Hero-inspired Marner fuels Canada’s gold hopes.

In 2010, as Sidney Crosby’s puck found the back of the net, clinching Olympic gold on Canadian ice, a thirteen-year-old Mitch Marner sprinted through his community alongside his sibling, filled with joy.

This particular event stands as his most cherished Olympic recollection, a scene that a youthful Marner frequently envisioned again and again.

Fast forward sixteen years, and it is Marner himself who has become the Olympic protagonist, competing for a squad helmed by the very athlete he admired.

Mirroring Crosby’s actions during the 2010 Olympic championship, Marner possessed the foresight to identify an opportunity during the most critical junctures of Wednesday’s pivotal quarterfinal match.

Propelling himself down the rink, the puck affixed to his stick — with a nation holding its breath — Marner detected a clear path. He glided past a pair of Czech defenders, and as another pursued him closely, Marner flicked the puck backwards towards the goal. This maneuver proved sufficient to overcome the Czech netminder Lukáš Dostál, who had maintained a strong performance throughout the contest.

“I managed to position it where I could release it from my stick and send it to a location that presented a possibility for it to enter, and fortunately, it succeeded,” Marner informed CBC Olympics correspondent Kyle Bukauskas.

Marner’s decisive goal secured a 4-3 overtime victory for Canada against Czechia, advancing the Canadian team to the semifinals where they will face Finland. This match is scheduled for Friday at 10:40 a.m. ET, with full coverage available on CBC and CBC Gem.

This marked the initial encounter with significant challenge for a superior Canadian squad that had navigated the preliminary stages with minimal opposition.

Confronted with the possibility of an unforeseen early departure, and the prospect of failing to reach the medal stand in a competition these athletes had eagerly anticipated for so long, the Canadian team demonstrated resilience and overcame two distinct score disadvantages.

“The entire match was a struggle,” Marner stated. “No one on the team gave up. We persevered and maintained faith in our strategies and abilities, which ultimately brought us success.”

‘We are not letting this be Sid’s final match’

For the initial time in this competition, the Canadian side found themselves behind on the scoreboard, courtesy of a Czech squad that exhibited greater determination than they had during their 5-0 defeat to Canada in the opening round.

Subsequent to 19-year-old Macklin Celebrini initiating the scoring — marking his fifth goal across four contests — the Czechs responded by netting a goal courtesy of Lukáš Sedlák.

Merely six minutes thereafter, David Pastrňák tallied a point, propelling Czechia into a 2-1 lead, thereby giving Canada its initial experience of a deficit in this championship.

With a one-goal disadvantage in the middle frame, the situation deteriorated further when Radko Gudas — an athlete renowned more for his propensity to physically dominate opponents against the boards than for his stickhandling prowess — made contact with Crosby.

The team leader moved off the playing surface in discomfort. He was attended to on the sidelines prior to making his way towards the exit, proceeding cautiously.

As Crosby was removed from play, the athletes drew motivation from their leader. Moments after Crosby’s departure, his compatriot from Nova Scotia, Nathan MacKinnon, equalized the score with a power-play marker.

“A significant point of discussion in the dressing room following the second period and leading into the third was our resolve that this would not be Sid’s final appearance,” commented head coach Jon Cooper.

Composure and conviction

In the final period, Ondřej Palát gave Czechia the lead with a goal that, following a closer examination, ought to have been disallowed due to an infraction for having too many players on the rink.

Nevertheless, the score stood, and the Canadian squad maintained their relentless effort, despite the competition appearing to elude their grasp.

Their reliance was placed on a formidable line of star players, Celebrini, MacKinnon, and Connor McDavid, each accumulating over 21 minutes of ice time in this match, to bring them back into contention. Concurrently, Jordan Binnington performed his duties effectively at the opposite side of the rink, despite the Canadians allowing favorable scoring chances to the Czech team.

It was Nick Suzuki, rather than the marquee players, who compelled the game into an extra period with under four minutes remaining.

“While one prefers to avoid such circumstances, it is essential to cultivate comfort with discomfort,” Cooper remarked. “That defines this collective. Everyone possessed confidence. The atmosphere on the ice remained notably composed, and this ultimately yielded positive results.”

Crosby’s condition uncertain

The goal scored by Marner brought a sense of relief. Nearly precisely 28 years prior, the Canadian team had been defeated by the Czechs during overtime in a quarterfinal encounter, a historical event that was on the verge of recurrence.

Even beyond an hour post-match, Cooper had not fully processed the events he witnessed. Nathan MacKinnon, typically reserved, characterized the contest as “intense and anxiety-inducing.”

Despite being an experienced player like Drew Doughty, one of merely two individuals on this roster with an Olympic gold medal, the closing moments of the third period evoked a feeling of apprehension.

“You are aware of the immense fortitude we possess,” Doughty stated. “We will never surrender and will relentlessly pursue what is correct. I harbored no uncertainty, but the final two minutes certainly became quite tense.”

The impact of Crosby’s injury on his availability for the subsequent game remains uncertain. An MRI scan is scheduled for Crosby to assess the severity of his ailment, as conveyed by Elliotte Friedman during the CBC Olympics broadcast.

Given MacKinnon’s agitation in the concluding match of the preliminary stage, Canada’s central offensive strength now appears somewhat diminished.

However, this squad demonstrated offensive prowess and unwavering spirit extending beyond its formidable top forward unit.

On Wednesday, Marner showcased his capacity to excel under immense pressure, mirroring the achievement of his childhood idol from 16 years prior. He accomplished this with his young son present in the audience, an event too early for the child to remember, yet one that will be recounted to him by his father throughout his lifetime.

“My commendations for that young man, his contributions, and his ability to perform during pivotal junctures are boundless,” Cooper remarked concerning Marner. “Truly an exceptional athlete.”