MILAN — Are we having fun yet?
Having survived a serious quarterfinal scare against Czechia, the Canadian men’s team now turns its attention to a feisty Finnish squad on Friday (9:40 a.m. CT puck drop), with a berth in the Olympic gold-medal game on the line.
Once again, a hockey-crazed nation is holding its collective breath. Hey, nobody said this was going to be easy, right?
Darryl Dyck / THE CANADIAN PRESS
Despite not knowing if Sidney Crosby or Josh Morrissey will return for the semifinal clash against Finland on Friday, Canada still boasts elite weapons like Connor McDavid (left) whose 11 points have tied the record for an NHLer at a single Olympics.
The status of two key players — captain Sidney Crosby and Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey — remains uncertain. Getting one, or both, back in the lineup would certainly help the cause.
Crosby appeared to suffer a significant right leg or knee injury in Thursday’s game, while Morrissey has been sidelined since going down with a lower-body ailment in Canada’s opener on Feb. 12. He has missed the past three games.
“Sid is by no means ruled out of the tournament. We’ve got the best of the best looking at him,” head coach Jon Cooper said following Thursday’s well-attended optional practice.
“I can speak for Morrissey as well — same boat. We’re taking this day by day, and we’re not going to put anyone in harm’s way.”
Crosby did not skate Thursday, while Morrissey did and appeared to be moving well without issue. For what it’s worth, he was among the first players off the ice once the formal portion wrapped up, not sticking around for extra work as several teammates did.
A sign he’s ready to go, or that he’s still battling something? Stay tuned. If Morrissey returns, Elkhorn’s Travis Sanheim is the likely blue-line candidate to come out.
Nathan MacKinnon, who may also be dealing with some kind of injury issue, was among those absent from practice, along with Brad Marchand, Cale Makar and Devon Toews. Cooper said there is no concern about their availability.
This was a practice that almost never happened. A tomorrow that nearly didn’t come.
“We’re taking this day by day, and we’re not going to put anyone in harm’s way.”
Canada was less than four minutes from elimination against Czechia, only for Nick Suzuki to tie the game late in the third period — with a terrific assist from Winnipegger Seth Jarvis — before Mitch Marner won it in overtime.
It was some much-needed depth scoring from a group that has relied heavily on the top trio of MacKinnon, Connor McDavid and Macklin Celebrini so far.
“It’s huge,” said forward Sam Bennett, who missed the game with illness and said he had a “helpless” feeling watching from a distance.
“It’s one step closer to our end goal. We’re obviously not looking past this (Finland) game. It’s going to be an intense battle. It’s going to be whoever wants it more.”
They’ll likely need more of that if they hope to advance to Sunday’s grand finale against the winner of the other semifinal between the United States (which includes Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck and forward Kyle Connor) and Slovakia — especially if a key offensive driver like Crosby is sidelined.
“Pretty much everyone on that (Finland) team is such a good two-way player, so they defend really well,” said Suzuki. “They can also play offensive really well. So it’s going to be a big test, probably the biggest one we face so far. So I think all the guys are ready to go.”
Suzuki took an elevated role once Crosby went down, sliding into his centre spot between Marner and Winnipegger Mark Stone.
“They’re two super smart players. Think they both play a pretty similar game to me, so when I got put there, kind of felt pretty easy to have two wingers like that,” said Suzuki.
Darryl Dyck / THE CANADIAN PRESS
Canada’s Mitch Marner scores the game-winning goal against Czechia in overtime of their Olympic quarterfinal game on Wednesday.
“So yeah, we’ll see what happens. Hopefully we can have Sid back, but I think I can find a way to play with anybody.”
Canada still boasts plenty of elite weapons — none more dangerous than McDavid, who has 11 points in his first four Olympic games. That ties Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu (2006) for the most points by an NHLer at a single Olympics.
“I can’t say enough good things about him. Never played against a player like him in my entire career,” said defenceman Drew Doughty, whose Los Angeles Kings have had plenty of Pacific Division battles over the years with McDavid’s Edmonton Oilers.
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“You know, great guy off the ice, fun to hang around, and then when it’s game time, he’s dialed in and ready to go. And he puts that jersey on and he’s the best player on the ice every night. It’s crazy.”
Then there’s the teenage sensation Celebrini, who’s already up to five goals — tying Jarome Iginla (2010) for the most by a Canadian NHLer in Olympic history.
McDavid, Celebrini, MacKinnon and Marner have all recorded at least a point in all four games so far.
There’s no doubt Jordan Binnington will get the start in goal. He made two massive saves — one in the final minute of regulation and another in the opening minute of overtime — that kept Canada’s Olympic hopes alive.
“We all kind of grew up watching NHL players come to the Olympics… It’s great to be back and able to showcase what we’ve built over the last 12 years.”
“Just staying in my own world and knowing that my job is to give the team a chance to win and knowing we have a good team in front of me,” Binnington said of his mindset.
Canada and Finland share a rich Olympic history with a dozen previous meetings — most of them without NHL players. Canada holds a 7-5 all-time edge dating back to 1952. This marks just the second time they’ve met in a semifinal. Canada rallied from a 2-0 deficit to win 5-3 at the 1994 Lillehammer Games.
“Dedicated group, they check, structured, world-class players,” Cooper said as he rattled off a grocery list of items Canada will have to guard against.
“I think we all saw that at 4 Nations (Face-Off). The Finns, I don’t care where you are, what tournament it is, the Finns always seem to be standing when it comes to medal time. And if you remotely take that team lightly, they’re going to bite you.’’
Finland also needed late heroics, rallying against Switzerland with less than two minutes to play before winning in overtime.
“Your tournament kind of flashes before your eyes,” McDavid said. “It makes you grateful for another day, another game. They feel the same way, I’m sure. We feel energized by it. I’m sure they do, too. It’ll be a great game.”
One thing is certain: the return of NHL players to the Olympics has been a success, even with injuries to the likes of Crosby, Morrissey and Swiss forward Kevin Fiala, who suffered a broken leg. It’s a risk players say is worth taking.
Thursday’s four quarterfinals — three of which required extra time after late, game-tying goals — were a stellar showcase for the sport on a massive global stage.
Carolyn Kaster / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Canada’s Sidney Crosby left the game against Czechia with an injury and is questionable to play in the rest of the tournament.
“We all kind of grew up watching NHL players come to the Olympics,” Suzuki said. “It’s great to be back and able to showcase what we’ve built over the last 12 years.”
A Canada-U.S. showdown for all the marbles — one year after their unforgettable 4 Nations final — would be the cherry on top.
“I think it’s been a special tournament so far,” Suzuki said.
Hopefully, the best is still to come.
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Mike McIntyre is a sports reporter whose primary role is covering the Winnipeg Jets. After graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College in 1995, he spent two years gaining experience at the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in 1997, where he served on the crime and justice beat until 2016. Read more about Mike.
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