Slovakia improved to 3-0 in Group B with a 2-1 win over the United States. The loss drops Team USA to 1-1-1.

Slovakia edges U.S.
to go to 3-0
By Phil Coffey | NHL.com
Feb. 18, 2006

TORINO, Italy - Team Slovakia arrived in Torino with an array of individual talent that could stock an NHL All-Star Team. Marian Hossa, Peter Bondra, Pavol Demitra, Marian Gaborik, Miroslav Satan, Marek Svatos and Richard Zednik all possess tremendous individual skills, and that's just the forwards.

Now 3-0 after Saturday night's taught 2-1 victory over Team USA, Slovakia has found success by actually putting some of their individual assets on hold and buying into the team concept being espoused by coach Frantisek Hossa, the father of Marian and Marcel Hossa, two NHL players who double as Olympians for their dad.

It worked to near perfection Saturday as the Slovaks played a very patient game, well aware that Team USA's speed could turn the contest around in an instant. Having seen the upsets piling up here in Torino, the Slovaks had no desire whatsoever to join the list of favored teams that have taken one on the chin.

"If we saw we could go (on the offense), we would go," said Atlanta Thrasher winger Marian Hossa. "But there was no reason to go at them. They have so much speed and skill. We waited.

"The U.S. played pretty good," said Gaborik of the Minnesota Wild. "They tried to come at us quickly. But we're playing our system. We have a lot of offensively minded players and we had to talk about it."

"Right now, we're playing as a team," Marian Hossa said. "We have so many players who can play as individuals, but we're playing the system and we're all on the same page and our goaltenders are playing well for us."

Goalie Peter Budaj of the Colorado Avalanche indeed played well for Slovakia, allowing one goal to Brian Rolston, while making 29 saves. For Team USA, Rick DiPietro made his second-straight start and was the hard-luck loser, stopping 19 of 21 shots.

"Both teams fought hard," DiPietro said. "We realized they're a transition team. We tried to limit their chances, but they capitalized on some bang-bang plays.

"It's hard-working, playoff-type hockey, very intense and fast."

"We played a very good game," Budaj said. "All the guys contributed to stop USA's shots. I think tonight we had a very strong defense."

"It was an even game all the way around," Detroit Red Wings defenseman Chris Chelios said. 'We just came up on the short end."

Slovakia is now 3-0 in the preliminary round of the tournament and plays 0-3 Kazakhstan Sunday. The American are now 1-1-1 and play Sweden Sunday and Russia Tuesday.

"I'm kind of surprised," Satan said when asked of his team's overall success in Torino. "We knew we had the offensive players. We're playing the system solid. Executing it on the ice is key for us."

The Slovaks, now with the opportunity to make some noise here, aren't taking anything for granted, especially after seeing the Swiss knock off both the Canadians and Czechs.

"In one game anything can happen," Satan said. "Look at Canada (a 2-0 loser to the Swiss earlier Saturday). One goal here, one goal there, you never know the outcome. We're glad to be playing these kinds of games."

Namely of the winning variety.

Peter Budaj was spectacular in net, stopping 29 of 30 shots by Team USA.

"We just have to play hard every single game," Demitra said. "In one game, you don't know."

Following a scoreless first period, Slovakia jumped to a 1-0 lead at 14:20 of the second as Marian Hossa scored a power-play goal. Demitra of the Los Angeles Kings keyed the scoring sequence, battling the puck loose along the right-wing boards, where Hossa gained control and swooped into the dot of the right circle and wristed the puck past DiPietro.

Team USA drew even at 18:24 as Rolston scored on the power play.

New Jersey's Scott Gomez won the faceoff to the left of Budaj and sent the puck back to defenseman Brian Rafalski, who passed across to Rolston at the left point. Rolston's slap shot appeared to get a small piece of Budaj's catching glove as Rolston beat him to the far side.

"I thought we played pretty well," Rolston said. "We're getting better as we go on. They're a good team, but I think we'll continue to get better. They got a couple of opportunistic goals, but we had some good chances too."

The game didn't feature the parade to the penalty box that has become commonplace in some games in the tournament. Rolston said that was because of the large number of NHL players on both sides who are now familiar with the standard of enforcement of the rules.

"This game had more of a North American style," Rolston said. "Just about all the guys play in the NHL."

"Both sides players were careful," Satan agreed. "There weren't a lot of power plays. It's like 98 percent of the guys are NHL players, so you'll get that kind of game. We know the standard."

Bondra scored the winner at 11:48 of the third period off assists from Satan and Richard Kapus. Satan moved the puck behind the American net and spotted Bondra in a cluster of American defenders. Somehow, Satan got the puck on Bondra's stick and the veteran scorer delivered the shot that made it 2-1 and Slovakia 3-0.

"First of all, it was Miro's pass," Bondra said of the game-winning goal. "I couldn't have done anything without it. I just had to shoot the puck and it went into the net."

"We had too many guys deep behind the net," Chelios said. We have to protect the front of the net."

"I think it was a great game, very exciting," Demitra said. "It was a great atmosphere. There were a lot of U.S. fans here and our fans really gave us a chance to win."