, notably special-teams timing and late-game defensive coverage.
With Olympic medal rounds now underway, Canada moves on to the semifinal stage with momentum from a dramatic win, while several standout individual performances have reshaped narratives around younger players emerging on hockey’s biggest Olympic stage.
