Czechia finished the group stage at 1-0-1-1, good enough to survive, not good enough to breathe.

That record drops Pastrnak and company into the qualifier round on Tuesday, where one bad period can end the whole trip.

Their opponent is Denmark, and there’s no safety net now. It's either win and move on or lose and pack it up. The cruel part is what waits if they do survive.

A win over Denmark sends Czechia right back into Team Canada’s path on Wednesday, the same monster everyone is trying to avoid.

Pastrnak can’t hide in a game like this because he’s the engine and the finisher. With Boston this season, he’s sitting at 22-49-71, and that kind of output is exactly why Czechia believes it can punch above its weight.

Denmark will try to make it ugly, clog the middle, force dumps, and turn it into a greasy, one-goal grind.

That’s where Pastrnak has to be patient, because one rushed play can feed a counter the other way. If Czechia advances, Canada is the next wall, and the math gets scary fast.

Canada rolled through the preliminary round undefeated, and every team at this tournament treats them like the final boss.

David Pastrnak and Czechia have a tough road ahead

Team Czechia has not looked good this entire tournament, even nearly losing a game to Switzerland.

Coming into the tournament, there was belief that Czechia could be a big underdog and a threat against any team, but that hasn't been the case so far.

If Czechia defeats Denmark, facing Canada is not ideal. Canada has shown that they are a powerhouse and can defeat you any way. They have been physical, and it hasn't just been their tough guys.

We have seen McDavid and MacKinnon throwing their bodies around all tournament long.

Pastrnak and Czechia are going to have a tough road ahead if they want to make it to the finals, and it's going to take a massive upset.