ZOH 2022 hockey – Slovakia – Latvia 5: 2 (hockey) – Olympics today – SPORT.sk

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After the end of the basic phase, the Slovaks will probably be placed on the ninth or eighth place in the common table, so they would run into the team on the 8th or eighth place in the knockout. 9th position. With Canada’s expected victory over China, the Germans would become Slovakia’s rivals if they lost to the United States. However, if the silver medalists from Pyongyang 2018 defeated the Americans for two or three points, the Slovaks would run into the Czech Republic in the playoffs to advance to the quarterfinals.

The Slovaks started actively and immediately during the first substitutions closed the opponent in his defensive zone. The actions were mainly driven by the newly formed first attack. In the 7th minute, he did not use a good chance to open Hrivík, Kalninš then showed his art during Cehlárik’s shot and especially Takáč’s double hit. In the 11th minute, the Latvians took a bad turn, but Hrivík did not change his short escape, then Cehlárik missed an empty goal. At the end of the 11th minute, it came out when Marinčina took over the ball – 1: 0.

However, the Slovaks did not enjoy the lead for a long time, the opponent equalized from the first serious chance. In the 16th minute, Rybár played badly at the back guard, the Latvians continued the action with a good attack, Keninš stayed at the rebounded puck and from behind the bull ring he aimed exactly at the field – 1: 1.

After a break, Rybár performed an important intervention, when the author of the Latvian goal, Keninš, tamed the concrete. The Slovaks responded with a huge power play, during which they were close to the goal Slafkovský and Hrivík, Kalninš held his team. Immediately after, the Latvian goalkeeper excelled even after Hudáček’s backhand end.

The Slovaks continued to dictate the pace of the game and after 27 minutes, after a quick break, they took the lead again, after a pass by Hrivík, Cehlárik enjoyed Kalninša’s backhand – 2: 1. Ramsay’s team had a clear shooting advantage and added a goal insurance in the 32nd minute. Slafkovský intercepted the rebounded puck on the offensive blue line and scored his fourth goal in the Olympic tournament with a shot from behind the defender.

Cibulskis then tore the fisherman out of his boredom, the goalkeeper of the Slovak Republic struck well. The dominance of the Slovak team continued, Hrivík and Kňažko did not use good opportunities for scoring.

It was still not clear about the win, especially when at the beginning of the second period Indrašis ran a shot of Cibulskis and reduced to 2: 3. The Latvians, reinforced by a contact goal, came to life and the Fisherman had to put out the danger several times. In the 45th minute, he did not allow the attacking Jeisejevs to score.

In the 50th minute, Zuzin returned to peace with Slovak hockey sticks, who, alone in front of the goal, prevailed after the Kelemen pass from the back guard – 4: 2. Subsequently, Takáč could increase, his attempt was destroyed by Kalninš with concrete, and immediately after Jurč’s shot, the shaft on the Latvian goal rang.

In the end, the Latvians called off the goalkeeper and tried it at six, but they could no longer dramatize the match. On the other hand, Jurčo still scored into the empty net in the final second and sealed the result to the final 5: 2.

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