In the first match of the men’s tournament at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Team Slovakia recorded a sensational 4-1 victory over gold medal holder Team Finland. Montreal Canadiens’ Juraj Slafkovsky continued his exceptional Olympic career, scoring two goals, with St. Louis Blues’ Dalibor Dvorsky and Kontinental Hockey League forward Adam Ruzicka also scoring for the Slovaks.
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Finland outwitted the Slovaks from the early stages but failed to tackle the opposition’s perfect defensive play, leaving them little room to manoeuvre. Samuel Hlavaj was monumental between the pipes for Slovakia, Stopping 39 shots and being the best player on the ice with Slafkovsky.
Team play beats big names
The Finns assembled a nearly full NHL lineup for the Olympics, with several superstars highlighting a strong roster, with Mikko Rantanen, Sebastian Aho and Artturi Lehkonen leading the way, but failed to score more than one goal against a team with just seven men in the National Hockey League and an American Hockey League goaltender. This game was a perfect demonstration where names no longer matter once the teams step onto the ice.
Former NHL forward Vladimir Orszagh, on his debut as head coach at such a levelprovided a team that fought for every inch of the ice, courageous enough to play physically against a team much bigger than them and with a more hyped roster, a factor that ultimately led to the Slovaks taking the win. Perfect defensive organization and calm play in all three zones gave the team a strong chance as strong individual attacking performances sealed the deal for Orszagh’s men, who rightly celebrated their victory.
Juraj Slafkovsky is the real deal
Slafkovsky finished the 2022 Winter Olympics with seven goals in seven games and looked like he was just starting over, scoring two goals in the first game of this tournament. The 21-year-old forward was excellent; Not only did he score twice, but at times he also seemed unstoppable. No matter what forces the Finns put on him, they couldn’t get the puck out of his blade. Not to mention his goals, both of which were beautiful. other.
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First he punished a mistake by the Finnish defense – in style, of course, effortlessly skating around an opponent and then putting the puck into the empty net after clearing Juuse Saros. He then scored the 3-1 that all but sealed the match with a pinpoint shot that rattled the crossbar before going straight over Saros’ right arm. For those in attendance, Slafkovsky’s elegance, skating, agility and skill were worth the price of admission in and of themselves.
Goalkeeping is not a weak point for the Slovaks
The Finns did not play their best game, but Hlavaj was excellent between the pipes. Despite being only 24, an experienced international player, the netminder stopped 39 of 40 shots, with Finland’s goal coming only with the man advantage. His team’s cautious approach certainly served him well, but he still impressed with a strong performance that left people wondering which goalie has 450+ games of NHL experience and which has none.
It was only one game, but perhaps this is the right time for the Minnesota Wild to take a closer look at their Slovakian netminder. Moreover, in such a short tournament, a good goalkeeper can be very valuable to any team, and Hlavaj, at least tonight, looked that way in a strong performance.
The Slovaks currently lead Group B with three points and their next match is on Friday, February 13 against hosts Italy at 6:10 AM (EST).
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