The men's ice hockey competition of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games produced dramatic results on Wednesday, as Slovakia stunned titleholder Finland 4-1 and Sweden opened its campaign with a 5-2 win against host nation Italy, reported Xinhua.
Juraj Slafkovsky, Most Valuable Player of the 2022 Olympic tournament, spearheaded the Slovak offense by finding the net twice, including the men's competition's opening goal, guiding his side to a comfortable victory in Group B.
Slafkovsky's two goals brought his Olympic scoring tally to nine in eight games. Despite being outshot by Finland 40-25, Slovakia's defensive line stood firm, denying multiple Finnish attempts.
Finland, which enjoyed territorial and shot advantages early on, managed to level the score in the second period through Eeli Tolvanen but could not overcome Slovak resilience. After Slafkovsky's second goal of the game, Slovakia added further insurance late and sealed the win with an empty-net goal.
Slovakia's victory marked its first Olympic win over Finland. Both teams are scheduled to play on Friday, with Finland facing Nordic rival Sweden and Slovakia meeting Italy.
In the later matchup, Sweden overcame spirited resistance from Italy to secure a 5-2 win.
Despite Italy's initial advantage and spirited play, including goals from Luca Frigo and Matt Bradley, Sweden's depth and experience prevailed as it pulled clear in the second and third periods.
- Finland
- Lose
- Slovakia
- Ice Hockey
- Olympics
Source: www.dailyfinland.fi
