In a stunning upset at the Milan Cortina Olympics, Slovakia triumphed over Finland with a score of 4-1 in their opening men’s hockey match. Juraj Slafkovsky, a key player and the MVP of the 2022 Beijing Games, shone brightly, scoring twice and continuing his goal-scoring streak against the Finns. His initial goal came just eight minutes into the match, as he skated through the Finnish defense to slide the puck past the stunned Juuse Saros, who is the starting goaltender for the Nashville Predators.
Fellow NHL player Dalibor Dvorsky scored the crucial tiebreaking goal in the third period, giving Slovakia a lead they would not relinquish. Slafkovsky then added another goal on the power play, eliciting an enthusiastic response from the crowd. Remarkably, these two goals echo his performance in the Beijing Games, where he also scored the opening goals against Finland, albeit in a 6-2 loss at that time. Throughout the 2022 Olympics, he contributed seven goals, playing a vital role in Slovakia’s historic bronze medal win—their first-ever Olympic medal in hockey.
Against the odds, Slovakia, which fielded seven NHL players, managed to outlast a Finnish team that featured nearly all players from the NHL, highlighting the unpredictable nature of Olympic competition. While Finland dominated possession and outshot Slovakia 39-25 overall, Slovak goaltender Samuel Hlavaj made an impressive 38 saves, significantly contributing to the upset victory.
Finland’s performance fell short, leading to questions about their goaltending situation, as Saros allowed three goals on just 24 shots. The team is set to face their archrival, Sweden, in their next match, which will feature the possibility of Vancouver’s Kevin Lankinen stepping in as goalie.
The match also saw Eeli Tolvanen score Finland’s only goal, while Adam Ruzicka capped off Slovakia’s scoring with an empty-netter. As the Olympics continue, excitement builds for the upcoming contests, particularly the anticipated clash between Sweden and host Italy later in the day.