CBJ first-round pick David Jiricek does it all on the blue line for the Czechs, who defeated Sweden by a 2-1 score in overtime Wednesday to reach the final. Meanwhile, third-round pick Stanislav Svozil is the team captain and is tied for the team lead in points, and seventh-round pick Martin Rysavy is a key piece of the bottom six for the squad.
It would be a big accomplishment for Czechia to win it all -- in fact, the country hasn't been in a gold medal game since winning it all back-to-back in 2000 and '01 -- but the team's furious comeback, paced by Jiricek's goal in the final minute, against Sweden has guaranteed the country a medal for the first time since bronze in 2005.
The Czechs opened the tournament with a solid 5-2 win over host Canada, then had no trouble with a 9-0 win over Austria. The lone loss was a 3-2 overtime setback to Sweden in which the Czechs had a sizable shot advantage, then the team finished the round robin with an 8-1 thrashing of Germany.
The good times didn't stop in the quarterfinal round Monday, as Czechia shrugged off a goal allowed on the first shift of the game and roared back to post the 9-1 win over Switzerland. Jiricek had a goal and assist, while Svozil had two more primary assists in the contest.
The semifinal rematch was one to remember, as Sweden kept the Czechs' impressive offense in check for most of the game. But Czechia got a late offensive zone faceoff, and Jiricek ripped a one-timer into the net before racing to his team's bench for a wild celebration.