OLYMPICS: McDavid sets new records as Canada avoids upset to Czechia in quarterfinal

MILANO -- No early Czech-out allowed.

Connor McDavid & Team Canada avoided a shocking upset to Team Czechia in the quarterfinals of Milano Cortina 2026 on Wednesday after Nick Suzuki tied it late in regulation and Mitch Marner scored the overtime winner in a 4-3 comeback victory at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena.

The Oilers captain produced two assists to set new Olympic records with his ninth assist and 11th point in four games, picking up helpers on Macklin Celebrini's tournament-leading fifth goal less than four minutes into regulation and Nathan Mackinnon's power-play equalizer in the middle frame.

But it was Canada's depth that came through when it needed it the most after Czechia proved a difficult challenge in the opening 20 minutes, receiving goals from Lukas Sedlak and David Pastrnak before they looked poised for the shock upset when Ondrej Palat gave them a 3-2 lead with only 7:42 left in the third.

Nick Suzuki came up with a vital redirection through the five-hole of Lukas Dostal to make it 3-3 with under four minutes left to push the elimination contest to 10 minutes of three-on-three overtime, where Mitch Marner played hero with a terrific goal 1:22 into sudden death to send Canada to the semifinals.

Goaltender Jordan Binnington came up with a handful of clutch third-period saves, finishing with 21 saves on 24 shots in another overtime elimination victory for Canada after his heroic efforts last February helped lead his nation to victory against team USA in the final of the 4 Nations Face-Off

Canada will play for a medal and will await further results in the quarterfinals to determine their semi-final opponent on Friday.

The line of Connor McDavid, Macklin Celebrini and Tom Wilson once again led the charge early for Canada by opening the scoring after the Oilers captain's steal on David Pastrnak at the Czech blueline led to him finding Celebrini in the slot to score his Olympic-leading fifth goal of the tournament.

McDavid stripped the puck off Pastrnak and dropped the puck through his legs to Celebrini, who beat Lukas Dostal with a wrist shot into the low corner only 3:05 into the first period to give Canada the early advantage in the quarterfinal. McDavid's assist was his ninth in four games to set a new Olympic record.

But Canada found itself facing adversity for the first time this tournament when Lukas Sedlak provided a response just under five and a half minutes later, before it was David Pastrnak making up for his earlier mistake by providing the power-play blast that put the Czechs ahead 2-1 with 5:01 left in the frame.

Canada trailed for the first time in 245:01 of action and was dealt a further blow early in the second period when captain Sidney Crosby sustained a lower-body injury and didn't return, forcing Head Coach John Cooper to shuffle his lines and use it as a chance to spark his team against a resilient Czech team.

Nathan MacKinnon was the one who rose to the occasion and equalized on the power play with his third goal of the Olympics that came on Canada's next power-play opportunity with 12:16 into the middle frame, making it 2-2 on a shot from the edge of the right circle that went in off the far post.

After passing Saku Koivu's assist record in the first period, McDavid picked up another helper with Celebrini to set a new record for points (11) in an Olympics with NHL participation, while posting his fourth straight multi-point game after having three in each of Canada's previous three wins in Milan.

The Czechs continued to prove a challenge by calling netminder Jordan Binnington into making a handful of huge saves in the third period, and after he made one of those on Radko Gudas near the eight-minute mark, hearts sank on Canada's bench on the next sequence when Czechia took a shock lead.

With 7:42 left in regulation, Ondrej Palat fired Martin Necas' drop pass on a three-on-two past the blocker of Binnington to give the Czechs the 3-2 advantage, sending their bench into a frenzy as Canada needed a hero in the final minutes to get this quarterfinal to overtime and avoid a stunning exit.

Nick Suzuki came through with the redirection they needed by putting Devon Toews' wide effort through the five-hole of Lukas Dostal to breathe new life into Canada with under four minutes remaining, tying the game up at 3-3 and putting this exciting quarterfinal on course for extra time.

Before getting to overtime, Binnington had to make a game-defining right pad save to deny one of the NHL's deadliest scorers this season in Martin Necas, who found himself loose on a one-on-one with the game on his stick after blocking a shot from Toews moments before at the top of the Czech zone.

McDavid started a three-on-three sudden-death frame in a stacked trio with Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, but it was Mitch Marner who tallied the decisive OT winner by taking it himself through three Czech players and delivering the terrific backhand finish over the glove of Dostal.

Despite a resilient Czech performance, Canada avoided the upset and will compete for a medal at Milano Cortina 2026, but their sights are set on winning Olympic gold for the fourth consecutive Olympic tournament featuring NHL players.