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  After dropping the first three games to the Philadelphia Flyers, the Pittsburgh Penguins are officially making things interesting. The Penguins secured their second straight victory in Game 5 on Monday at PPG Paints Arena, defeating the Flyers in a nail-biting 3-2 win to keep their season alive. Sidney Crosby fueled the comeback with a pair of assists, while Elmer Soderblom, Connor Dewar, and Kris Letang each found the back of the net. Following a 4-2 win in Game 4, Pittsburgh has now cut the series lead to 3-2 and will look to force a decisive Game 7 when they travel back to Philadelphia on Wednesday. Philadelphia Flyers Lineup: Barkey - Zegras - Tippett Konecny - Dvorak - Martone Foerster - Cates - Bump Glendening - Couturier - Hathaway Sanheim - Ristolainen York - Drysdale Seeler - Andrae Vladar Ersson Pittsburgh Penguins Lineup: Rakell - Crosby - Rust Chinakhov - Novak - Malkin Soderblom - Kindel - Mantha Dewar - Lizotte - Acciari Wotherspoon - Karlsson Girard - Letang Shea -...
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Olympics: Juraj Slafkovsky Scores Twice In Slovakia's 4-1 Win

 






Slovakia opened its 2026 Winter Olympics campaign with a statement win on Wednesday, knocking off defending gold medalist Finland 4-1 at Santagiulia Arena behind a dominant showing from Juraj Slafkovsky. The Montreal Canadiens forward tallied two goals and an assist, regaining the lead after Eeli Tolvanen briefly tied the game and sealing it with his second before Adam Ruzicka added insurance late. Slovakia faces Italy on Friday, while Finland turns its attention to Sweden.


Slovakia Lineup:

Tatar - Ruzicka - Slakovsky

Liska - Dvorsky - Hudacek

Kelemen - Pospisil - Regenda

Takac - Sukel - Okuliar


Fehervary - Nemec

Gernat - Cernak

Marincin - Ceresnak


Hlavaj

Gajan


Finland Lineup:

Rantanen - Hintz - Granlund

Lehkonen - Aho - Teravainen

Luostarinen - Lundell - Kakko

Tolvanen - Haula - Armia


Lindell - Heiskanen

Mikkola - Ristolainen

Maatta - Jokiharju


Saros

Lankinen


Juraj Slafkovsky opened the scoring to give Slovakia a 1-0 lead just under eight minutes in the first period with 12:15 on the clock, scoring the first goal of the Milano Cortina tournament. He intercepted Mikko Lehtonen's pass along the right wall, skated through Finland's defense, and slid the puck past Juuse Saros.


Getting Finland on the board to tie it 1-1, Eeli Tolvanen was able to sneak one past Samuel Hlavaj early in the middle frame at 15:45 when he took a pass from Joel Armia, who got the puck from Teuvo Teravainen from the blue line, and handed it over to Artturi Lehkonen. He got the puck again, then passed it to Tolvanen from just inside the left circle for a power-play goal.


Dalibor Dvorsky scored the tiebreaking goal, regaining the lead for Slovakia at 2-1, at 12:40 of the third period. He lifted a loose puck over Finnish defender Sebastian Aho, who had fallen in front of the net, just getting it over him into the goal after Martin Gernat fired from near the blue line off a pass from Adam Liska. Following the go-ahead goal, Slafkovsky struck again just under three minutes later to make it 3-1, wiring a shot past Saros with a power-play blast. With little time remaining and an empty Finnish net, Adam Ruzika sealed the 4-1 victory for Slovakia when he received a pass from Tomas Tatar, who got the puck from Slafkovsky, before putting it in the empty net.






Notes:

- Juraj Slafkovský opened the scoring at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics. He was just 17 when he won MVP, Best Forward, and All-Star honors at the 2022 Games, leading the tournament with seven goals and helping Slovakia win bronze.

- Slafkovský became the first Slovak NHL player to score at an Olympics with NHL participation since Marian Hossa in 2014. ...His goal at 7:45 was the eighth-fastest by a Slovak player to start an Olympic game featuring NHL players. The fastest remains Jozef Stumpel’s goal 11 seconds in on Feb. 10, 2002.

- Eeli Tolvanen (SEA) scored Finland’s first goal of the tournament, assisted by Joel Armia (LAK) and Artturi Lehkonen (COL). It was the first time since Feb. 22, 2014, that three NHL players combined on a Finnish Olympic goal. ...Tolvanen’s goal put Finland on the board. He was named to the 2018 Olympic All-Star Team after posting nine points (3-6--9) in five games.

- Dalibor Dvorsky (20 years, 241 days) scored in the third period to give Slovakia the lead, becoming the youngest Slovak to score at an Olympics with NHL players.

- Slafkovský became the second Canadiens player to score twice in a Winter Olympic game, joining Martin Rucinsky (Feb. 15, 1998). ...He is now the third NHL player to record a multi-goal Olympic game for Slovakia, joining Marian Hossa and Marian Gaborik.

- Slafkovský (MTL) has a chance to become the first NHL player with an Olympic hat trick since Phil Kessel on Feb. 16, 2014. ...With three points (2-1--3), Slafkovský became the third Canadiens player to record a three-point Olympic game, joining Sergei Kostitsyn and Saku Koivu.

- Slovakia earned its first Olympic win with NHL players since defeating Sweden in the quarterfinals at the 2010 Games.

-Samuel Hlavaj, part of the Wild organization and mostly with AHL Iowa this season, made 39 saves, which is the most by a Slovak goalie at an NHL-participating Olympics, surpassing Jan Laco’s 37 in 2014.

- Dvorsky (20 years, 241 days) became the second-youngest NHL player to score an Olympic game-winner, behind only Alex Ovechkin (20 years, 158 days in 2006).

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