Colorado's contingent at the Milano Cortina Games turns the tournament into their personal highlight reel, with every single one of the eight Avalanche skaters finding the back of the net. MacKinnon, Makar, Landeskog, Necas and the rest are feasting internationally while their power play back home sputters, sparking whispers about what international tweaks might fix Denver's glitch.

Mika Zibanejad and Gabriel Landeskog unleash scathing takes on Sweden's stinging Olympic loss to Finland, pulling no punches from the NHL sidelines. These Rangers and Avs stars, wired into the Tre Kronor room, expose the cracks that led to the upset. Their unfiltered words heighten the pressure on a squad desperate to rebound in group play.

NHL stars lace up for the first time since Sochi as Finland and Sweden collide in a Group B showdown that echoes their bloody history from Torino 20 years back. Finland scrambles after a shocking opener loss to Slovakia, while Sweden builds momentum off a gritty win over Italy with key guys like Nylander and Landeskog looking sharp. This clash carries massive stakes in a tournament where every prelim point shapes the knockout path for these Nordic powerhouses packed with league talent.

Italy grabs the opener against medal-favorite Sweden in their home Olympic rink, sending the Milano crowd into a frenzy with a slick slot goal off a Swedish turnover. The hosts, packed with zero NHLers, hang tough against a barrage from guys like Landeskog and Forsling, even knotting it early in the second to keep the upset dream alive. Sweden's stars lean on their NHL pedigree to fight back, but Italy's grit exposes how razor-thin these Group B margins can get with Finland and Slovakia lurking.

Gabriel Landeskog reminds everyone why he's the heartbeat of that Avalanche locker room, putting Sweden on his back while Finland's Olympic dreams hit a snag with their key NHL pieces struggling. Casual fans might miss how Gabe's chemistry with his Tre Kronor linemates echoes his chemistry back in Denver, but front-office types see this as a sign he's primed for a Cup run post-Olympics.

Slovakia pulls off the upset of the tournament by stunning Finland in the opener, proving once again that international hockey thrives on chaos and underdog magic. Gabriel Landeskog makes his long-awaited return to the ice, looking every bit the leader Avs fans remember from his Cup-winning days. With NHL stars flooding the Olympic rosters, this early drama sets the stage for rivalries that could spill over into next season's trade talks and playoff pushes.