To the common eye, a 5-3 record usually means that the team who scored only 3 goals lost, but in Slovakia vs Sweden's game last night, it was the loss that secured their spot in the Men's Ice Hockey tournament quarterfinals.
First period
Sweden gets first on the board at 07:17 with a shorthanded goal to the net by Joel Eriksson Ek, assisted by Adrian Kempe.
Shortly after at 08:59, Slovakia ties the scores with Juraj Slafkovský shooting at the back of the net of Team Sweden's goaltender, Jacob Markstrom, assisted by Šimon Nemec and Martin Gernát.
Second period
Lucas Raymond of Sweden got a 2 minute penalty for hooking, and 7 minutes later assisted a power play goal by Adrian Kempe alongside Rasmus Dahlin, Sweden taking the lead once again.
Slovakia follows shortly 2 minutes later at 29:48, tying the scores once again with another goal from Martin Gernát, assisted by Peter Čerešňák and Adam Ružička.
Sweden dominated the boards once again from Elias Pettersson, recording his first ever WInter Olympics goal, assisted by Filip Forsberg and Victor Hedman, as fans cheered in the stands with Sweden making the scores 3-2.
Third period
Third period started with a penalty to Martin Marinčin for holding. 6 minutes later, Sweden once again dominates and adds another score to the boards by Elias Pettersson, assisted by Lucas Raymond and Erik Karlsson
4 minutes later at 51:38, Sweden once again finds the back of the net with a goal from Lucas Raymond, assisted by Erik Karlsson and Mika Zibanejad.
Throughout 51:55 to 57:22, it was back to back penalties: 51:55 to Slovakia's Patrik Koch, 2 minutes for roughing and Adrian Kempe of Sweden for roughing. Roughly 13 seconds later, Miloš Kelemen of Slovakia for roughing, William Nylander of Sweden for slashing, and Erik Černák of Slovakia for roughing all at the same time. Last penalty for the match went to Sweden's Lucas Raymond for slashing.
The final goal was shot to the net during a powerplay from Slovakia's Dalibor Dvorský, assisted by Juraj Slafkovský and Peter Čerešňák, making the scores 5-3, Sweden officially winning the match.
Statistics after the game show that Slovakia' dominated the game's saves with goaltender Samuel Hlavaj with 46 saves against Sweden's Jacob Markstrom with only 29.
Juraj Slafkovský, Martin Gernát, Peter Čerešňák finished the game with all acquiring 2 points, and with Šimon Nemec, Adam Ružička, Dalibor Dvorský leaving the rink with 1 point.
Goals for Slovakia were scored by: Juraj Slafkovský at 08:59, Martin Gernát at 29:48, and final from Dalibor Dvorský at 59:21. Most assists were from Peter Čerešňák with two, followed by Juraj Slafkovský, Šimon Nemec, Adam Ružička and Martin Gernát with one.
Sweden might've won and added another win to their statistics for the ongoing Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, but through that loss, Slovakia saw the good and was the first team to clinch the Quarterfinals spot.
That 5-3 loss to Sweden shows the silver lining seen in their known historical moments:
- 2002 World Championship: Led by legends Peter Bondra and Miroslav Šatan, they shocked the world by winning Gold, proving they could outplay any nation they're faced with.
- 2010 Vancouver Olympics: They knocked out reigning champions Sweden in the quarterfinals—a "reverse" of this game's result that placed their reputation as a team you can never count out in these tournaments.
- 2022 Beijing Olympics: Entering as underdogs, they secured a historic Bronze medal, fueled by the rise of young stars like Juraj Slafkovský.
Sweden has yet to secure a spot in the Quarterfinals, battling against Latvia this February 17. Slovakia will officially battle against Germany on Feb. 18, Wednesday. As the days count down to the semifinals and final games, Slovakia continues to run towards the podium, in hopes of bringing home a medal.