Four years ago in Torino, Italy, Slovakia was one of two teams to post a perfect record in pool play. Only Russia (23) and Finland (19) scored more goals than the Slovaks (18). Their superb defensive effort, allowing eight goals against, was bested only by the Finns, who allowed just two.

Then it all stunningly fell apart in the no-margin-for-error quarterfinals with a 3-1 loss to rival Czech Republic in a game that was really a one-goal game until an empty-netter was scored with three seconds to go in regulation.
 
After the tension-filled contest, Czech forward Martin Rucinsky said his team simply wanted to win more than the Slovaks, the Czechs' will providing the slim margin of victory.
 
A convenient post-game argument by Rucinsky, but as Slovakia's GM, I'm not buying it. Those words will be the rallying cry for 2010 Vancouver.

I already know the Slovaks are showing up with a chip on their shoulder because of their second-tier label -- usually not mentioned in the same discussions as Russia, Canada, the United States, Sweden, Finland and the Czech Republic. That's what happens when your entire Olympic roster isn't comprised of household name NHLers.

But my 23-man Slovak team will not only be hungry to prove 2006 wasn't a fluke, but it will have more snarl, especially on the blue line. I like that over-the-top charge of emotion in a short tournament.

The smaller NHL-sized rinks, being used for the first time in an Olympics, will empower a mammoth defense corps to batter the opposition. At least two offensive lines can match up with that of most other nations, and there's plenty of veteran savvy and two-way moxie to fill in the gaps. There will also be a slight infusion of young talent to begin the transition to 2014.

So if General Manager Peter Bondra, head coach Jan Filc (silver and gold medals at the 2000 and 2002 World Championships, respectively), and assistant coaches Frantisek Hossa and Lubomir Pokovic are asking me, here are the charges necessary to capture the gold medal in Slovakia's fifth Olympic appearance.

Each was named to the nation's summer camp roster, though not all were able to attend the workouts in Poprad, at the foot of the High Tatra mountains.



Jaroslav Halak, Montreal Canadiens --  The 24-year-old may be inconsistent at times but in a short tournament one of his hot streaks can keep a team afloat, just as he did for the Canadiens in late October with four straight wins while Carey Price was sitting and watching.

Peter Budaj, Colorado Avalanche --  Budaj played well in the 2006 Olympics (2-1, 2.01 GAA) and in 2006-07 with the Avs (31-16-6), but has been spotty since. In his favor for a roster spot is his familiarity with NHL shooters.

Jaroslav Janus, Erie Otters (OHL) --  There probably won't be an opportunity for any playing time for the third goalie, so the 20-year-old Tampa Bay Lightning prospect is here for experience down the road. He made his pro debut with Norfolk of the AHL and had a 1.52 GAA in two games before being returned to Erie. Janus was 3-4-0 with a 3.20 GAA at the 2009 World Junior Championships, where Slovakia finished fourth.



Zdeno Chara, Boston Bruins –  The reigning Norris Trophy winner is the complete package of leadership and skill, and he speaks seven languages (English, Slovak, Czech, German, Swedish, Russian, Polish), so the opposition can't put anything past him. He should captain this squad in Vancouver.

Lubomir Visnovsky, Edmonton Oilers --  A first-rate power-play quarterback could make all the difference in a short tournament. Plus he has a ton of experience, playing in the 1998, 2002 and 2006 Olympics.

Andrej Meszaros, Tampa Bay Lightning --  Size, decent scoring, and Olympic, World Junior and World Championship experience make for an impressive pedigree. Four seasons ago with Ottawa he led the NHL with a plus-34 at the start of the Olympic break.

Milan Jurcina, Washington Capitals --  He's Chara without the offensive upside, though he does have a booming point shot. Jurcina is adept at shot blocking and will dish out the hits. Plus he can clear the crease for Halak and Budaj.

Andrej Sekera, Buffalo Sabres --  The 23-year-old enters Slovakia's Olympic fold with a burgeoning offensive game, especially when it comes to carrying the puck up ice.

Boris Valabik, Atlanta Thrashers --  An ankle injury currently has the 6-7, 245-pound behemoth sidelined, but he'll be ready in time to punish attacking forwards come February.

Ivan Baranka, Spartak Moscow (KHL) --  He's your basic, big-body (6-3, 205), stay-at-home type. The 24-year-old former Rangers prospect played in the 2009 World Championships and the 2004 and 2005 World Juniors.



Marian Hossa, Chicago Blackhawks --   Four years ago at the Winter Games, Hossa led Slovakia with 10 points (5 goals), one off the tournament lead. He'll undoubtedly get all the minutes he can handle in Vancouver as a true game-breaker. Once he returns from shoulder surgery, Hossa will have roughly 35 games with the Blackhawks before Slovakia's first contest.

Marian Gaborik, N.Y. Rangers --  There's never been any doubting Gaborik's ability to rack up points, but how fortunate for the Slovaks that Gaborik's penchant for getting injured has not really made an appearance this year. Still, February is about 40 Rangers games away. Fingers crossed.

Tomas Kopecky, Chicago Blackhawks --  Since leaving Detroit, the expected scoring increase with a greater offensive role hasn't yet happened, but the 27-year-old is learning to be Slovakia's version of Sweden's Tomas Holmstrom, a disruptive, goal-mouth presence. He last represented Slovakia at the 2002 World Junior Championships (7 games, 3-5-8).

Michal Handzus, Los Angeles Kings --  The 32-year-old veteran brings size (6-4, 216), leadership and a savvy two-way game to the forwards. He'll take all the important faceoffs and be trusted to help protect any leads. Handzus missed the 2006 Games with a shoulder injury.

Zigmund Palffy, HK 36 Skalica (Slovakia) –  The 37-year-old with nearly 900 NHL games on his resume is still an elite scorer in his homeland. Currently among the leading scorers of the Slovak Extraliga, Palffy had 53 goals and 99 points in only 53 games last season. He hasn't represented Slovakia since the 2005 World Championships.

Marcel Hossa, Dinamo Riga (KHL) --   Marian's little brother and the leading scorer of his Russian league team totaled 6 goals and 10 assists in 18 games during the 2006, 2008 and 2009 World Championships.

Miroslav Satan --  Though not currently signed to a team, Satan is not off the radar because he was invited to Slovakia's summer camp. Now 35, the right wing has 69 goals in 116 games representing Slovakia. He played in the 2002 (0-1-1) and 2006 Games (0-2-2), two World Cups, and eight World Championships, captaining the 2002 gold medal and 2003 bronze-medal teams.

Marek Svatos, Colorado Avalanche --  The streaky scorer gets another chance after going scoreless in six games at the 2006 Olympics. On the international stage, his best showing was 7 goals and 8 points in seven games at the 2002 World Junior Championships.

Tomas Tatar, Grand Rapids (AHL) -- The Red Wings' prospect will turn 19 before the Games begin and represents the new wave in Slovakia. He led his country to a fourth-place finish at the 2009 World Junior Championships, leading his team and tying for fourth in tournament scoring with 11 points in seven outings. His 7 goals placed second overall.

Branko Radivojevic, Spartak Moscow (KHL) --  The Olympics is the only international stage on which the big winger has yet to represent his homeland. With Slovakia developing capable scoring forwards, he'll be trusted to play a checking role, though Radivojevic is still putting up points in Russia's top league.

Stefan Ruzicka, Spartak Moscow (KHL) –  The former Philadelphia farmhand will turn 25 during the tournament. Now a standout in the top Russian league, he displayed a lot of skill in three seasons in the AHL (166 games, 51-74-125) before heading home for more playing time.

Peter Olvecky, Milwaukee (AHL) --  The AHL veteran is another big, young body ready to start earning his international stripes. He's among the top scorers with the Admirals.

Lubos Bartecko, SC Bern (Switzerland) –   The left wing with the long international resume -- including the 2002 and 2006 Olympics -- has toiled in several European leagues and is now a leading player on the Swiss league giants. He captained the Slovaks at the 2009 World Championships

Bubble players are goaltenders Jan Lasak (HC Moeller Pardubice) and Rastislav Stana (Severstal Cherepovets), defensemen Vladimir Mihalik (Norfolk, AHL), Peter Podhradsky (Barys Astana) and Martin Strbak (Balashikha MVD HC), and forwards Juraj Kolnik (HC Geneve-Servette), Jozef Stumpel (Barys Astana) and Richard Zednik (Lokomotiv Yaroslavl).

The 2006 Olympic team set the bar incredibly high with its pool-play domination, and repeating that success will no doubt be difficult. This time around, the Slovaks are matched against the Czech Republic, Latvia and Russia in Pool B.

This roster includes 11 players – Bartecko, Budaj, Chara, Gaborik, Marcel and Marian Hossa, Jurcina, Meszaros, Satan, Svatos and Visnovsky -- who took part in all the success of 2006.

The toughest omission was Canucks center Pavol Demitra, one of the best ever to come out of Slovakia. He recently underwent a second shoulder surgery, has yet to play in 2009-10, and admitted that rehab might not get him all the way back by the start of February. In the late 1990s with the St. Louis Blues, Demitra, Handzus and Bartecko formed the dynamic Slovak Pack line.

I admit, the forwards offer a bit of concern. Currently, only Gaborik is scoring at a consistent pace in the NHL. Hossa's injury, Kopecky's slow start, Palffy's age, Satan's inactivity, and Svatos' inconsistency raise questions.

But let's see the opposition try to carry the puck around or through my defensive wall, which averages 6-3, 227 pounds. That's a blue line full of Robyn Regehr's. Play dump and chase? You want to go into the corners with these guys?

Even the forwards have above-average size: Handzus is 6-4, 216; Marcel Hossa is 6-3, 220; Kopecky is 6-3, 203; Satan is 6-3, 191; Olvecky is 6-2, 220; Marian Hossa is 6-1, 210; and Gaborik is 6-1, 200.

I love the fact that Slovakia's first game is a meeting with the fifth-seeded Czechs on Feb. 17. Right off the bat, the revenge factor will have this team fired up, and hopefully the feeling can carry into the Russia game Feb. 18. Slovakia is currently ninth in the International Ice Hockey Federation's world rankings.

The Slovak Ice Hockey Federation reveals its Olympic roster on Dec. 29.

Rocky Bonanno is a staff writer at NHL.com that specializes in fantasy hockey coverage and international hockey. Contact Rocky Bonanno at rbonanno@nhl.com