(source: SITA)
The decisive goal was scored by Jack Eichel.
Game Summary: Slovakia - the USA 4:5 (0:2, 4:2, 0:0 - 0:1); Scorers: Gáborík (27.), Jánošík (31.), Dravecký (37., Bartovič (39.) - Smith (3.), Jones (5.), Lee (21.), Coyle (40.), Eichel (65.). Based on IIHF World Rankings 2014 Slovaks are actually in the 8th position while the USA ranks 6th.
The Slovak national ice hockey team will definitely not advance to the quarterfinals at the IIHF World Championships. Its chances were marred after Norway lost to Belarus 2:3 on May 12, resulting in the latter, which currently ranks 4th in the preliminary round, with 14 points. Even if Slovakia defeats the USA in its last match in the preliminary round, it will only have 11 points, placing it in 5th place in the group.
Slovakia will not participate in the quarterfinals for the second time in a row. This year’s performance earned it 9th position, the TASR newswire reported.
The match against the USA may be the last for the national team’s coach Vladimír Vůjtek who has been at the helm since summer 2011, the Sme daily wrote.
(source: TASR)
The Slovaks are playing in group B of the preliminary round with Belarus, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Russia, Slovenia, USA. Based on IIHF World Rankings 2014 they are actually in 8th position while Russia ranks 3rd. After the Slovak team won its game against Denmark (on shootouts), Belarus (in overtime) and also Slovenia, but lost its games against Norway, Finland, Russia (in overtime) and the USA (in overtime) it has 8 points in the preliminary round.
The biggest success for Slovak ice hockey was the Championship in Gothenburg, Sweden in 2002. Slovakia won the gold medal game, defeating Russia 4–3. In 2014, The Slovak team lost in the quarter finals at the World Cup in Minsk, Belarus. Their last big success was in 2012, when they won the silver medal in Helsinki, Finland.
Programme of the preliminary round - Group B:
May 2 (Sat) 12:15 GMT + 2, Slovakia – Denmark (4:3, on shootouts)
May 3 (Sun) 16:15 GMT + 2, Belarus – Slovakia (1:2, in overtime)
May 5 (Tue) 20:15 GMT + 2, Slovakia – Slovenia (3:1)
May 6 (Wed) 20:15 GMT + 2, Norway – Slovakia (3:2)
May 9 (Sat) 16:15 GMT + 2, Finland - Slovakia (3:0)
May 10 (Sun) 20:15 GMT + 2, Slovakia - Russia (2:3, in overtime)
May 12 (Tue) 16:15 GMT + 2, USA - Slovakia (5:4, in overtime)
Games summary:
May 12 (Tue): Slovakia – the USA; 4:5 in overtime (0:2, 4:2, 0:0 - 0:1), Scores: SMITH Ben (0:1, 2:36), JONES Seth (0:2, 4:11), LEE Anders (0:3, 20:27), GÁBORÍK Marián (1:3, 26:29), JÁNOŠÍK Adam (2:3, 30:36), DRAVECKÝ Vladimír (3:3, 36:27), BARTOVIČ Milan (4:3, 38:22), COYLE Charlie (4:4, 39:09), EICHEL Jack (4:5, 64:32)
May 10 (Sun): Slovakia – Russia; 2:3 in overtime (1:0, 0:1, 1:1 - 0:1), Scores: KOPECKÝ Tomáš (1:0, 5:58), MOZYAKIN Sergei (1:1, 27:07), TARASENKO Vladimir (1:2, 41:10), GÁBORÍK Marián (2:2, 49:05), PANARIN Artemy (2:3, 62:06)
May 9 (Sat): Slovakia – Finland; 0:3 (0:0, 0:0, 0:3), Scores: DONSKOI Joonas (0:1, 50:27), AALTONEN Jumahatti (0:2, 55:33), KOMAROV Leo (59:53)
May 6 (Wed): Slovakia – Norway; 2:3 (1:0, 1:2, 0:1) , Scores: SUROVÝ Tomáš (0:1; 19 ), ĎALOGA Marek (2:0; 22), NORSTEBO Mattias (2:1; 26), OLSEN Rosseli (2:2; 36), NORSTEBO Mattias (2:3; 42)
May 5 (Tue): Slovakia – Slovenia; 3:1 (0:1, 0:0, 3:0), Scores: URBAS Jan (0:1; 6:20), MESZÁROŠ Andrej (1:1, 47:57), GÁBORÍK Marián (2:1, 54:16), GÁBORÍK Marián (3:1, 59:58)
May 3 (Sun): Slovakia – Belarus; 2:1 in overtime (0:0, 0:0, 1:1 - 1:0), Scores: KOSTITSYN Sergei (0:1; 51:27), MESZÁROŠ Andrej (1:1, 52:31), MESZÁROŠ Andrej (2:1, 61:55)
May 2 (Sat): Slovakia – Denmark; 4:3 on shootouts (0:0, 0:1, 3:2), Scores: BJORKSTRAND Patrick (0:1; 25:05), SERSEN Michal (1:1; 48:08), VIEDENSKÝ Marek (2:1; 49:26),HARDT Nichlas (2:2; 49:57), GRAŇÁK Dominik (3:2; 51:11), NIELSEN Daniel (3:3; 57:46)
