Czechia knows what to expect when they face Canada in the quarterfinals of the men's Olympic hockey tournament, hoping for a better outcome than the 5-0 thrashing they received in the opener. For Czech forward Martin Necas, the rematch carries both excitement and a sense of unfinished business.
While Canada secured the top seed in the tournament, Czech players like David Pastrnak believe they need to put respect aside and compete aggressively. The game, scheduled for Thursday at 10:40 a.m. ET, marks the first Canada-Czechia playoff matchup with NHL players at the Olympics since 1998, when Czechia prevailed 2-1.