All eyes shift to Sidney Crosby’s MRI results as Canada advances to gold medal game

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Daniel Lucente
February 20, 2026 (1:36 PM)

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Photo credit: Marton Monus/Reuters via Imagn Images

Sidney Crosby watched Team Canada beat Finland 3-2 to reach the gold medal game, and it felt personal for every Canadian hockey fan.

Canada fell behind early and the building got tense fast.

Then the push started, shift by shift.

You could see the bench tighten up, in a good way.

Connor McDavid wore the “C” and played like the room belonged to him.

Canada’s legs finally caught Finland’s, and the ice tilted.

Nathan MacKinnon buried the late winner, and the celebration looked like relief first, joy second.

They did not just win a semifinal, they dragged themselves into Sunday.

"They did it for Sid."

- Jesse Pollock

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Now the entire country turns to Dreger to provide an update on Crosby's MRI results.

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That nervous, hopeful feeling is everywhere right now, because nobody wants this story to end with Crosby in a tracksuit.

Crosby’s absence forced Canada to simplify, get pucks deep, and win races instead of waiting for perfect plays.

It worked, but it also screamed how much easier life gets when 87 is driving the middle.

The next headline is not a goal highlight, it’s the MRI.

If the news is clean, Canada gets its heartbeat back for the gold medal game.

If it’s not, the group still has a chance, but it becomes a different kind of grind.

Either way, Friday night proved something, this team can bleed and still push through, and now we wait for the one update that matters most.

Previously on HockeyUnplugged

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FEVRIER 20\|411 ANSWERS All eyes shift to Sidney Crosby’s MRI results as Canada advances to gold medal game Should Sidney Crosby play in the gold medal game if he’s cleared?
Yes	347	84.4 %
No	64	15.6 %
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