Switzerland – Canada2 1:5 (end) | Finland – Russia 5:2 (end) | Slovakia2 – Sweden2 1:6 (end)
Czech Republic – USA 4:2 (end)
final
Slovakia2
1:6 (1:1, 0:3, 0:2)
Sweden2
Monday 11.08.2014, 17:30 • Hlinka Gretzky Cup
     
    Welcome. This game starts at 17:30 CET.
     
    This is the first game of the tournament for both Slovakia and Sweden. Last season, these two teams played for 7th place, with Sweden winning. Earlier today, Canada beat Switzerland 5-1, so if one team wins this game in regulation it will be tied for first in the Piestany Group with Canada.
     
    Starting Lineups:

    Slovakia: Cibulka (Húska) – Grman, Vadovič, Hatala, Roman, Zeleňák, Kolesár, Nemec, Šefčík – Horváth, Valent (C), Bondra – Pätoprstý, Sádecký, Lešťan – Andrisík, Hecl, Sloboda – Žiak, Oško, Struška

    Sweden: Sandström (Werner) – Kylington, G. Carlsson, Younan, L. Carlsson, Alftberg, Léman, Larsson, Kalte – Davidsson, Asplund (C), Magnusson – Lööke, Ölund, Dahlén – Emanuelsson, Erixon, Dahlström – Grundström, Eriksson, Ahl

    Referees: Baluška, Müllner – Šefčík, Junek.
     
    The teams are on the ice, the national anthems of Sweden and Slovakia have been played, and the game will start shortly.

    Slovakia is designated as the home team for this game and are wearing their blue uniforms with white and red trim, Sweden is wearing their yellow uniforms with blue trim.
     
    00:01
    Game started.
     
    01:54
    Carl Grandstrom gets the puck in the corner and cuts in front of the Slovak goal, denied by Cibulka.
     
    02:50
    Lukas Ziak with the first shot for the Slovaks, a long wrister that's turned away by Sandstrom.
     
    03:39
    Peter Valent with a shot from a sharp angle, then the Slovaks press but Felix Sandstrom covers for the game's first whistle.
     
    04:00
    A pick as the Slovaks enter the Swedish zone and Filip Lestan goes off for interference. Swedes to the power play.
     
    04:55
    Shot from the point by Kylington, deflected off the goalpost by Rasmus Asplund. Then the Slovaks clear it.
     
    06:00
    Radovan Bondra leads a shorthanded rush, takes a long wrister that Sandstrom kicks out just as the penalty ends.
     
    06:18
    Off the draw Alexander Younan took a high wrister that's caught and held by Vladimir Cibulka.
     
    06:38
    Oliver Erixon centres in front to Lucas Carlsson, his one timer is caught and held by Cibulka.
     
    07:48
    Younan with a long wrister through traffic, pad save Cibulka.
     
    10:24
    Marek Sloboda leads a rush down the left wing, his shot is caught and held by Sandstrom.
     
    10:44
    Goal for Team Sweden!
    ALEXANDER YOUNAN fires an absolute one-time rocket from the point that beats Cibulka under the crossbar.
    Assists: Gabriel Carlsson, Jens Lööke.
    Alexander YOUNAN - 0:1
     
    11:24
    Icing Slovakia.
     
    11:30
    The Swedes push hard to the Slovak goal but Cibulka keeps it out and covers.
     
    11:43
    Another icing against Slovakia, who are really back on their heels at this point.
     
    14:22
    The Swedes controlling the puck around the perimeter in the Slovak zone like it's a power play. They weren't getting any shots through, though, until finally one comes close enough for Cibulka to catch.
     
    14:50
    Wrister from Slovak captain Peter Valent, right on Sandstrom, who holds on.
     
    15:11
    Icing Slovakia.
     
    16:05
    Big hit by Lucas Carlsson at the Slovak line as the Slovaks attempt to break out, eventually Andrisik gets a weak-angle shot.
     
    16:45
    Goal for Team Slovakia!
    The Slovaks move the puck around the Swedish zone and it comes to MAREK HECL, who just had to sweep it across the line from the side of the net.
    Assists: Vojtěch Zeleňák, Luke Žiak.
    Marek HECL - 1:1
     
    17:08
    The Slovaks try to go for more, rush into the zone and Swedish goalie Felix Sandstrom loses his mask, so play is stopped.
     
    17:29
    Offside Slovakia.
     
    17:36
    The Slovaks energised by that goal. A shot by Lestan is deflected out of play in the Swedish zone, faceoff inside.
     
    17:45
    Now Sweden called for icing for the first time, after 4 Slovak icings in the game.
     
    18:33
    Offside Sweden on the pass, faceoff back to their own blueline.
     
    20:00
    1st period finished.
     
    The Slovaks are very lucky to be escaping this period 1-1, as it was all Sweden for 17 minutes. They got a goal as the result of some hard work, though, and actually put on some decent pressure after that.

    2nd period begins at 18:17 CET.
     
    20:01
    Start of 2nd period.
     
    20:34
    Goal for Team Sweden!
    The Swedes strike quickly at the start of the second period, as the puck comes to RASMUS ASPLUND ahd he snaps it upstairs.
    Assist: Oliver Kylington.
    Rasmus ASPLUND - 1:2
     
    21:45
    Martin Andrisik streaks down the right wing and fires it wide of the far post.
     
    22:33
    The puck deflects out of play in the Slovak zone, faceoff inside.
     
    22:48
    Jonathan Leman with a long wrister, deflected wide right in front.
     
    24:22
    Filip Mangusson with a long wrister, stick save Cibulka.
     
    25:08
    Icing Slovakia.
     
    25:26
    Icing Slovakia again, as the Swedes putting on more pressure.
     
    25:41
    Goal for Team Sweden!
    The Swedes rush back into the zone and JOEL EK ERIKSSON finishes off a pretty passing play by tapping the puck into the net.
    Assist: Carl Grundstrom.
    Joel ERIKSON - 1:3
     
    26:00
    The Swedes continue to press and John Dalhstrom fires it off the goalpost.
     
    27:45
    The Swedes put the puck into the Slovak net again but it's been waved off.
     
    29:27
    More Swedish pressure, scramble in front and Cibulka covers the puck. Players push and shove but nothing comes of it.
     
    29:38
    Offside Sweden.
     
    30:54
    Swedes going to the power play as Marek Sloboda is called for holding.
     
    31:55
    Kylington with a slapper from the point, stick save Cibulka.
     
    32:45
    Looke with a wrister, blocker save Cibulka, then the Slovaks ice it, which should take care of the rest of the penalty.
     
    33:46
    Jacob Larsson with a wrister from the point, caught and held by Cibulka.
     
    33:56
    Offside Slovakia, as they attempt to enter the Swedish zone for the first time in quite a long time.
     
    34:15
    Icing Sweden.
     
    34:52
    Offside Sweden.
     
    34:58
    The puck is deflected out of play in the Slovak zone, faceoff inside.
     
    35:27
    Icing Slovakia.
     
    35:50
    Miroslav Struska with a wrister, pad save Sandstrom on Slovakia's first shot of the period.
     
    36:08
    Now Slovakia going to the power play as Jens Looke is called for elbowing.
     
    36:45
    Bondra with a quick shot, pad save Sandstrom.
     
    37:58
    Puck deflected out of play in the Swedish zone, faceoff inside with :10 left in the penalty.
     
    38:54
    Battle for the puck in the corner in the Swedish zone, it's finally frozen and the whistle goes. Faceoff inside.
     
    39:27
    Marek Hecl with a wrister on a Slovak rush, right on Sandstrom holds it.
     
    39:47
    Goal for Team Sweden!
    Ahl centres to OLIVER KYLINGTON and and Sweden gets a big late goal.
    Assist: Filip Ahl
    Oliver KYLINGTON - 1:4
     
    40:00
    2nd period finished.
     
    Another case where the Swedes were utterly dominant for most of the period but the Slovaks came on with late pressure. The group hosts were not in bad shape before giving up that late goal in the 2nd, and now face an even bigger uphill battle.

    3rd period begins at 19:06 CET.
     
    40:01
    Start of 3rd period.
     
    40:52
    Swedes begin the period in the Slovak zone again, Cibulka makes the save and covers.
     
    41:36
    Swedish pressure continues, and another save by Cibulka.
     
    41:56
    Big hit by Sweden's Filip Ahl at the blueline on Marek Sloboda who's down and not getting up. A penalty's coming but we'll see what the call is.
    Faul on Sloboda
     
    They bring the stretcher out onto the ice but ultimately Sloboda gets up and gets to the bench.
     
    41:56
    It's a five-minute major and a game misconduct to Filip Ahl for checking to the head and neck area. So Slovakia will now have a five-minute power play.
     
    45:00
    Slovaks with possession in the Swedish zone, fans trying to urge them on, but not getting shots through.
     
    46:11
    The power play is now over as Radovan Bondra goes to the box, so we'll play 4-on-4 for :45, then the Swedes will have a power play.
     
    47:15
    The Swedes are now on the power play and it's going to be a 5-on-3 as Michal Roman gets called.
     
    47:34
    Goal for Team Sweden!
    It took only 7 seconds from the faceoff, as the shot by JONATHAN DAVIDSSON hit something in front, went up in the air and landed right before the line and dribbled across. It's a power-play goal and the advantage will continue for 1:53.
    Unassisted.
    Jonathan DAVIDSSON - 1:5
     
    49:29
    Offside Sweden, as the Slovaks are back at full strength.
     
    49:38
    Offside Slovakia.
     
    50:59
    Puck out of play in the Slovak zone, faceoff inside.
     
    51:08
    Goal for Team Sweden!
    the shot from the point by Jacob Larsson hit JOEL EK ERIKSSON in front and beat Cibulka, who had no chance.
    Assist: Jacob Larsson.
    Joel EK ERIKSON - 1:6
     
    53:52
    Shot by Alftberg is right on Cibulka, who holds on.
     
    55:17
    More Swedish pressure, Cibulka covers again and we've got pushing and shoving in the Slovak crease, with Carl Grundstrom right in the middle of it. Eventually the players are separated and the faceoff stays in the zone.
     
    56:45
    Leman the big shot from the point, save Cibulka and the rebound is shot wide.
     
    57:59
    Now a wrister by Anton Kalte on another Swedish rush, nice glove save by Vladimir Cibulka.
     
    58:15
    Andrej Hatala with a long wrister, caught and held by Sandstrom.
     
    59:10
    Yet another glove save for Cibulka, who's had a lot of work today.
     
    60:00
    Game over.
     
    Players of the Game:

    SVK – Marek Hecl
    SWE – Oliver Kylington
     
    A clear 6-1 victory for Sweden and, as many predicted, Canada and Sweden are shaping up to be the two strongest teams in this group. They will play tomorrow in the early game, while the Slovaks will host the Swiss in the nightcap. (19:42:36)
    Commentary by

    Derek OBrien

    CZ@@Djob76

    Goals & lineups Match log
    Goals and assists: 17. Hecl (Zelenak, Ziak) – 11. Younan (Carlsson, Looke), 21. Asplund (Kylington), 26. .EkEriksson (Grundstrom), 40. Kylington (Ahl), 48. Davidsson, 52. Eriksson (Larsson)

    Slovakia2: Cibulka (Húska) – Grman, Vadovič, Hatala, Roman, Zeleňák, Kolesár, Nemec, Šefčík – Horváth, Valent (C), Bondra – Pätoprstý, Sádecký, Lešťan – Andrisík, Hecl, Sloboda – Žiak, Oško, Struška
    Sweden2: Sandström (Werner) – Kylington, G. Carlsson, Younan, L. Carlsson, Alftberg, Léman, Larsson, Kalte – Davidsson, Asplund (C), Magnusson – Lööke, Ölund, Dahlén – Emanuelsson, Erixon, Dahlström – Grundström, Eriksson, Ahl
    Referees: Baluška, Müllner – Šefčík, Junek