The preliminary round at the 202 Winter Olympics came to an end on Sunday. When the final buzzer sounded, Czechia dropped a painful 4-3 overtime decision to Switzerland. The loss put Martin Necas and Czechia on a collision course with Denmark on Tuesday.
The winner moves on to face Canada in the quarterfinals. The loser goes home. It’s that simple.
And that’s why the pressure is mounting on Necas and Czechia to play the best hockey of the tourney.
After dropping their Olympics opener to Team Canada 5-0, Czechia rebounded to notch a 6-3 win over France. Necas scored Czechia’s opening tally, assisting on one other tally.
But it was the disappointing defeat to the Swiss that changed Czechia’s trajectory in the qualification round. However, the outcome could have been worse if not for Necas’ heroics late in the third period. Had it not been for the equalizer Necas scored with a little over two minutes to go, the Czechs could have faced an even tougher outcome.
Now, they face a winnable game against Denmark. You would have to think that Czechia’s star power would be enough. That’s why Necas must step up and get is team on the board. Getting out to an early lead will be crucial in sealing a ticket to the quarterfinals.
Necas looking to lock up rematch against Avalanche teammates
Assuming Necas and Czechia get past Denmark, the Czechia side will be on a collision course with Necas’ Avalanche teammates Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar.
The Czechs will have the chance to avenge their loss to the Canadian squad and pull off one of the biggest upsets in Olympic history.
If you think that would be a first, you’d be wrong. The then-Czech Republic met Canada in the 1998 Olympics in Nagano, Japan. Hall of Fame goalie Dominik Hasek stood on his head, beating Team Canada 2-1 in the quarterfinal round.
The Czechs rode Hasek’s unbelievable performance to the gold medal that season. Canada finished fourth.
That’s the precedent Necas and the Czechs would like to invoke. While Czechia doesn’t have the luxury of Hasek in goal, they have a much better overall side. Considering that the opening 5-0 loss is now officially meaningless, the Czechs have an opportunity to turn over a new leaf and make history on Olympic ice once again.
Avalanche fans could be privy to history unfolding before their eyes at the 2026 Winter Olympics, regardless of which Avalanche players make it to the gold-medal game.