By: Chris Nosek

Normally, we’d take a look around the NHL. However, there are no NHL games being played. The preliminary rounds are now over, so let’s take a look around the Olympic Games.

Canada

They’re as good as we thought they would be. Connor McDavid is averaging 3 points per game, while Macklin Celebrini is averaging 2 points per game. Jordan Binnington has proven he can still lock in when the game matters. Jon Cooper has a great handle on the team overall, and the team appears to be staying loose. Yes, they have machine-like players in McDavid and MacKinnon, and overall, this team is on a mission. However, it’s clear that with Crosby leading, they know how to have the right balance to keep things light-hearted. Even if the goaltending or defense starts to falter, this team can outscore everyone.

United States

The only team outpacing them in scoring is Canada. They did what they were supposed to in winning their group. They seemed to get off to a couple of slow starts in the preliminary rounds. And that’s without the goal from the neutral zone allowed by Swayman. They can be every bit as good as we think they can be. However, they have to remain vigilant and not overlook anyone on their road to the gold medal game. If they’re not careful, they could lose to Sweden or Slovakia before reaching the gold medal game.

Slovakia

Slovakia seems to have been underrated coming into the tournament. Despite his success in international competition, Samuel Hlavaj was overlooked. They’re also getting great performances from both Dalibor Dvorsky and Juraj Slafkovsky. Their defense has left you wanting more at times. However, with veterans like Martin Fehervary, Erik Cernak, and Simon Nemec they should be okay. They’re a team that should be able to make the most of the extra time off before their first game. After edging out Sweden and Finland in the group stage, no one should be overlooking them anymore.

Finland

Finland got very lucky having their final game in the preliminary round against Italy. Heading into the game, they knew a victory by at least three goals would secure them second in the group. It’s clear they miss Aleksander Barkov from their lineup. They’re a very deep team with many capable scorers. It bodes well for them that they are getting balanced scoring from their lineup. However, Teuvo Teravainen and Roope Hintz have another scoring level they are capable of getting to. If they’re able to break through as well, Finland can make some serious noise. Especially given the rest they’ll get not having to play in the opening round.

Switzerland

Switzerland got lucky that Czechia started slow and faced Canada out of the gate. They get a first-round matchup against Italy instead of Denmark because of it. As expected, Timo Meier is leading their offense push. They suffered a significant setback with Kevin Fiala’s injury, and have gotten two outstanding performances from goaltender Leonardo Genoni. They can sort out their game since they drew Italy in their first game. This could be the game they need to get Nico Hischier, Philipp Kurashev, and Nino Niederreiter going offensively.

Germany

Most would have expected Leon Draisaitl and JJ Peterka to have more than three points. Collectively, they have one goal and five assists. Moritz Seider is doing everything he can to lead the defense. Meanwhile, Philipp Grubauer has continued his solid season between the pipes. They still have more to offer. Lukas Reichel has only one point so far, and Nico Sturm has yet to score. They should be able to sort out their offense against a weak opponent like France.

Sweden

Lucas Raymond is leading the offense, while Rasmus Dahlin leads the defense. Filip Gustavsson hasn’t looked settled into the crease, while Jesper Wallstedt has yet to see game action. There are several questions regarding the minute distribution for the Swedes, but nothing beats their best goaltender not playing. They can still make some noise in the tournament if additional players other than Raymond, Kempe, or Zibanejad can find a way to score.

Czechia

The slow start for David Pastrnak and Martin Necas against Canada really set them back. Luckily, since then, the two have started to find their game a bit. Lukas Dostal looks dialed in, despite the nine goals in his two starts. He is still very capable of stealing a game in this tournament. They shouldn’t have a problem keeping Denmark off the scoreboard. They just need their offense to continue clicking, and they can still do some damage in this tournament.

Denmark

Denmark got lucky with their Group C draw because their offense just hasn’t been there. They have scored eight goals over their three games, however three of them have been scored by Nick Olesen. They still need to find a way to get more from Nikolaj Ehlers and Oliver Bjorkstrand. Frederik Andersen can put in a great performance, but they need more offense for it to matter.

Latvia

The Latvians are proving to be a scrappy team that is tough to play against. They played a great game against Germany, their lone victory in the preliminary round. They also almost clawed their way back from a 3-0 deficit against Denmark. Sweden has struggled in its preliminary games, but with Arturs Silovs in goal, it stands a chance. Bruins fans should be very excited by the play of Dans Locmelis. Hopefully, he can help them with an upset over Sweden.

France

France was put in a tough spot, facing Group A opponents Canada, Czechia, and Switzerland. They lucked out in getting Dan Vladar in goal when they faced Czechia. This allowed them to post 3 goals and help their goal differential. They scored 2 goals against Canada, beating Jordan Binnington on 2 of their 14 shots. Overall, they have been one of the weaker teams in the tournament. It’s questionable whether they would have defeated Italy if the two had faced off.

Italy

The Italians have been outshot 160-59 over their three games in the preliminary round. Damian Clara, the Ducks prospect, has faced 95 shots in just 142 minutes and 7 seconds of ice time. He has faced several high-danger chances as the team in front of him has been dominated. He’s faced several high-end teams in Finland, Slovakia, and Sweden. This means they could find their first-round matchup against a struggling Swiss team to be their easiest thus far. The question is whether they can score at all. For Italy to have a chance, the game has to remain low-scoring.