Slovakia’s national hockey team left the ice in Düsseldorf with one point and a 2–3 overtime defeat to Latvia in the opening game of the 37th Deutschland Cup, Sportnet reported. Renārs Krastenbergs scored the winner 1:27 into the extra period, and Slovakia now turns to a match against Austria on Saturday before closing the tournament against host Germany on Sunday.
Goaltending decided the individual honors: Latvia’s Gustavs Grigals and Slovakia’s Eugen Rabčan were named the players of the game for their respective sides. Slovakia twice erased a one-goal deficit, only to watch Krastenbergs end the night after Slovak defenseman Sebastián Čederle lost the puck behind his own net.
Krastenbergs Finishes It 87 Seconds Into Overtime
Regulation ended 2–2, so the teams played a five-minute overtime to award the second point. With 1:27 on the clock, Čederle coughed up the puck behind the Slovak net in a battle with Krastenbergs, who fired from close range to the near post for an unassisted game-winner, according to the play-by-play.
It was a bitter ending to a night in which Slovakia had twice found a way back. Latvia had struck first, again in the third, and still the Slovaks leveled it with under two minutes left — only to lose the extra period on a single turnover.
How Regulation Unfolded: Three Lead Changes
Slovakia drew level at 37:08 of the second period. Pavol Regenda carried the puck into the corner, a Latvian player picked it up, and Samuel Buček intercepted the pass and beat Grigals from the left circle, with Oleksii Myklucha and Regenda credited with assists. The period ended 1–1.
Latvia went back in front at 46:19 of the third when captain Rodrigo Ābols took a puck from his own defensive zone, skated through center ice, shook a Slovak defender and scored to the far post, assisted by Grigals. Slovakia answered again: with 1:43 remaining and Rabčan pulled for an extra attacker after a Latvian icing, Martin Bodák fed Simon Jellúš at the right circle and Jellúš fired to the near post to make it 2–2, with Samuel Buček also credited with an assist.
Rabčan and Grigals Earn Player-of-the-Game Honors
Teraz.sk, carrying a TASR report from Düsseldorf, named Rabčan Slovakia’s best player and said both Slovak goals conceded came after individual errors, while Rabčan repaired several others with quick glove saves and fast movement across the crease. Latvia’s Grigals was the counterpart honor on the other side, repeatedly stoning Slovak shooters, including a last-second stop on Myklucha in the second period.
“The first period was harder for me, then in the second I was already in the game and enjoying the hockey. I’m there to help the team. There were some mistakes, but I stand behind every player on the team because everyone wanted to play as well as they could,” Rabčan said, according to TASR.
Debut Night for Three Slovaks — and an Early Exit for Kňažko
The game also marked senior national-team debuts for defenseman Jakub Chromiak and forwards Peter Bjalončík and Simon Jellúš, Teraz.sk reported. Jellúš capped his first game with the 2–2 goal, scored on a power play with the goaltender pulled. Head coach Vladimír Országh said the newcomers showed nerves in the first period but grew more confident and better as the game went on.
The match ended prematurely for defenseman Samuel Kňažko, who left late in the first period with a shoulder injury after taking a hit. “We’ll see how serious it is. I feel sorry for him, because he was also injured at the Deutschland Cup last year. I hope it’s nothing serious,” Országh said, according to TASR. The severity of the injury was not yet known.
Veteran forward Marián Studenič, back in the national team after a long absence following the 2024 Olympic qualification tournament, skated on the top line’s wing with Regenda and Myklucha. “We didn’t start ideally. The Latvians skated more and had more chances, but in the third period we started playing our game and it looked better. It’s a shame it didn’t work out in overtime,” Studenič said, per TASR.
Slovakia’s Remaining Schedule in Düsseldorf
Slovakia takes a day off Friday, then plays Austria on Saturday at 3 p.m. local time, Sportnet and Sportky Zoznam reported. The group stage closes Sunday at 2:45 p.m. against host Germany. The tournament is being held in Düsseldorf for the first time in its history, Aktuality reported, as Germany prepares for the 2027 IIHF World Championship. Slovakia’s three games are being broadcast live on JOJ Šport and streamed on JOJ Play, with coverage beginning at 3:45 p.m. ahead of the 4:15 p.m. puck drop.
,fit(1200:) "Photo: Aktuality")
With the overtime loss, Slovakia sits on one point after the opener — a result that leaves the group wide open heading into the weekend.
Questions Fans Are Asking After the Opener
- One. The 2–3 overtime loss to Latvia awards Slovakia a single point in the standings, per Sportnet.
- Saturday at 3 p.m. local time in Düsseldorf against Austria, then Sunday at 2:45 p.m. against Germany, per Sportnet and Sportky Zoznam.
- Unknown. Országh said the defenseman has a shoulder issue and that the team will see how serious it is, according to TASR.
- All three Slovak games air live on JOJ Šport and stream on JOJ Play, with coverage starting 30 minutes before puck drop, Aktuality reported.
Keep reading
