The first game of day six at the 2026 World Junior Championship on New Year’s Eve, Wednesday, Dec. 31, was between Switzerland and Slovakia. It looked to be a pretty even match-up, as most of the games have been in the tournament. Switzerland did pull ahead thanks to their power play, but Slovakia didn’t back down.
Slovakia forced their way back into the game with two quick goals in the third, but it wasn’t quite enough as Switzerland held on to get the win. In this article, we’ll look at a few takeaways from the game, starting with Switzerland’s power play.
Switzerland’s Power Play Strong
It took a few games to get it going, but against Germany and against Slovakia, Switzerland found the secret to make their power play successful. They scored one goal on the power play against Germany and jumped to a two-goal lead early against Slovakia thanks to their man advantage. Those two goals gave them the momentum they needed to add a third in the second period.
Part of the reason their power play was so good was how they set it up and stuck to it. They always had someone down low in the goaltender’s line of sight and waiting on the doorstep for a rebound or pass. They always had their sticks on the ice as well, waiting to see if a tip would come by.
They moved the puck efficiently but didn’t wait too long to try and take a shot. If they did get blocked, they bounced back quickly and got set right away. While it did take some time to get going in the tournament overall, now that they have it going, their power play proves to be pretty strong.
Switzerland/Slovakia Evenly Matched
As with most games in this tournament, Switzerland and Slovakia was more evenly matched than the score let on. Of course, Switzerland did jump to an early lead thanks to Slovakia taking a double minor penalty, but Slovakia fought back all game. Switzerland didn’t outskate Slovakia as much as they did some other teams in the tournament.
Switzerland is a very fast-paced team, and they have shown that off and on throughout the tournament. Outside of the big four: USA, Canada, Sweden, and Finland, the other teams in the tournament haven’t been given much attention, but Switzerland and Slovakia showcased some great hockey.
When looking at the stats, Switzerland outshot Slovakia 8-3 in the first period, but then Slovakia stormed back and outshot Switzerland in both the second and third periods. Luckily for Switzerland, they had their lead; otherwise, it couldn’t have been a different game, and it’s always more fun to watch the close games instead of the blowouts.
This game was close not only because of the scoring but the two men in between the pipes. Michal Prádel was strong in the net for Slovakia, and Elijah Neuenschwander was the same for Switzerland. Without those two goaltenders, this game could’ve been a lot more one-sided.
Slovakia Pushed Back
Going down two goals early can deflate a team, and while Slovakia did fall back on their heels for a bit, they dug deep and pushed back. Unfortunately, it came too late as they ran out of time shortly after scoring the second goal that got them back within one. They also spent too much time in the penalty box, which is something that has bitten them this tournament, especially in the first five minutes of the first period.
Instead of allowing Switzerland to skate over them, Slovakia found a way to push their way back, and especially in the third period, they were the better team. If they’d had another five minutes, it’s likely they could’ve tied the game and maybe even taken the win. They found their scoring stride just too late in the game for it to make a significant difference, but they did push Switzerland on their heels.
Related: Guide to the 2026 World Junior Championship
Slovakia does have physicality on their side, but again, they have to be careful and not end up in the penalty box because it costs them. It’ll be interesting to see how they adjust their play going forward because they still have more time left in this tournament.
Both Slovakia and Switzerland will be in the quarterfinals, but since there were other games still going on, they had to wait until the end of the day to find out who they’d be facing. Regardless of who they face, they’ll have an off day on New Year’s Day, Thursday, Jan. 1, in between to rest up and get ready to try and make it out of the quarterfinal round.
