photo: Andrea Cardin/IIHF
The United States scored early and late in the first period and skated to an emphatic 6-2 win over Slovakia tonight. The win sets up a gold-medal date with Canada on Sunday afternoon, the third time these countries have met for gold in the NHL/Olympics era (2002, 2010).
"Obviously I watched those [Canada] games, and they're battle-tested for sure," said Quinn Hughes. "They'll be ready to go. And if you're going to win, you want to go through the best. We have that opportunity. They're regarded probably as the best hockey nation right now after winning 4 Nations. For us, it's a great opportunity to try to beat them."
Slovakia will play Finland for bronze tomorrow night. In eight previous Olympics, the only Slovak medal is a bronze from 2022.
"I would say we tried," said Slovak defender Simon Nemec, who led all skaters with 22:28 of ice time tonight. "It didn't work out, but we still play for third place, which is huge for us. And we're going to play our best game tomorrow."
"This was probably our first bad game of the tournament," added Tomas Tatar. "It came at a bad time. But if someone would tell us before the tournament that we're going to be in this position, we'll definitely take it. So there is no need for extra motivation. The game is there for you. We just have to make sure we are ready to play the right way."
Quinn's brother, Jack, led the way with two goals, and Zach Werenski added three assists. Shots favoured the victors, 39-24.
"I think that for the most part, we played really well," Quinn offered. "A little bit looser there in the third but, you know, it's a 5-0 game and you want to get out safe and feel good for the next game. But I think that was definitely one of our strongest games."
Right from the get-go the Americans had jump and confidence, and the Slovaks looked nervous and tentative and were unable to generate sustained pressure in the U.S. end. Samuel Hlavaj kept his team in the game early, but Werenski found a speeding Dylan Larkin at the Slovak blue line. Larkin went in alone and snapped a shot under the blocker of Hlavaj at 4:19, giving the U.S. even more jump and confidence.
Slovakia had two chances on the power play to get back into the game, but neither PP was particularly impressive. They were hesitant and moved the puck around without much efficiency. Indeed, the best scoring chance was produced by the U.S. They created a three-on-two short-handed, and Hlavaj had to make a great save on Larkin to keep it a 1-0 game.
The goalie later made a point-blank save on Tage Thompson, the 2025 golden-goal hero at the World Championship, but in the final minute Thompson connected on a power play. He took a pass from Jack Eichel, and despite a bad angle blasted a shot off Hlavaj’s shoulder and in the short side with only 40.9 seconds remaining, making it a commanding 2-0 lead at this point.
The second period saw the Americans take full control as the Slovaks could do no right. Hlavaj made a great pad save on an Auston Matthews power play one-timer, but midway through the period the U.S. scored two quick ones.
Jack Hughes scored a beauty when he got the puck in the high slot, deked Tomas Tatar into next week, and ripped a bullet over Hlavaj’s glove at 12:14. Just 19 seconds later, the Tkachuk brothers tag-teamed a Slovak defender behind the net. Brady got the puck out to Eichel, alone in front, and he made no mistake. Just like that, 4-0.
That was the end of the line for Hlavaj, not that he was to blame at all. Coach Vladimir Orszagh was likely thinking about saving him for the bronze-medal game tomorrow night. Typical of Slovakia’s luck, Martin Marincin managed to break free in front, only to blast a shot way over the net and look to the rafters in abject frustration.
Hughes got his second of the night when a shot rebounded off the back boards out the other side. Jack was Johnny-on-the-spot and snapped it in the open side at 18:24.
The Slovaks broke Hellebuyck's shutout bid at 4:55 of the third after his gaffe behind the goal. The puck came out to Juraj Slafkovsky, and he snapped his fourth goal of the tournament into the open side. Slafkovsky now has eleven goals and 15 points in 12 career games at the Olympics.
Brady Tkachuk then had two breakaways. He was stoned by incoming Stanislav Skorvanek on the first and beat him on the second, at 10:52, to make it 6-1. Slovakia got that one back off a speedy counter attack. Milos Kelen fed Pavol Regenda for a breakaway, and he fired a shot past the outstretched glove of Hellebuyck.
"Obviously I watched those [Canada] games, and they're battle-tested for sure," said Quinn Hughes. "They'll be ready to go. And if you're going to win, you want to go through the best. We have that opportunity. They're regarded probably as the best hockey nation right now after winning 4 Nations. For us, it's a great opportunity to try to beat them."
Slovakia will play Finland for bronze tomorrow night. In eight previous Olympics, the only Slovak medal is a bronze from 2022.
"I would say we tried," said Slovak defender Simon Nemec, who led all skaters with 22:28 of ice time tonight. "It didn't work out, but we still play for third place, which is huge for us. And we're going to play our best game tomorrow."
"This was probably our first bad game of the tournament," added Tomas Tatar. "It came at a bad time. But if someone would tell us before the tournament that we're going to be in this position, we'll definitely take it. So there is no need for extra motivation. The game is there for you. We just have to make sure we are ready to play the right way."
Quinn's brother, Jack, led the way with two goals, and Zach Werenski added three assists. Shots favoured the victors, 39-24.
"I think that for the most part, we played really well," Quinn offered. "A little bit looser there in the third but, you know, it's a 5-0 game and you want to get out safe and feel good for the next game. But I think that was definitely one of our strongest games."
Right from the get-go the Americans had jump and confidence, and the Slovaks looked nervous and tentative and were unable to generate sustained pressure in the U.S. end. Samuel Hlavaj kept his team in the game early, but Werenski found a speeding Dylan Larkin at the Slovak blue line. Larkin went in alone and snapped a shot under the blocker of Hlavaj at 4:19, giving the U.S. even more jump and confidence.
Slovakia had two chances on the power play to get back into the game, but neither PP was particularly impressive. They were hesitant and moved the puck around without much efficiency. Indeed, the best scoring chance was produced by the U.S. They created a three-on-two short-handed, and Hlavaj had to make a great save on Larkin to keep it a 1-0 game.
The goalie later made a point-blank save on Tage Thompson, the 2025 golden-goal hero at the World Championship, but in the final minute Thompson connected on a power play. He took a pass from Jack Eichel, and despite a bad angle blasted a shot off Hlavaj’s shoulder and in the short side with only 40.9 seconds remaining, making it a commanding 2-0 lead at this point.
The second period saw the Americans take full control as the Slovaks could do no right. Hlavaj made a great pad save on an Auston Matthews power play one-timer, but midway through the period the U.S. scored two quick ones.
Jack Hughes scored a beauty when he got the puck in the high slot, deked Tomas Tatar into next week, and ripped a bullet over Hlavaj’s glove at 12:14. Just 19 seconds later, the Tkachuk brothers tag-teamed a Slovak defender behind the net. Brady got the puck out to Eichel, alone in front, and he made no mistake. Just like that, 4-0.
That was the end of the line for Hlavaj, not that he was to blame at all. Coach Vladimir Orszagh was likely thinking about saving him for the bronze-medal game tomorrow night. Typical of Slovakia’s luck, Martin Marincin managed to break free in front, only to blast a shot way over the net and look to the rafters in abject frustration.
Hughes got his second of the night when a shot rebounded off the back boards out the other side. Jack was Johnny-on-the-spot and snapped it in the open side at 18:24.
The Slovaks broke Hellebuyck's shutout bid at 4:55 of the third after his gaffe behind the goal. The puck came out to Juraj Slafkovsky, and he snapped his fourth goal of the tournament into the open side. Slafkovsky now has eleven goals and 15 points in 12 career games at the Olympics.
Brady Tkachuk then had two breakaways. He was stoned by incoming Stanislav Skorvanek on the first and beat him on the second, at 10:52, to make it 6-1. Slovakia got that one back off a speedy counter attack. Milos Kelen fed Pavol Regenda for a breakaway, and he fired a shot past the outstretched glove of Hellebuyck.