It was an exciting hockey game at the Santagiulia Arena between Team Sweden and Team Slovakia, with some of the Swedish stars getting their game back as Lucas Raymond, Elias Pettersson, and Adrian Kempe scored their first goal of the tournament. However, despite the loss, Slovakia got the last laugh, as they are on top of the Group B standings due to goal differential with the teams tied at six points.
The teams entered today’s showdown in different situations, with Slovakia defeating Finland and hosts Italy, while Sweden just lost to the Finns after a hard-fought victory over the Italians in the tournament’s first game. The teams had a level battle for two periods, then the Slovaks ran out of gas, and after a goal by Pettersson, Tre Kronor dominated the game until a last-gasp goal by St. Louis Blues forward Dalibor Dvorsky that eventually sealed the deal on Group B standings, at least until Team Finland’s game.
First Goals for Swedish Stars
Pettersson’s tournament hasn’t been great so far, and neither has his NHL season. Many were expecting a reset from his Olympics campaign, and today he delivered with a double and a strong 200-foot performance. He also added an assist in the contest, ending the game with three points under his belt in just over 11 minutes of ice time.
However, the best was probably Raymond. The Detroit Red Wings’ star threaded a superb cross-crease feed to Pettersson, who made it 4–2 at 7:57. Moments after, he danced past Slovak blueliner Simon Nemec and tucked home Sweden’s fifth goal from close range on Samuel Hlavaj with a beautiful play.
Los Angeles Kings forward Kempe played very well too, finding the back of the net for the first time in the tournament with a strong shot on a second-period power-play stretch.
Despite Loss, Slovaks Still Strong
Team Slovakia impressed once again with an organized effort and superb offensive games by Juraj Slafkovsky and Dvorsky. It was the second game in 24 hours for the team, and it showed. The Slovaks played two strong periods at the same level as Team Sweden, then their tank was empty as head coach Vladimir Orszagh’s men struggled in the third period, eventually losing the game.
Related: Guide to the 2026 Winter Olympics Men’s Hockey Tournament
With that being said, the Slovaks look like legitimate medal contenders, despite sporting only seven NHL representatives. Their collective effort was excellent, and Minnesota Wild depth goalie Hlavaj once again provided solid goaltending, showing once again that strong team play is still more important than big names—even more so in a short-term tournament like the Olympic Games.
Quarterfinals Spots Still up in the Air
It was a bizarre situation in the third period. The Swedes dominated the game, yet it showed that it wasn’t over yet, even if the Slovaks had zero chance to recover when down by three goals. However, Slovakia called a time-out in the closing stages and eventually managed to get one past Tre Kronor with Dvorsky, who celebrated like he won the game.
To further increase the confusion, seconds later, Tre Kronor head coach Sam Hallam (who will leave the national team’s bench this summer to join Swiss side Geneve Servette) called a time-out himself and pulled goalie Jacob Markstrom despite being up by two goals.
Why? Because the Slovaks could still end up on top of Group B standings should they, Team Sweden, and Team Finland end at six points, as the goal difference will award them a quarterfinals bye. Considering how much they struggled in the third period, a further day of rest will be key in this high-level tournament.
In today’s second Group B game, Team Finland faces hosts Team Italy, and after that, the group’s standings will be clarified.
