Canada will want to avoid a third consecutive elimination against the Czechs

Raphael Simard
Canada will want to avoid a third consecutive elimination against the Czechs
Credit: X

In 2024 and 2025, Canada's journey ended in the quarter-finals.

The nation finished fifth in the last two years due to defeats by the Czech Republic. In 2026, Canada has already done better and will finish at least fourth. #Progress

Tomorrow, at 8:30 p.m., Dale Hunter's team will face its nemesis, the Czechs. They will be looking to avoid a third consecutive elimination against the European country.

Canada may have a superior team to the Czechs on paper, but it's on the ice that the game will be played. And unlike the Slovaks, the Canadiens didn't go on record as saying “we're going to win for sure.”

In fact, caution was the order of the day, which is one of the reasons why, according to Nicolas Cloutier (TVA Sports), Zayne Parekh was not made available to the media. The defenseman said a few days ago that at CMJ,he could do whatever he wanted, unlike with the Flames where “he has to give robotic answers.”

The players are aware that a certain rivalry is developing between Canada and the Czech Republic, but they've moved on and “the past is the past,” according to Cole Beaudoin.

Despite the difference in talent between the two nations, Czech coach Patrik Augusta knows his team can beat the Canadiens for a third year running. Despite two victories in the last two years, Augusta believes that everyone is a rival to Canada, as they are the team to beat.

And, this year in particular, the Canadian nation is undefeated, which will make the opponents' task more difficult. It should also be remembered that Canada defeated the Czechs in the curtain-raiser by a score of 7-5. At the end of the match, captain Porter Martone made a rather disgraceful gesture.

I'm sure the Czechs will want to avenge this gesture with the best revenge of all: a victory.


Overtime

– Rocket defeat.

– Auston Matthews, the Leafs' all-time leading scorer.

– Oh no.

– Of note.

– The rest of Elliotte Friedman's Saturday Headlines.

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