Shootout decides thriller between Slovakia and Denmark

A few years ago, any game between Slovakia and Denmark would be one-sided from the early beginning. However Danes improved with the time and the other hand the Golden Era of Slovakia is over. Thus not only that Slovaks did not dominate the first period, but regardless picture of the play was equal, Danes did better in statistics, achieving better numbers both in shots on net and faceoffs.

The slight dominance of Danes culminated after five minutes of the second period. During Denmark`s second powerplay in the game, Bjorkstrand put his stick into Jensen`s wristshot from the right wing, changed the puck`s trajectory and passed around Jan Laco in Slovakia net - 0:1.

Jan Laco made 16 saves today. Photo: Roman Kantor

However this worked as a fuel for Slovak engines. Like if they were just waiting for the right moment, Team Slovakia took control of the game to its hands. In rest of the second, Slovaks prepared several very good scoring chances which all shared the one attribute: A great save by Patrick Galbraith, the starting goalie of Danes.

And once Galbraith was overcome already twenty seconds after start of the third period, a colleague in the uniform, defenseman Oliver Lauridsen took the duty, stepped to the net and saved the day for Denmark by samping out the puck by his shoulder.

If existing superiority of Slovakia during the second period was clearly visible, Slovaks shifted up one more gear during the third. The pressure was so tremendous that after all it was just a question of time when they will finally let the audience full of Slovak fans shout with joy!

The scoring time for Slovakia really came, however it was much wilder, than expected. Seven minutes in the third, Sersen used a powerplay by a slapshot from the blueline and made it 1:1. The sudden euforia of both Slovak fans and players caused that just after next ninety seconds they turned the score over to 2:1: It was Viedenský, who sent the puck behind Galbraith after receiving a pass from behind the net.

But the things should not be that easy for Slovakia, because thirty-one seconds later Denmark scored a goal exactly the same way as Slovaks just did. For fans it was like watching a replay, or to have a deja vu, but with the difference, now it were Danes cheering out. Morten Madsen learned the Slovak recipe well and from a spot from behind Laco`s net asked Nichlas Hardt to tied it up on 2:2.

However the apetite of Slovaks was so huge, they continued with the great pressure like if nothing happened, which resulted in one more goal in Denmark`s net. Daniel Graňák took the lead back for Slovakia only seventy seconds later.

Last minutes usually are expected to be reserved for the losing team`s offensive maneuvers. This time it was different, because Team Slovakia did not seem to be done with attacking and wanted to add more goals.

Paradoxically, Denmark was released off the pressure by opponent`s defender Michal Sersen. Sersen sent the puck above the glass by his glove which was considered by referees as delaying the game. Danes took the breath, calmed down and set up the powerplay formation in the attacking zone.

Regardless Denmark spent the most of the powerplay time in front of Laco, Slovaks were defending it well and the powerplay expired. But yet during the continuing offensive action, Danes equalized the score one more time! Daniel Nielsen - this is the name of Danish new national hero.

For the last two minutes of the third period Slovaks again took the puck under possesion in a manner to score the game-winning goal, but they did not manage it time and the game had to be continued.

The extra five minutes of overtime were surprisingly calm - teams seemed to be that much tired from previous sixty minutes, so the option of shootout was much more exciting for both clubs, than taking the risk of making another mistake and losing the game yet during the overtime.

And so it happened, the game was decided no sooner than with shootouts. The first series of attempts were wasted by Hardt and Marián Gáborík. In contrast to that the next round was 100% successful. Firstly, Madsen did a nice forhand deke to give Danes the lead, but Viedenský of Slovakia found a fast answer with his wristshot.

The next three series presented no goals, but only two posts being hit by two Slovak forwards, Dravecký and Viedenský.

Destiny of the game was gashed during the sixth series of shootout. Marko Daňo scored by a wrist shot to make ČEZ Aréna explode with emotions, and as then Hardt did not find an aswer good enough, it exploded one more time, now for good.

Slovakia wins its first game on the tournament over Denmark 4:3 after shootouts (2:1).