The opening game of the 2024 World Junior Championship was a statement victory by Slovakia. However, it didn’t start that way. Slovakia would start the first period off slow, but they began the second period flying all over the place thanks to the leadership of Filip Mesar. A shorthanded goal early in the third period by Boris Zabka would put the dagger in the hopes of a potential victory for Czechia. Slovak goaltender Adam Gajan would have a rocky start, letting in a goal just 61 seconds into the game. After that, Czechia would only score once more off of a weird bounce. Gajan would shut the door for the rest of the game to secure Slovakia’s first tournament win.
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Servac Petrovsky played to an elite level for Team Slovakia, scoring two goals and three points to be named the Slovak’s player of the game. This helped lift Slovakia to victory over Czechia early Wednesday morning. Slovakia’s 6-2 win would improve their win-loss record early in the tournament to 1-0-0-0. They will face Switzerland tomorrow, Wednesday, Dec. 27, at 6:00 am EST as they look to improve to 2-0-0-0.
Slovakia’s Slow Early First-Period Start Wasn’t Worth the Worry
The first period of the game between Czechia and Slovakia was downright terrible for the Slovaks. They started the game playing out of position in all zones, and the defense looked sloppy. Czechia capitalized on this play scoring early, but this would only be their downfall. Slovakia would tighten up their play by simplifying how they passed the puck and rushed the offensive zone. This all proved to work in Slovakia’s favour as they would control the perimeter and eventually get more pucks on the net. Six of seven shots on goal for Slovakia came late in the final 10 minutes of the first period. The slower start that Slovakia had proved to be an early insignificant bump in the road.
Related: 2024 Guide to the World Junior Championship
It’s easy to figure that the play shifted late in the first period, Slovakia had begun to get more shots on and was defending Czechia’s zone entries more effectively. Not to mention, Gajan faced four high-danger chances and stopped each of them in the first period. If it wasn’t for the Slovak goaltender Gajan, the game could’ve been a completely different story.
Mesar Leads By Example in Dominant Second Period for Slovakia
Mesar led by example in the second period when it came to the dominant play Slovakia presented. He started the second period and played smart hockey, but he also took some risks to drive the Slovak offence. This paid off as Slovakia was headed to the power play early on as Mesar drew a penalty while rushing the net. Czech defender Marek Alscher attempted to swat down an airborne puck but clipped Mesar with a high stick instead. Not too long after, Mesar would set up linemate Petrovsky for a power-play goal.
Mesar’s drive and approach in the game, prioritizing passing, proved instrumental as he managed to secure two assists. His defensive-first strategy and commitment to playing this way against Team Czechia significantly impacted the momentum of the game. This influence extended beyond Mesar himself, as the entire Slovak forward core followed Mesar’s lead during the second period. The impact was evident in the statistics, with Czechia restricted to one high-danger scoring chance and eight shots on goal throughout the entire period.
The focus that Mesar had on defence not only highlighted his skill but also influenced his teammates. Zabka, especially, followed his teammates’ lead and helped Slovakia kill five penalties and added a shorthanded goal to his defensive efforts. Mesar’s influence extended beyond his direct contributions, as he left a lasting mark on Team Slovakia’s overall play in the final two periods of the game. This led to his team being more united and defensively strong.
Zabka’s Shorthanded Goal Was The Definitive Turning Point
The turning point for Slovakia was Zabka’s shorthanded goal. Before that, Czechia was beginning to build momentum on the power play as Eduard Sale was rushing Slovakia’s defence. Jozef Kmec poked the puck off of Sale’s stick, which gave Zabka a shorthanded breakaway opportunity.
Related: 2024 WJC Team Slovakia Final Roster
Arguably, this was the play of the game. Czechia was beginning to fight back by getting more shots on goal and having successful zone entries. Any momentum that Czechia built was spoiled by the shorthanded goal. This goal also visibly frustrated Team Czechia goaltender Michael Hrabal, who slammed his stick on the ice after Zabka scored.
This goal was a much-needed confidence boost for Team Slovakia who are looking to get into the medal conversation this year. Slovakia took a game that was expected to be closer by many covering the WJC and blew the expectations out of the water. Zabka’s contributions to Slovakia’s penalty kill unit are on full display for scouts to see at this year’s tournament.
Petrovsky and Gajan Led The Way To Dominant Slovak Victory
Slovakia’s goaltender Gajan was an anchor in the net. He improved his win-loss record to 1-0 at this year’s tournament. In his performance against Czechia, he posted a .930 save percentage (SV%) and stopped 32 of 34 shots he faced. His confidence and strong play allowed the team in front of him to play up to the system that they needed to. This was evident in Slovakia’s consistent upward trend in their play against Czechia.
In Petrovsky’s play, he was all over the ice and dominant in each zone. He scored two goals and three points and served as a significant threat on both the power play and penalty kill units for Slovakia. When something notable was happening on the ice, he was in the middle of it. The versatility presented by him in this game will be invaluable going forward as Slovakia looks to continue their winning ways against Switzerland on Wednesday, Dec. 27.
