Team Canada has advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2024 International Ice Hockey Federation World Men’s Hockey Championships as Group A champions. On Tuesday, Canada improved to a record of seven wins and zero losses with a 4-3 overtime win over the Czech Republic.
How Team Canada got the victory was unexpected and very dramatic. It was from a shorthanded goal by Buffalo Sabres centre Dylan Cozens of Whitehorse, Yukon with Pierre-Luc Dubois in the penalty box for holding. Cozens was the only Canadian player with a multi-point game as he scored twice. The other two Canadian goal scorers were New Jersey Devils forward Dawson Mercer of Carbonear, Newfoundland and Tampa Bay Lightning left winger Brandon Hagel of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
In a rather wild game, there was no scoring for the first two periods, and the first six goals came in the third period. Canada had a 3-1 lead with four minutes left only to see the Czech Republic tie the score at three.
Team Canada will now play Slovakia in one of four quarterfinal games. The other games feature Sweden versus Finland, Switzerland versus Germany and the United States versus the Czech Republic. The quarterfinals will be on Thursday, the semifinals on Saturday, and the finals on Sunday.
