Canada wins unexpected OT thriller in do-or-die Olympic game against Czechia
For a moment, it looked like Czechia was about to do the unthinkable.
They held a 3-2 lead with less than five minutes remaining. Canada’s gold medal dreams at the Olympics were evaporating.
But of course, this is the Olympics, where one play can turn any player into a national hero.
Enter, Mitch Marner.
Once considered someone who disappeared in big moments, the former Toronto Maple Leafs star stepped up when his country needed him most.
Marner took the puck from his own blue line, went streaking in on Czech goaltender Lukáš Dostál, and backhanded home the game-winner, giving Canada a thrilling 4-3 win in overtime.
MITCH MARNER 🚨
CANADA WINS CANADA WINS CANADA WINS 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/sKICnjLnA6
— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) February 18, 2026
Remember when Toronto Maple Leafs fans and pundits believed that Marner wasn’t a big-game player?
Well, the Markham, Ont., native just scored one of the biggest goals in Canadian Olympic history.
“I just saw I had a hole there, and luckily enough, I saw that I was able to get into a spot and get the puck off of my stick,” he told Sportsnet’s Kyle Bukauskas after the game.
“I thought it had a chance to go in, and lucky enough, it did.”
Marner credited the team around him for showing enough resilience to avoid a monumental collapse.
“The game was a battle,” he said. “Guys didn’t quit. We stayed and trusted our systems and ourselves, and we got rewarded for it.”
Marner also credited his family and baby son in Italy for helping him succeed on the ice.
“It’s a special thing to have my son here,” he said. “It makes me feel so much love and so much calmness.”
His massive marker put an end to an intense and stressful couple of hours of Olympic hockey.
“I think I need a cigarette,” Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said after the win.
Perhaps fans across the country felt the same way throughout.
Fans were likely screaming at their televisions in the second period when Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki hit the post in the second period, missing a wide-open net in the process.
However, he got his redemption by tying the game 3-3 late in the third period.
NICK SUZUKI TIES IT FOR CANADA 🚨
3-3
Deep breaths. Watch here: https://t.co/oTy7mwM1Un pic.twitter.com/emDJJdQgUI
— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) February 18, 2026
Even in overtime, Jordan Binnington did make one big stop, point-blank, off of Czech defenceman Radim Simek.
Although he wasn’t on the level of the Czech goaltender Dostal, he still kept the puck out when it mattered most, allowing Marner to be the hero.
Of course, Canada wouldn’t have won without the heroics from their three best players.
Connor McDavid played an elevated role after Crosby’s injury, skating 21:43 overall. He registered two assists in the win, setting a new record for points by an NHL player at the Olympics. The Newmarket, Ont., native now has 12 points in just four games.
Nathan MacKinnon also scored in this game with a laser of a wrist shot on the power play. He also led all Canadian forwards with 22:43 of ice time.
Finally, teenager Macklin Celebrini has continued to be a revelation. He scored Canada’s opening goal and added two assists, leading all Canadian players with three points in the game.
They needed all of those players in this game, especially with Sidney Crosby exiting in the second period due to injury.
Despite the unexpected stress, Canada stays alive and will play on Friday for a chance to advance to the gold medal game.