Empty Netters Podcast – USA and Canada Survive OT Thrillers: Quarterfinals Recap with the Good Ol’ Canadian Boys

Podcast: Empty Netters
Host: Almost Friday Media
Date: February 19, 2026
Episode Theme:
A boots-on-the-ground, immediately-after-action recap of the 2026 Olympic men’s ice hockey quarterfinals from Milan. Hosts Dan and Chris break down a series of incredible, tightly contested games, with deep focus on the Canada-Czechia and USA-Sweden overtime thrillers. The episode features raw fan energy from inside Canada House, personal insights from the tournament, and closes with a hilarious, heartwarming roundtable interview with the viral “Good Ol’ Canadian Boys” (Seth Jarvis’s infamous fan crew).

Main Episode Theme & Purpose

This episode captures the electricity and insanity of the 2026 Olympic quarterfinals, focusing on the atmospheres, twists, and emotional rollercoaster: three overtime games capped by Canada and USA surviving by razor-thin margins. Beyond recaps, the hosts emphasize the once-in-a-lifetime energy of being in Milan, offer live fan and family perspective, and celebrate the viral journey of Jarvis’s fan crew.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Quarterfinals Experience: Olympic Energy in Milan

• Hosts’ Setting:

  • Dan and Chris are recording from Milan with “boots on the ground,” describing the very real and wild Olympic atmosphere.
  • They emphasize that TV coverage doesn’t do justice to the electricity and stress on site.

  “If you’re watching any coverage right now that is not people who are here enjoying it, you’re missing out. Turn it off and turn this on... It is so different here.” — Dan (03:03)

• Canada House Vibes:

  • Canada House is popping with speed skating golds, hockey victories, Olympians mixing with fans.
  • The stress, joy, and anxiety is palpable as games cross over and spill into each other.

2. Game-By-Game Breakdown

A. Germany vs. Slovakia

• Germany’s Olympic Run:

  • Hosts give “stick taps” to a gutsy, top-heavy German squad who made noise but ultimately fell.
  • Highlights on Leon Draisaitl’s resilience, Tim Stützle’s emotion after elimination.

• Slovakia’s Cinderella Story:

  • Initial surprise at Slovakia running Finland, then realizing Slovakia “never flinched.”
  • Juraj Slafkovsky’s highlight-reel 1-on-1 move vs. Draisaitl gets big props.

  “Who gives you the right? Who gives you the right to do this? And they go, we do. We make the rules up in this bitch...” — Chris (07:10)

  • Dalibor Dvorský (St. Louis Blues) lauded: youngest Slovak with a four-game point streak at the Olympics, leading all Blues in Olympic points.

• Timestamps:

  • Slovakia praise 06:26-10:24

B. Finland vs. Switzerland ("For Kevin")

• Wildest emotional swings. Swiss nearly pull the upset despite missing their star Kevin Fiala.

  • Swiss fans: “all-time, all-time singing.”
  • At 2-0 Switzerland, Canada fans were eyeing a much-easier semifinal opponent, but Finland storms back late.

• Finland’s Grit:

  • “Dogs,” unexpected run without Barkov—Aho, Heskianen, and especially Artturi Lehkonen deliver late.

  “It’s just crazy when you open the fucking gate and the top dogs run out. That is what you want!” — Dan (20:54)

• Hosts debate whether Finland were “chalk” or “surprise” (Dan insists it’s chalk).

• Timestamps:

  • “For Kevin” Swiss run / Finland comeback: 11:20–18:28
  • Debate on Finland’s status: 18:28–20:16

C. Canada vs. Czechia: The Heart Attack Game

• Opening minutes:

  • Canada rolls early; Macklin Celebrini scores (sets record for Olympics points by a teenager, >Malkin).
  • “If you let Connor McDavid and Macklin Celebrini combine on a goal in the first five minutes, you are now—it’s going to be 10-0.” — Chris (25:24)

• Czech Pushback:

  • Czechia’s big names (Pastrnak, Nečas) generate offense, game tied 2-2. Host feels Canada’s depth will win out—until disaster hits.

• Sidney Crosby Injury:

  • Sid takes awkward hits, tries to push through, but is ruled out at the second intermission. Hosts (and Canada House) go into full panic mode.

  “He was doing the plank walk... it looks like there’s a steel rod down his... Like, he was, like, waving the leg outwards, which always makes me nervous.” — Dan (33:27)

• Palát puts Czechia ahead (chaos!):

  • Canada House falls utterly silent.
  • Turns out Czechia had six men on the ice during the go-ahead goal. “Andy Dufresne walked right out of the prison...”

  “There are six men on the ice. In the goal celebration. There are six men...” — Dan (36:26)

• Nick Suzuki’s Heroics:

  • Monster shift by Suzuki, stays on after line change, outworks everyone to tie the game.

  “One of the best top to bottom 200 foot shifts you will ever see.” — Dan (39:52)

  • Vindication for Suzuki as fans had been chirping him online.

• Binnington Steals OT:

  • Jordan Binnington comes up HUGE late in the third and OT, stoning all Czech chances (“unconscious goaltending” 41:40–44:57).

• OT: Mitch Marner the hero:

  • Marner scores a tough backhand after a strong individual play, snaps Canadian-dread.

  “Everyone in Czechia is like, Dostal, you played out of your mind. Also, man, shut your mouth on a backhand.” — Dan (43:09)

• Key Stats:

  • Celebrini: 4GP, 5G, 4A, 9P (record for teen Olympians)

• Timestamps:

  • Opening/first goal: 25:06–25:52
  • Sid injury: 32:30–34:39
  • Palát's 6-men goal: 35:50–37:35
  • Suzuki’s heroics: 39:07–41:40
  • OT: 42:32–44:38

D. USA vs. Sweden: The Agony & The Ecstasy

• Context:

  • Hosts are dual US/Sweden, watch in Canada House. USA has not beaten Sweden in Olympics since 1960 (53:28).

• Immaculate Hockey:

  • “Felt like 2011 Game 7 Boston-Tampa” (scoreless): pure, flowing, low-penalty, high-skill hockey.

• Larkin Breaks Through, US Tenses Up:

  • Dylan Larkin, “America’s Destiny,” scores a huge tip. Hosts go into statistical tributes and emotional soliloquy.

  “That whole shift from him was unbelievable…” — Dan (59:02)

  • Host Chris: “We are so... The US had layers. I was like, this is. This sucks. I hate watching a 1-0 game where I’m so stressed because one bad bounce.”

• Sweden Ties Late:

  • Lucas Raymond (tournament’s preeminent playmaker) feeds Mika Zibanejad for a last-minute equalizer. Resigned collective agony/”it's over” text to family ensues.

• 3-on-3 OT:

  • Hosts hate the format for elimination but admit it makes for wild TV.
  • OT becomes the “Quinn Hughes show”—USA’s D-man commands the ice, dictates play, scores the walk-off winner with a picture-perfect wrister from the dot.

  “Team USA went, Quinn, take the... You take it.” — Chris (71:42)

  • Larkin, both Hughes brothers, Matthews and Eichel are cited as best Americans. Jacob Slavin lauded for “All-Father” defensive plays late.

• Timestamps:

  • “Who we playing, Rammer?” (superstitions/fan chat): 53:13
  • Larkin goal/shift: 59:02
  • Hellebuyck praise: 61:16–62:26
  • Late Swedish goal: 63:41
  • OT, Quinn Hughes: 68:12–74:20

3. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Boots on the ground. We just watched four unbelievable games in the quarterfinals... Blood pressure through the roof for so many fan bases...” — Dan (01:01)
• “That was the dream of Olympic hockey—here’s your quarterfinals, top eight teams, absolute OT tilts, everyone puking in the streets from stress.” — Chris (02:00)
• “I need people to understand... Suzuki has one of the best top to bottom 200 foot shifts you will ever see.” — Dan (39:52)
• “Quinn Hughes is the guy, like he is the guy on this team. That performance just kind of sealed the deal.” — Dan (74:20)
• “If they had (lost to Czechia on the 6-man play), the entire nation of Canada would be on mooseback parading to Italy to turn over this game. And they’d be justified.” — Dan (37:57)
• “Dylan Larkin played so well... a helicopter is going to have to come in and airlift it out of this arena.” — Dan (59:19)
• “When Quinn Hughes was on the ice, the directive was: get Quinn the puck.” — Dan (72:09)

4. The Good Ol’ Canadian Boys: Viral Fan Interview

Timestamps: 76:16–101:53

• Who Are They?

  • Six best friends from rural Manitoba, viral after their epic 30-hour snow-blown van journey from Winnipeg to Boston to see Seth Jarvis at Four Nations.
  • Now in Milan thanks to Air Canada (and TikTok), living the Olympic dream on behalf of Jarvis—and all of Canada.

• How It Started:

  • Original drive due to blizzard and cancelled flight.
  • “It was my mom’s Nissan... I slept in the trunk for about eight hours.” — Ebug (79:37)

• Olympic Surrealness:

  • Canada House “treats us like we’re Olympians.”
  • Media buzz, a blur, feeling like celebrities: “Don’t speak to pros unless spoken to. So then they come up to us and say, ‘Can we get a picture?’... Can we talk to you?”
  • Fans recognize them, even before Jarvis (“We just part, and he’s standing right there.”)

• Highlight Stories:

  • Route-running in a Vegas park for hours when Jarvy forgot to leave them an apartment key.
  • Meeting Sidney Crosby (“He looks at my jersey and goes, ‘I really like that jersey.’”)
  • “The Olympic buzz—the different jerseys you see walking around, the random Italians yelling ‘Go Canada Go,’ feels like home.”

• On Seth Jarvis:

  • “He’s always like, ‘Oh, I remember you’… always takes a picture, always acknowledges (fans), just a genuine guy.”
  • Mutual loyalty—“Six best friends, flying across the world for him, just makes sense.”

• Fan Culture:

  • Self-control in the face of US fans “feeding” them in the back of the head, Boston game anthem story.
  • Curling and wheelbarrow celebrations.

• Favorite Milan Moments:

  • Various: A group McDonald’s walk, pizza, Air Canada flight deck views, meeting Olympian Cassidy Gray, Canada House, and Canada games.
  • Eating: “I probably shouldn’t say the Big Arch [McDonald’s Big Mac], but we had a good slice of pizza yesterday.”
  • “Just being here as a group has been unreal and a surreal moment.” — Brian (86:51)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:03 – The magic of being on the ground in Milan, Canada House vibes
• 06:26–10:24 – Germany/Slovakia breakdown, Slafkovsky and Dvorsky hype
• 11:20–18:28 – Finland/Switzerland “for Kevin” heartbreak & Finland’s grit
• 25:06–44:38 – Full Canada–Czechia rollercoaster: Celebrini record, Sid’s injury, Suzuki’s heroics, Binnington’s saves, Marner’s OT GWG
• 53:13–74:20 – USA–Sweden breakdown: superstitions, Larkin moment, Hellebuyck, the late Swedish equalizer, OT, Quinn Hughes' brilliant winner
• 76:16–101:53 – Extended Interview: Good Ol’ Canadian Boys
• 101:53–end – Closing shoutouts, favorite Milan foods, travel logistics

Tone & Language

• Irreverent, passionate, and bro-ish banter—equal parts high-level insight and raw, emotional fan reactions.
• Hosts joke about drinking, “rocket” stress-levels, being “horned up,” and being “bricked up” after Suzuki’s goal.
• Deep hockey knowledge married to relentless chirping—of themselves, the teams, and each other.

Summary Flow and Standout Elements

• Begins with the adrenaline and stress of watching Olympic quarterfinals "live."
• Every game gets its due—the hosts provide a color and story to each, not just scores or highlights.
• Deep-dive into the Canada–Czechia classic: injuries, officiating, and iconic shifts (Suzuki).
• Overtime in two apex games—described with both tactical analysis and all-in fan agony.
• USA–Sweden study: on-ice tactics, emotional swings, format gripes, and Quinn Hughes’ coming-of-age.
• The Good Ol’ Canadian Boys bring humor, “glue” and ultimately embody the “hockey family” ethos.

Conclusion

A passionate, inside-the-ropes oral history of a wild day at the Milan Olympic men’s hockey quarters, measured in heartbeats, momentum swings, and unforgettable fan moments. This is not your sterile sports update—Empty Netters serves pure Olympic hockey culture, straight from Milan, laced with stories, stats, and infectious energy.

For full episode context, jokes, and game-by-game insanity, this episode is essential—a definitive time capsule from the steamiest, craziest day of the 2026 Olympic hockey tournament.

Notable Quotes by Timestamp:

• (03:03) — Dan on live atmosphere: “...it is so different here. The atmosphere... it is so palpable, it’s so electric.”
• (25:24) — Chris on Celebrini: “Mack has passed Malkin… he’s gonna finish in double digits. It’s gonna be ridiculous.”
• (33:27) — Dan on Crosby: “He was doing the plank walk… looks like there’s a steel rod down his… made me nervous.”
• (36:26) — Dan on Czech’s 6-man goal: “There are six men on the ice… even in the celebration. No one noticed.”
• (39:52) — Dan on Suzuki: “He gets in the D zone… one of the best 200 foot shifts you will ever see.”
• (59:19) — Dan waxing poetically about Larkin: “...a helicopter is going to have to airlift it out of this arena.”
• (71:42) — Chris on Quinn Hughes: “He is the one actually causing problems. Three on three.”

For more, check out Empty Netters on all podcast platforms and follow the Good Ol’ Canadian Boys on IG and TikTok. Skate hard!