Olympic hockey 2018 schedule: Times, TV channels, and live stream info for Friday, Feb. 23

The gold medal matchup for men’s hockey at the 2018 Winter Olympics will be decided with the semifinals Friday morning in Pyeongchang. The Czech Republic, Canada, Germany, and Olympic Athletes from Russia are still in the mix with just a few games left in the tournament.

The first contest of the day will see the Czech Republic face Olympic Athletes from Russia at 2:40 a.m. ET. The Czechs are coming off a 3-2 shootout win over Team USA in the quarterfinals, while the Russians had no trouble pounding Norway in a 6-1 victory to book their spot.

Led by Ilya Kovalchuk, Nikita Gusev, and Kirill Kaprizov, Russia remains the favorite to win the tournament. They have offensive firepower that no other team can match, so Czech goaltender Pavel Francouz will have his hands full. Francouz, who typically plays in the KHL, has a .940 save percentage so far in Pyeongchang.

The other game will see underdog Germany look to continue its shocking run against Canada. The Germans stunned Switzerland and Sweden in back-to-back overtime games to reach this point, and could earn their first men’s hockey gold or silver medal in history with one more victory.

The last time Germany won a hockey medal was in 1976 when West Germany won bronze. With a top-four finish already guaranteed, this is already the Germans’ best Olympic showing since then.

For Canada, this game could set up a chance to winning Olympic gold for the third time in the past four tournaments. They’re coming off a close 1-0 win over Finland in the semifinals.

2018 Olympic hockey schedule for Friday, Feb. 23

Men’s semifinals: Czech Republic vs. Olympic Athletes from Russia

Time: 2:40 a.m. ET
TV: NBCSN
Live stream: NBC Olympics

Men’s semifinals: Canada vs. Germany

Time: 7:10 a.m. ET
TV: NBCSN
Live stream: NBC Olympics