Slovakia had a tough out in overtime against Finland, here is a review of the performance of all five OHLers on Slovakia's roster.
Slovakia definitely didn't have the tournament result that they'd hoped for, losing in overtime to Finland in the Quarter Finals.
The Slovaks had a strong team on paper, and that was evident in their dominant round-robin performance. They had several first round picks with Dalibor Dvorsky and Filip Mesar from the OHL, and countless other NHL-affiliated players. They lost to the United States in the opening round, but won every other game in dominant fashion.
The loss to Finland is a devastating one, especially in such close fashion. There are certainly lots of positive takeaways for the five OHLers that represented Slovakia; Dalibor Dvorsky, Filip Mesar, Servac Petrovsky, Martin Misiak, & Roman Kukumberg.
Dalibor Dvorsky (Sudbury Wolves, OHL)
5 GP | 3 G | 3 A | 6P
Sure, Dalbor Dvorsky wasn't over-the-moon outstanding offensively, but he was the backbone of this team. Dvorsky's two way game makes him reliable in virtually any situation, and that was valuable for Slovakia. This was Dvorsky's third World Junior tournament, and he has been "the guy" for Slovakia in each one.
The St. Louis Blues 10th overall pick possesses a dangerous release, and that was on display in the offence he did generate in this tournament. With Slovakia's deep roster, Dvorsky wasn't solely relied upon offensively — like in past tournaments. They got contributions from everywhere, but Dvorsky played a huge role in every aspect on this team.
In his first season in North America, Dvorsky has been outstanding with the Sudbury Wolves. He will return there will loads of confidence in hopes of a deep playoff run.
Filip Mesar (Kitchener Rangers, OHL)
5 GP | 2 G | 7 A | 9P
The Montreal Canadiens first round pick did not disappoint in this tournament, and played a huge part in Slovakia's offensive success. Filip Mesar scored the late-tying goal in the quarter finals against Finland, and made a lot of other clutch plays throughout the round-robin.
Mesar's vision and skill was on full-display, as he continues to prove himself as one of the top major junior NHL-affiliated prospects. Mesar oozes pure skill, and he thinks the game creatively.
Mesar will return to Kitchener in the OHL, where they lead the league standings. Mesar and Carson Rehkopf should return with some newly-found confidence, as if they weren't already confident enough before. Kitchener will be a team to watch late in the playoffs, thanks to this duo.
Servac Petrovsky (Owen Sound Attack, OHL)
5 GP | 5 G | 4 A | 9P
Servac Petrovsky was a pleasant surprise offensively for the Slovaks in this tournament, tied for the team-lead in points. He began the tournament with a bang, and he never looked back.
Petrovsky has also represented Slovakia at the World Juniors previously, and filled the other top-six centre spot ahead of Dvorsky. The Minnesota Wild prospect also plays a good two-way game, but his offence popped in this tournament. Playing alongside Mesar, the two were an offensive force and were feeding off of eachother.
The Owen Sound Attack first line centreman will return to a team that has had an underwhelming season. Petrovsky will look to turn the tides offensively.
Martin Misiak (Erie Otters, OHL)
5 GP | 0 G | 3 A | 3P
The first overall pick in the CHL Import Draft didn't play a ton of minutes for Slovakia, but he played some valuable ones. Martin Misiak played a bottom-six role for most of this tournament, but played on the second line with Dvorsky against Finland. His speed and high-energy game was an asset for this team, as he naturally generates lots of momentum.
In Erie, Misiak hasn't skipped a beat with the Otters and plays a big role for them. On a struggling team, he is a bright spot offensively. The Chicago Blackhawks prospect will continue to develop in North America with the Otters until he is ready to make the jump to the professional level.
Roman Kukumberg (Sarnia Sting, OHL)
3 GP | 0 G | 0 A | 0P
Roman Kukumberg may have only gotten into three games for Slovakia, but he was selected to play in the quarter final matchup against Finland. He didn't put up any points in the tournament, but the 6-foot-1 forward contributed to Slovakia's success with his complete, two-way game when he was in the lineup.
Kukumberg's size and strength physically classifies him as a power forward. He has slick hands in-tight and is able to control it at a high level. Not the flashiest player on the ice, but a perfect depth player for a team like Slovakia at this tournament.