For the second game in a row, Slovakia won at the 2024 IIHF World Championship but coach Craig Ramsay wasn't entirely pleased with his team's performance. Following Slovakia's 4-2 win over France, of particular annoyance to him is the team's reluctance to shoot, especially on the power play. 

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“The power play has the puck a lot but they don’t shoot,” Ramsay told Šport.sk. “I’m not much of a stats guy, but if you never get a shot, you probably don’t score any goals.

“It’s the same thing five-on-five – shoot the puck. We were outshot tonight, I believe, which makes no sense. We have the puck quite a bit but we want a perfect play.”

Libor Hudáček, with whom Ramsay has been at odds with in the past, led Slovakia offensively against France with two goals and an assist – he now leads the Slovak team with five goals and nine points in five games.

“He’s been brilliant,” said Ramsay. “He’s been good offensively but he also backchecks like crazy. He’s playing smart hockey, trying to play in all three zones, and do the best job he can.” 

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The Slovaks currently sit third in Group B with 11 points, one up on the USA and one back of Germany with a game in hand. They face a desperate Latvian team in Sunday’s late game.