That was a whirlwind. Less than a week ago all the questions surrounding how the Olympic tournament would play out were circling and every team was undefeated. The 4 Jets were warming up in Milan and had hopes of big performances. Now, we’ve seen 8 games from Canada, Switzerland, and the United States and it’s time to reassess what we should expect from them in playoff rounds.Â
Will Josh Morrissey make a return to the tournament?
Before Canada’s final preliminary contest against France, Morrissey was practicing in a side session along with Brad Marchand. Canada hasn’t been totally flawless but they have looked head and shoulders above every other team in the tournament, outscoring opponents 20-3. Adding Morrissey back to the lineup will help Canada keep up constant pressure with his vision and puck handling. Team Canada will take on the winner of Denmark and Czechia - Canada of course bested the Czechs 5-0 in their opening game.Â
Can Nino Niederreiter find the back of the net?
Switzerland ended the preliminary round in an impressive 5th place. We’ve talked a couple of times about Nino finding space and creating chances but nothing coming to fruition individually. He’ll get another chance as Switzerland takes on the hosts and 12 seed Italy. The Italians have not had a good showing so far, getting outscored 19-4 through the first 3 games. The Swiss will have opportunities to add to that lopsided figure, despite losing Kevin Fiala in the game against Canada. Nino will be pushing for a tally to take home when the tournament is all said and done. The winner moves on to play Finland in the quarterfinals.Â
Will Kyle Connor make it back in the USA lineup?Â
Let’s face it, Kyle Connor will have wanted more from his 2 appearances in a team USA uniform. He didn’t register a shot on goal in either contest. With the nature of such a short tournament head coach Mike Sullivan didn’t have much leash to let Connor find his game. Unfortunately for Connor, this was a move a lot of people saw coming with Clayton Keller having a good season in the National Hockey League and sitting in the press box for the Americans. The path to fight back seems bleak as team USA will face the winner of Sweden and Latvia in the quarterfinals. Sweden, stocked full of NHL talent, will be a tough draw and Sullivan will need to play a hot hand on the third line to improve team USA's chances of making the semifinals.
How far can Connor Hellebuyck take team USA?
Despite a scoring margin of 16-5 through the preliminary round, team USA hasn't looked as comfortable as team Canada so far. Some of that sentiment comes from the scare against Denmark when the US left the ice down a goal after the first period, in part due to goaltender rotation. Well Connor Hellebuyck will be between the pipes the rest of the way for the Americans and he has been stout. For team USA to have a shot at gold he's going to need to give it everything he has in the tank to get through the Swedes, the semifinals, and then a potential matchup with the red hot Connor McDavid and Macklin Celebrini. Hellebuyck is seeing the game well and playing with confidence, but he is going to need to carry his team to the medal rounds.
It should be a great week of action for your Winnipeg Jets in Milan so check back in at Jets White Out.