Montreal Canadiens' winger Juraj Slafkovsky and Slovakia are top of their group after two games, but their 3-2 win over Italy wasn't a walk in the park. Still, the former first-overall draft pick once again shone brightly.
The host nation may not be known for its prowess in hockey, but the Italians are not there just for show. After a 5-2 loss to Sweden in their opening game, they were taking on Slovakia in their second game. Montreal Canadiens’ ace Juraj Slafkovsky and Slovakia were hoping to build on the momentum they got by upsetting Finland in their first game, and it's fair to say that both teams gave it their all.
Despite being the underdogs, Italy took the fight to the Slovaks, pushing back at every opportunity and making the game a close contest all the way through. Surprisingly, Slovakia used Stanislav Skorvanek in the net despite Samuel Hlavaj's fantastic performance against Finland, and Skorvanek was solid in his debut as well.
The Italians managed to escape the first frame unscathed, but the Slovaks broke through with a power play goal less than four minutes into the second frame. Slafkovsky got the primary assist on the Libor Hudacek lamplighter. The Slovaks doubled their lead 10 minutes later, and while they dominated the second frame, the Italians managed to get back within one with less than three minutes left in the period.
Ruzika then gave Slovakia its two-goal lead back halfway through the third, but Italy kept on pushing, pulling its goaltender with over five minutes left to get a sixth skater. The host nation managed to cut the lead in half, but they couldn’t tie the game, a 3-2 win for Slafkovsky and co.
The Canadiens’ winger saw more action than any other Slovakian forward, spending 18:25 on the ice. He took seven shots and was given a two-minute minor for roughing when there was a bit of pushing and shoving after a whistle. While he didn’t find the back of the net in the game, it was still an impressive showing for the 21-year-old.
Despite carrying the hopes of a nation on his shoulders, Slafkovsky looks incredibly comfortable out there. He uses his size well in puck protection, and I’ll admit that when he was battling along the boards with a couple of Italians in the first, the expression “Man mountain” came to mind. That’s how Mike Babcock has described Shea Weber during the 2014 Olympics, and that’s exactly what Slafkovsky looked like for the Italian, a 6-foot-3 and 225 lbs mountain they couldn’t climb or dislodge. He’s a far cry from the player who looked a bit like Bambi on the ice in his rookie season with the Canadiens.
The winger craves puck possession and is involved in all facets of the play. When the Italians attacked at six-on-five, Slafkovsky was out there protecting the lead. On the power play, you could see him mastermind the plays; he’s very vocal and indicates to his teammates where the puck should go next. In other words, he’s fully taking charge, much like he did when he was put on the second line in Montreal with Oliver Kapanen and Ivan Demidov, and he seems to relish that role, that responsibility.
With this 3-2 win, Slovakia only needs a point against Sweden to finish in the top spot in Group B. The duel will take place on Saturday morning at 6:10 AM ET.
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