In the third game for each team, Slovakia built up a 4-1 lead after two periods but the USA stormed back with three straight in the third to force overtime. Miloš Kelemen, who had opened the scoring in the fourth minute, ended it in overtime to claim two points for Slovakia. However, the late comeback allowed the Americans to get one. They now have four points after three games but have the group’s toughest opponents now seemingly out of the way.

After the game, U.S. captain Brady Tkachuk spoke to Slovak media outlet Šport.sk.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yATbCZvvSg[/embed]

“It was a good game but frustrating that we couldn’t get that extra point at the end,” said Tkachuk, who scored the team’s third goal with 6:04 to play. “To come back all that way to lose in overtime definitely hurts.”

It was a chippy game, with Tkachuk being right in the middle of a fracas in the dying seconds of the first period, which resulted in multiple penalties. He was asked about the physicality before the opening faceoff between Shane Pinto and Martin Pospíšil

“I guess it gave a preview of how the game was going to go,” said Tkachuk. “It happens. Credit to them, they played well, but we’re going to have to learn it, move on and get better because of it.”

Tkachuk had a few incidents himself with Pospišíl. “He’s a good player,” said Tkachuk. “He’s in the NHL for a reason, so we’ll leave it at that.

“I don’t think anybody can get under my skin,” the U.S. and Ottawa Senators captain said confidently. “I guess that was part of their plan, to be hard to play against, which they were, and credit to them. But I’m glad we learned this lesson now than later on in the tournament.”

Tkachuk did emphasize, however, that the Slovaks’ high-tempo game did not take the US team by surprise.

“We played them in the pre-tournament game and we knew what they were all about. It’s on us to learn from our mistakes and be better because of it.”