Milan, ITALY — The Marty party stormed Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena as the do-or-die qualification round kicked off at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics. In a tense battle for a quarterfinal spot against powerhouse Canada, Colorado Avalanche star Martin Necas delivered the spark: a power-play goal early in the second and an assist to fuel Czechia’s three-goal outburst in the period.
Czechia overcame Denmark’s resilient push—two second-period tallies kept it close at 3-2 heading into the third—but
a scoreless final frame sealed the 3-2 victory and advancement. Necas’ clutch playmaking and sniper touch (1G-1A) lifted Czechia past a gritty Danish side featuring Frederik Andersen in net, setting up a blockbuster quarterfinal showdown.
This bounce-back win keeps Czechia’s medal dreams alive after a tough group stage, with Necas proving once again why he’s the Avalanche’s dynamic force on the international stage.
The Game
The first period came and went as both teams felt each other out. Shots finished 8-6 in favor of Czechia, but neither side generated many dangerous chances. That changed dramatically in the second period.
Martin Necas struck first at 25:39 on the power play, ripping a one-timer from the dot that echoed the kind we usually see Nathan MacKinnon hammer home. It was the first real flash of dominance, but Necas was arguably the best player on the ice all game, and that edge carried throughout.
Alexander True answered quickly at 29:02 with his first-ever Olympic goal, tying it 1-1 and saying, “Yeah, just good play by Joachim there, finding me back, and I just had to put it in the empty net, so that was nice.”
Then the Czechs poured it on with two goals in a span of under two minutes and change: David Kampf buried one on the doorstep at 30:15, set up by Necas’ nice saucer pass for the secondary assist. Roman Cervenka followed with a top-shelf snipe at 31:24, assisted by David Pastrnak, to make it 3-1.
Denmark refused to fold, getting one back late in the period on a power-play goal from Nick Olesen with 2:54 left in 2nd, cutting it to 3-2 and keeping the tension high.
The third period was a masterclass in shutdown hockey from Czechia. They weathered Denmark’s push—outshot 12-5 in the frame—and held firm even after Frederik Andersen was pulled for the extra attacker. No further goals, and Czechia sealed the 3-1 win to advance.
By the Numbers
Czechia will meet Canada in the quarterfinals roughly 22 hours after today’s game ended—a brutal, quick turnaround against one of the tournament’s undisputed powerhouses.
Martin Necas has a goal in three consecutive games, setting a Czech Olympic record in tournaments featuring NHL players. He’s also tied with Teemu Selanne (and a select few others like Jere Lehtinen and Connor McDavid) for the longest multi-point streak in NHL-era Olympic history at three straight games.
All five goals in this contest came in the second period, underscoring the game’s wild flow: tight checking early, an offensive explosion mid-game, and then Czechia slamming the door shut with a scoreless third. Lukas Dostal was lights-out in net (24 saves on 26 shots), preserving the 3-2 win and the quarterfinal berth.
Necas now sits at 3 goals and 6 points through four Olympic games—tying Vinny Prospal for third-most points by a Czech in an NHL-era single Olympics—proving he’s carrying the load for his nation.
Avalanche Spin
Martin Necas’ standout play in this Olympic tournament is going a long way toward legitimizing the infamous Mikko Rantanen-for-Necas (plus Jack Drury and picks) blockbuster trade from January 2025. If he carries this momentum back to North America post-Olympics—where he’s already been a seamless fit on the top line— it’ll fully quiet any doubters.
His rocket from the left face-off dot today on the power play? That’s the kind of sniper shot we usually see Nathan MacKinnon unleash, proving MacK isn’t the only Avs weapon who can bomb from that spot and highlighting Colorado’s stubborn commitment to that PP setup.
Tomorrow brings the ultimate Avalanche subplot: Necas and Czechia vs. Toews, Makar, and MacKinnon on Team Canada in the quarterfinals. Necas already summed it up perfectly ahead of their first meeting in the prelims (a 5-0 Canada win): “Obviously, it’s much easier to be playing with them than against them.”
An upset here would be massive—shocking the hockey world and giving Necas bragging rights back in the Avs locker room. But that’s gonna be tough sledding against the stacked, top-seeded Canadians. Czechian captain Radko Gudas had this to say following the game regarding meeting team Canada and being intimidated:
“If you get intimidated, you shouldn’t be playing pro hockey,” and followed up with, “We have to improve on the things we did today, and if we can limit those and play smart hockey, we have a chance.”
Let us know what you thought of the game in the comments!
