Czechia, Sweden tasked with tough decisions in goal at start of knockout stage 

MILAN -- Team Czechia and Team Sweden each boast three capable NHL goalies. Each has used two thus far in the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

They now must choose one to play in a win-or-go-home qualification game on Tuesday, knowing a win means playing in the quarterfinals Wednesday.

It is the single biggest decision Czechia coach Radim Rulik and Sweden coach Sam Hallam will make before taking the ice at Santagiulia Arena on Tuesday.

Czechia will face Team Denmark (10:40 a.m. ET; Peacock, ICI Tele, CBC Gem, SN) before Sweden takes on Team Latvia (3:10 p.m. ET; Peacock, USA, ICI Tele, CBC Gem).

It’s also a decision that is near impossible to make with conviction because of the goalies they have and the mixed results they had in the preliminary round.

But Hallam said his decision has already been made and the starter for No. 7 Sweden already knows he’s playing Tuesday, but the coach wouldn’t reveal who it will be.

“It’s a gut feeling from my side,” Hallam said. “It’s a discussion with our goalie coach and the rest of the staff.”

Filip Gustavsson started the first two games. Jacob Markstrom played Saturday. Jesper Wallstedt hasn’t dressed yet.

“I think we’re good,” Hallam said. “I like that we have two goalies in the tournament, they’ve both been out there. Hopefully we made the right decision.”

Gustavsson made 20 saves in a shaky 5-2 win against Team Italy on Feb. 11, and 20 saves in a disappointing 4-1 loss to Team Finland on Friday. He allowed the first goal in each game, and three in the first period combined.

“I felt like I’m not really happy with how I played,” Gustavsson said after practice Monday. “I always want to play better and give the team a better feeling, better chance to win that second game.”

Markstrom got the start against Team Slovakia on Saturday, making 29 saves in a 5-3 win.

“I love playing hockey and I love putting the gear on,” Markstrom said. “I love representing my country. To do it on Olympic ice and you have family in the arena as well, it’s a proud moment for sure.

“Once you get the taste, you want to keep going for sure.”

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Czechia also has a policy to not reveal its starting goalie until closer to the start of the game, so it hasn’t been announced if Rulik will go back to Lukas Dostal or Dan Vladar, or pull an audible and go with Karel Vejmelka instead when the No. 8 Czechs play No. 9 Team Denmark (10:40 a.m. ET; Peacock, ICI Télé, CBC Gem, SN).

Dostal, who won his last two starts with the Anaheim Ducks before the Olympic break, made 31 saves in a 5-0 loss to Team Canada on Thursday and 25 in a 4-3 overtime loss to Team Switzerland on Sunday. Vladar faced only 12 shots and stopped nine in a 6-3 win against Team France on Friday.

Vejmelka dressed as the backup against France but hasn’t played.

“Personally, I’ve been feeling good,” Dostal said. “I had a really tough game the first one against Canada; obviously they have a hell of a team here, but it was fun to play against them. For a kid from a small village from Czech to play against Canada at the Olympic stage best-on-best, that was a big honor. But personally, I’ve been feeling good. The way we ended in Anaheim on a winning streak, I kind of feel the momentum I carried here. But one puck at a time, one game at a time.”

It might be a cliché, but Dostal is accurate with that type of mindset at this stage of the tournament.

Czechia would get another crack at top-seeded Canada in the quarterfinals if it wins against Denmark. Sweden would have a chance to eliminate No. 2 Team USA in the quarterfinals with a win against Latvia.

“We put ourselves in this position,” Gustavsson said. “We just have to take it day by day. Tomorrow is our main priority to win that game and then we take it from there, I guess.”

If the Czechs and Swedes advance, Hallam and Rulik will have to examine the goaltending situation again, only this time with the back-to-back coming into play.

However, as Dostal said, there is a significant difference between a goalie starting both ends of a back-to-back in the Olympics compared to doing it in the NHL.

“With the NHL, you have so much traveling,” he said. “Here, you just finish, you go back to the village, you can rest, eat some food, hang out with your family. I would say it’s more relaxing and you have more energy than in the NHL.”

That doesn’t mean it’s easier, though.

“Elimination game,” Dostal said, “so obviously there will be more pressure mentally to stay focused.”

And pressure on the coach to make the right decision.