3 takeaways from Slovakia’s hard loss to Sweden at 2022 WJC
World Juniors opened on Sunday for Slovakia, and unfortunately they got one 4-3 loss of team USA. Not even 24 hours later, the Slovaks resisted Jesper Wallstedt and Team Sweden, who also started their tournament with back-to-back games.
Some line breaks occurred on the way into this matchup, which was seen Vegas Golden Knights prospect Jakub Demek goes up to the second line for a well-deserved promotion. Goalkeeper Simon Latkoczy got his second straight start for the Slovaks.
But the team once again met a goalkeeper who was on a mission to win. Wallstedt made 48 saves and secured 3-0 shutout over Slovakia.
Shots, shots and more shots
Slovakia played a tough match against Sweden, and it was relentless in the shots on goal. At the end of the first period, it had beaten the Swedes 13-4, and despite a 1-0 deficit at the end of the first, the Slovaks had a strong period.
They were quick to get shots online, but unfortunately could not take any chances. Sweden used a powerplay, and Detroit Red Wings Prospect Theodor Niederbach scored a quick goal.
The pressure was there in second place again, when the Slovaks outscored the Swedes by 30-19, but the Swedes took another goal when Dallas stars Prospect Albert Sjöberg made a quick move to get around Simon Becar and bury it past Latkoczy. Wallstedt was phenomenal in the net once again, taking all 30 shots with ease while robbing several Slovak players of chances.
The Slovaks went hard until the third period, got quick shots online and took control of the game. When the first ten minutes began to subside, Swedish defender Leo Lööf took a run on Simon Nemec, which resulted in a head shot, and received a five-minute major and match penalty. Not even a minute into the big penalty, Sweden took another undisciplined penalty, which forced a 5-on-3, but Wallstedt was sharp as always and the Swedes killed the penalties. Philadelphia Flyers Prospect Emil Andrae played a crucial role as a penalty killer.
The Slovaks continued to put pressure during the last ten minutes, hitting the goalpost and the crossbar a couple of times, but could not take advantage of it. Daniel Ljungman, a Dallas Stars prospect, picked up the empty net player and secured the match 3-0.
The outlook continues to shine
2022 top prospect Juraj Slafkovsky and Nemec once again show all their talents for the world to see. The second line unit consisting of Slafkovsky, Demek and other 2022 prospect Filip Mesar, was the line to watch tonight. They are without a doubt the best line the Slovaks have put together, and will be used more. The duo Slafkovsky and Mesar continue to create dangerous chances. Slafkovsky had a couple of early chances, but Wallstedt was able to shut him down on both occasions. He was named the game’s player for the Slovaks.
Meanwhile, Nemec again played in the defense for the Slovaks. He has become one of their most trusted defenders and can be used in any situation. His mobility is his best asset, and he proved it once again tonight. He can jump up in the rush, but also float back to his zone. He really is a special player to watch, and there is no doubt that he will be a top-5 pick in the 2022 NHL draft. Make sure his talents are continually displayed throughout the rest of the tournament.
Unfortunately, 16-year-old Dalibor Dvorsky did not get as much ice time as some might have hoped. He did not see a single second of ice time during the entire five-minute powerplay that Slovakia had in the third period. As a player who dominated the Hlinka Gretzky Cup this spring, one would expect him to be used in more critical situations, as a special team. However, it is important to remember that he is only 16 years old and will probably have more ice time as the tournament progresses. With players like Slafkovsky, Nemec, Mesar and Dvorsky, the future of hockey in Slovakia looks bright.
Back to that on Wednesday
Slovakia gets a well-deserved day off and will return on Wednesday to play against Russia. The Russians are 1-1 in the tournament, as they lost their opening match 6-3 against Sweden before taking a big 4-2 victory for Switzerland.
While Latkoczy has played well for the Slovaks, it will be interesting to see if they go back to him for a third straight match in the net. This will also be the first time since the Hlinka Gretzky Cup that Dalibor Dvorsky and Russia’s Matvei Michkov meet.
Draft qualified players to watch
One player to watch from each team
Breakout Candidates & Sleeper Prospects
Predictions for the junior WC 2022
Price challengers and predictions
Division of the list of the NHL team
Invitations to selection camps from the NHL team
