Milan (Italy) (AFP) – Two-time Olympic men’s ice hockey champions Sweden will face the USA in the quarter-finals of the Milan-Cortina tournament after they beat Latvia 5-1 in a qualification playoff on Tuesday. Sweden finished in third place in group play, forcing them to come through the play-offs.
But the Swedes, winners at the 1994 and 2006 Winter Games, had no trouble dismissing the Latvians at the Santagiulia Arena to move onto a meeting with the unbeaten Americans on Wednesday. The other three quarter-finals also take place in a bumper day of action on Wednesday.
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The Czech Republic will play Canada, the favourites for the title along with the USA, after defeating Denmark 3-2 in their qualification playoff. Switzerland progressed to play reigning Olympic champions Finland by beating Italy 3-0.
Germany, led by 2020 National Hockey League (NHL) MVP Leon Draisaitl who opened the scoring, thrashed France 5-1 and will play Slovakia in the last eight. Both Canada and the USA have rosters full of players from the NHL, who are playing at an Olympics for the first time since 2014.
© 2024 AFP
