Canada faces Czechia and the US plays Sweden in the quarterfinals at the Olympics

Like a shock to the system, hockey at the Olympics goes from nobody getting eliminated in group play to a single-elimination knockout round until one team is left standing. “The anxiety just goes up a little bit,” said Drew Doughty, a three-time Olympian for Canada. With Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby leading the way, Canada looks primed for another run to the gold-medal game after winning each of the previous two Olympics with NHL players in 2014 and 2010.

By STEPHEN WHYNO