Kazakhstan and Slovakia one step closer to the Olympics

Kazakhstan - Hungary 5-2

Kazakhstan secured a decisive 5-2 victory over Hungary at the Ondrej Nepela Arena, despite being outshot 37-18. Kazakhstan’s efficiency on the few opportunities they had, coupled with an outstanding performance by goaltender Andrei Shutov, proved to be the difference.

The game began with Hungary dominating puck possession and creating several scoring chances, but Shutov was impenetrable, stopping all nine shots he faced in the first period. Kazakhstan, on the other hand, capitalized on their first power play opportunity at 15:55, with Nikita Mikhailis scoring the opening goal after a slick pass from Arkady Shestakov.

In the second period, Hungary’s persistence paid off when 16-year-old Doman Szongoth scored his first international goal, tying the game 1-1 at 22:38. The Hungarians continued to press, but Kazakhstan regained the lead at 31:13 through Dmitri Breus, who scored his first national team goal off a pass from Kirill Savitsky. Less than three minutes later, Breus assisted on a goal by Maxim Mukhametov, making it 3-1. Hungary quickly responded with a goal from István Sofron at 35:17, bringing the score to 3-2.

The third period saw Kazakhstan tighten their defense while continuing to take advantage of Hungary’s defensive lapses. Mikhailis extended the lead to 4-2 at 48:42 with an opportunistic goal, and later completed his hat trick at 53:34 on a breakaway, sealing the 5-2 win. Hungarian goalie Bence Bálizs struggled, saving only 72.22% of shots, while Shutov stood strong with a 94.59% save rate.

Post-game comments highlighted the contrasting feelings between the teams. Hungarian coach Milan Horvath praised his team’s intensity and effort but lamented their inability to convert chances into goals. On the other side, Kazakhstan’s coach Oleg Bolyakin credited his team’s tactical discipline and praised the contributions of younger players like Breus.

Slovakia - Austria 2-1

In a tightly contested Olympic qualifying match, Slovakia edged out Austria 2-1, securing a crucial win in Group D. The Slovak team dominated early, but Austria's resilient performance made for an intense finish.

The first period saw Slovakia controlling the pace, outshooting Austria 14-7, largely due to three consecutive power plays. Despite the pressure, Austria's goalie David Kickert was stellar, making key saves, especially against Slovakia's Marek Hrivik and Simon Nemec, keeping the game scoreless.

The breakthrough came in the second period after Slovakia's fourth straight power play. Although they didn't score with the man advantage, the Slovaks capitalized shortly after. Kristian Pospisil kept the puck alive in the offensive zone, leading to Martin Gernat's one-timer that finally beat Kickert at 32:16, putting Slovakia ahead 1-0. Just over two minutes later, Slovakia doubled their lead when Milos Kelemen scored after a setup by Samuel Knazko.

Austria, however, responded before the second period ended. On a 5-on-3 power play, Marco Kasper tipped a shot from Dominique Heinrich past Slovak goalie Samuel Hlavaj at 39:52, making it 2-1. Initially ruled no goal due to a high stick, the call was overturned after a video review, giving Austria hope heading into the third period.

In the final period, Austria pushed hard for the equalizer, outshooting Slovakia 12-5. Clemens Unterweger had a golden opportunity early, but Hlavaj made the stop. Austria's efforts intensified when they pulled Kickert for an extra attacker with over two minutes remaining. Despite sustained pressure, Slovakia's defense, backed by Hlavaj's solid goaltending, held firm, securing the 2-1 victory.

Slovak goalie Samuel Hlavaj, named Player of the Match, made 30 saves, posting a 96.67% save percentage. His counterpart, Kickert, also delivered a commendable performance with 32 saves and a 93.75% save rate.

Austrian coach Roger Bader praised his team's effort, especially in the third period, noting that they outplayed Slovakia but were unfortunate not to equalize. Austrian players echoed the sentiment, expressing disappointment but also focusing on the positives, knowing the tournament is far from over.

Slovakia, ranked 9th in the world, narrowly escaped with the win in front of a supportive home crowd of 8,670. Austria will look to bounce back in their next game against Kazakhstan, while Slovakia aims to build on this hard-fought victory as the Olympic qualifying tournament continues.

This victory was a significant step for Kazakhstan in their quest to qualify for the Olympics, while Hungary, despite their efforts, will need to regroup quickly for their next match against Slovakia.

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