Slovakia shocked defending Olympic champion Finland 4-1 in the opening game of the men’s hockey tournament in one of the biggest upsets of the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Finland had entered the matchup with a roster packed with NHL stars including Colorado Avalanche superstar Mikko Rantanen and Dallas Stars forwards Roope Hintz but Slovakia’s disciplined defense and stellar goaltending from Samuel Hlavaj kept the Finnish offense at bay all night.
“Samuel Hlavaj sets Slovak Olympic record with 38 saves in a 4-1 upset of Finland. (Previous record: Jan Laco, 37 in 2014). Epic performance for Hlavaj, who is 44th in save percentage and 46th in GAA during this AHL season at Iowa. Raises the bar at the right time,” NHL insider Elliotte Friedman tweeted after the game.
Fans were quick to comment under Freidman’s tweet with reactions ranging from disbelief to outright mockery. Some joked about Mikko Rantanen’s scoreless night while others questioned Finland’s coaching decisions.
“LMFAOO MIKKO CANTANEN😹😹,” comments one fan.
“Finnish coach was trolling with the minutes,” wrote one user.“I love upsets man,” quipped one fan.
Some fans expressed deeper frustrations about Finland’s preparation and tactical approach. Others pointed to concerning patterns from recent tournaments as part of a larger trend under the current coaching regime.
“Finland should fire Pennanen. The team looked lost at 4 Nations and now they look lost at the Olympics. I have never seen someone neutralize a top-6 that consists of two point per game players. The first line had zero offense and atleast Aho line and bottom-6 generated offense,” read one comment.
“I didn’t have Finland embarrassing themselves against Slovakia on my Men’s Olympic Hockey bingo card,” wrote one fan.
“And I got absolutely cooked for saying these game would be extremely close lmaooo,” commented another user.
Slovakia had entered the game as heavy underdogs against a Finnish squad that had won gold at the 2022 Beijing Olympics and boasted an 18-1-3 all-time record against Slovakia.
Samuel Hlavaj Made History for Slovakia
Juraj Slafkovsky led the way for Slovakia with two goals, while Dalibor Dvorsky notched the crucial go-ahead goal in the third period. Adam Ruzicka added an empty-netter to seal the victory.
Goaltender Samuel Hlavaj made Olympic history on the night. The 24-year-old Minnesota Wild prospect stopped 38 of 39 shots to set a new Slovak Olympic record surpassing Jan Laco’s previous mark of 37 saves set in 2014.
Only one Finnish player managed to beat Hlavaj all night, Eeli Tolvanen. Tolvanen scored Finland’s lone goal on a one-timer early in the second period to briefly tie the game 1-1. After that, Hlavaj slammed the door shut.
The performance was even more impressive considering Finland’s relentless pressure. The Finns outshot Slovakia 39-25 overall and dominated the opening frame 18-5, yet Hlavaj stood tall through the barrage.
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