Hold onto your seats, hockey fans, because the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics just delivered a jaw-dropping upset that no one saw coming! Juraj Slafkovsky, the Montreal Canadiens' standout, led Slovakia to a stunning 4-1 victory over Finland, the reigning 2022 Olympic champions. But here's where it gets even more intriguing: Slafkovsky, who scored Slovakia's only two goals in their 2022 Olympic opener against Finland (a game they lost), reprised his role with another two-goal performance—this time on the winning side. And this is the part most people miss: despite Slovakia having just seven NHL players compared to Finland's nearly all-NHL roster, they proved that underdogs can bite back, hard.
Slafkovsky's first goal came less than eight minutes into the game, as he effortlessly skated through Finland's defense and slid the puck past Juuse Saros. But the real drama? Dalibor Dvorsky's tiebreaking goal with just 13 minutes left, followed by Slafkovsky's power-play goal that sent the crowd into a frenzy. "This is way better, a way better feeling to win," Slafkovsky said, capturing the euphoria of the moment. Yet, it wasn’t just Slafkovsky who shone—goalie Samuel Hlavaj was the unsung hero, stopping 39 of 40 shots, including a barrage in the first period when Slovakia was outshot 18-5. Is Hlavaj the real MVP of this game? Or was Finland's defense simply off their game? Let’s debate that in the comments.
Finland, meanwhile, is left scratching their heads. Saros, the Nashville Predators' starter, allowed three goals on 24 shots, raising questions about his performance. Should Finland bench Saros for their next game against archrivals Sweden? Or is this overreacting to a single loss? Coach Antti Pennanen remains tight-lipped, but fans are already speculating about Kevin Lankinen stepping in, just as he did last year at the 4 Nations Face-Off. Eeli Tolvanen scored Finland's lone goal, but it wasn’t enough to prevent an early tournament setback.
Speaking of Sweden, they narrowly avoided their own upset against host Italy, winning 5-2 in a game that was closer than expected. Are the Swedes, with their all-NHL lineup, showing signs of vulnerability? Or was this just a case of first-game jitters? Italy’s goalie Damian Clara, an Anaheim Ducks prospect, stole the show with 46 saves on 49 shots before leaving with a leg cramp. His performance was so impressive that Sweden’s Victor Hedman admitted, "We knew Clara was a big, big talent. Anaheim is lucky to have a prospect like that."
As the tournament heats up, one thing is clear: these Olympics are anyone’s game. Who do you think will emerge as the dark horse? And is Slovakia’s win a fluke, or are they here to stay? Share your thoughts below—this is shaping up to be one of the most unpredictable tournaments in recent memory!
