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Darryl Dyck \/ THE CANADIAN PRESS<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The status of two key players \u2014 captain Sidney Crosby and Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey \u2014 remains uncertain. Getting one, or both, back in the lineup would certainly help the cause.<\/p>\n
Crosby appeared to suffer a significant right leg or knee injury in Thursday\u2019s game, while Morrissey has been sidelined since going down with a lower-body ailment in Canada\u2019s opener on Feb. 12. He has missed the past three games.<\/p>\n
\u201cSid is by no means ruled out of the tournament. We\u2019ve got the best of the best looking at him,\u201d head coach Jon Cooper said following Thursday\u2019s well-attended optional practice.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can speak for Morrissey as well \u2014 same boat. We\u2019re taking this day by day, and we\u2019re not going to put anyone in harm\u2019s way.\u201d<\/p>\n
Crosby did not skate Thursday, while Morrissey did and appeared to be moving well without issue. For what it\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
A sign he\u2019s ready to go, or that he\u2019s still battling something? Stay tuned. If Morrissey returns, Elkhorn\u2019s Travis Sanheim is the likely blue-line candidate to come out.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
This was a practice that almost never happened. A tomorrow that nearly didn\u2019t come.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re taking this day by day, and we\u2019re not going to put anyone in harm\u2019s way.\u201d<\/p>\n
Canada was less than four minutes from elimination against Czechia, only for Nick Suzuki to tie the game late in the third period \u2014 with a terrific assist from Winnipegger Seth Jarvis \u2014 before Mitch Marner won it in overtime.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s huge,\u201d said forward Sam Bennett, who missed the game with illness and said he had a \u201chelpless\u201d feeling watching from a distance.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s one step closer to our end goal. We\u2019re obviously not looking past this (Finland) game. It\u2019s going to be an intense battle. It\u2019s going to be whoever wants it more.\u201d<\/p>\n
They\u2019ll likely need more of that if they hope to advance to Sunday\u2019s 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 \u2014 especially if a key offensive driver like Crosby is sidelined.<\/p>\n
\u201cPretty much everyone on that (Finland) team is such a good two-way player, so they defend really well,\u201d said Suzuki. \u201cThey can also play offensive really well. So it\u2019s going to be a big test, probably the biggest one we face so far. So I think all the guys are ready to go.\u201d<\/p>\n
Suzuki took an elevated role once Crosby went down, sliding into his centre spot between Marner and Winnipegger Mark Stone.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re 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,\u201d said Suzuki.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Darryl Dyck \/ THE CANADIAN PRESS<\/p>\n Canada\u2019s Mitch Marner scores the game-winning goal against Czechia in overtime of their Olympic quarterfinal game on Wednesday.<\/p>\n \u201cSo yeah, we\u2019ll see what happens. Hopefully we can have Sid back, but I think I can find a way to play with anybody.\u201d<\/p>\n Canada still boasts plenty of elite weapons \u2014 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.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t say enough good things about him. Never played against a player like him in my entire career,\u201d said defenceman Drew Doughty, whose Los Angeles Kings have had plenty of Pacific Division battles over the years with McDavid\u2019s Edmonton Oilers.<\/p>\n \n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n \t\t\tThe Warm-Up<\/p>\n Winnipeg Jets Game Days<\/p>\n On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.<\/p>\n \t\t\tSign up for The Warm-Up<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t \u201cYou know, great guy off the ice, fun to hang around, and then when it\u2019s game time, he\u2019s dialed in and ready to go. And he puts that jersey on and he\u2019s the best player on the ice every night. It\u2019s crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n Then there\u2019s the teenage sensation Celebrini, who\u2019s already up to five goals \u2014 tying Jarome Iginla (2010) for the most by a Canadian NHLer in Olympic history.<\/p>\n McDavid, Celebrini, MacKinnon and Marner have all recorded at least a point in all four games so far.<\/p>\n There\u2019s no doubt Jordan Binnington will get the start in goal. He made two massive saves \u2014 one in the final minute of regulation and another in the opening minute of overtime \u2014 that kept Canada\u2019s Olympic hopes alive.<\/p>\n \u201cWe all kind of grew up watching NHL players come to the Olympics\u2026 It\u2019s great to be back and able to showcase what we\u2019ve built over the last 12 years.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust 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,\u201d Binnington said of his mindset.<\/p>\n Canada and Finland share a rich Olympic history with a dozen previous meetings \u2014 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\u2019ve met in a semifinal. Canada rallied from a 2-0 deficit to win 5-3 at the 1994 Lillehammer Games.<\/p>\n \u201cDedicated group, they check, structured, world-class players,\u201d Cooper said as he rattled off a grocery list of items Canada will have to guard against.<\/p>\n \u201cI think we all saw that at 4 Nations (Face-Off). The Finns, I don\u2019t 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\u2019re going to bite you.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n Finland also needed late heroics, rallying against Switzerland with less than two minutes to play before winning in overtime.<\/p>\n \u201cYour tournament kind of flashes before your eyes,\u201d McDavid said. \u201cIt makes you grateful for another day, another game. They feel the same way, I\u2019m sure. We feel energized by it. I\u2019m sure they do, too. It\u2019ll be a great game.\u201d<\/p>\n 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\u2019s a risk players say is worth taking.<\/p>\n Thursday\u2019s four quarterfinals \u2014 three of which required extra time after late, game-tying goals \u2014 were a stellar showcase for the sport on a massive global stage.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Carolyn Kaster \/ THE ASSOCIATED PRESS<\/p>\n Canada\u2019s Sidney Crosby left the game against Czechia with an injury and is questionable to play in the rest of the tournament.<\/p>\n \u201cWe all kind of grew up watching NHL players come to the Olympics,\u201d Suzuki said. \u201cIt\u2019s great to be back and able to showcase what we\u2019ve built over the last 12 years.\u201d<\/p>\n A Canada-U.S. showdown for all the marbles \u2014 one year after their unforgettable 4 Nations final \u2014 would be the cherry on top.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s been a special tournament so far,\u201d Suzuki said.<\/p>\n Hopefully, the best is still to come.<\/p>\n winnipegfreepress.com\/mikemcintyre<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t Mike McIntyre 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Mike produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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