The Olympic Hockey Tournament has reached an exciting phase as the knockout stage begins, with Canada, the USA, Slovakia, and Finland securing their spots in the quarter-finals by finishing top of their respective groups. Other teams are now competing in playoff rounds to earn their places in the next round. The competition is intensifying as teams vie for Olympic glory, making this stage critical for their prospects.

During the early matches, the favorites showed strong performances, with leaders like Leon Draisaitl of Germany scoring early against France in a power play situation, and Swiss player Filip Kurashev netting a goal in the second minute against host nation Italy. These quick goals demonstrate the high stakes and pressure that teams are under in this high-tempo knockout environment.

Germany appears to have a favorable matchup on paper; however, their inconsistent performance raises concerns, having lost five consecutive periods and failing to win a third period in their last six games. Conversely, France has struggled mightily, losing all three group matches and conceding more goals than any other team, highlighting their challenges as they enter this elimination round. It remains to be seen if they can turn their fortunes around in such a critical stage of the tournament.