Mitch Marner’s OT heroics can’t hide what Team Canada must fix next
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Daniel Lucente
Feb 19, 2026 (12:15)
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Photo credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images
Mitch Marner’s overtime winner kept Team Canada alive, but that Czechia scare left real cracks that can’t show up again Friday.
Canada needed every ounce in a 4-3 OT escape, and the vibe flipped fast when the game stopped feeling like a highlight reel.
Macklin Celebrini scored early, then Czechia pushed right back and made Canada chase shifts instead of controlling them.
Nick Suzuki’s tip with 3:27 left saved the whole tournament, and it never should have gotten that desperate.
Sidney Crosby leaving with a lower-body issue turned it from stressful to stomach-drop, because it forces everyone else into bigger minutes.
Matt Larkin’s point lands hard, the stars can’t be the only plan when the game tightens and legs get heavy.
Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, and Celebrini drive the bus, but Canada looked like it waited for them to solve everything.
Connor McDavid and Team Canada need depth now
Canadian fans know the feeling, you cheer the finish but still feel annoyed, because a gold favourite should not be living on the edge.
The clean fix is simple, play like a full roster, not a video game top line.
Canada has 23 goals in the tournament, and Larkin notes 10 come from McDavid, MacKinnon, and Celebrini, with McDavid in on a huge chunk.
That’s fine in bursts, but it becomes a trap when everyone else starts deferring instead of attacking.
The other fix is five-on-five chemistry, especially for MacKinnon, who’s done damage on the man advantage but still needs a steady look at even strength.
Then there’s the blue line usage, because if certain matchups feel like fire drills, Jon Cooper has to manage them like it’s Game 7.
Canada is 4-0-0 in Milan, but Finland is next, and this is the round where talent stops being enough and details decide everything.
Also read on HockeyLatest :
Pierre LeBrun reveals IIHF admission on controversial Czechia goal
Pierre LeBrun reveals IIHF admission on controversial Czechia goal
| POLL | ||
FEVRIER 19|227 ANSWERS Mitch Marner’s OT heroics can’t hide what Team Canada must fix next Should Team Canada change its lineup usage before Friday against Finland? | ||
| Yes | 94 | 41.4 % |
| No | 133 | 58.6 % |
| List of polls | ||