Slovakia celebrated after losing a hockey game at the Olympics 5-3 to Sweden. Here's why
Slovakia applaud fans at the end of a preliminary round match of men's ice hockey between Sweden and Slovakia at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. Credit: AP/Petr David Josek
MILAN — Fans, try to keep up: Sometimes the hockey tournament at the Olympics isn’t just win and move on.
Slovakia was all smiles after losing 5-3 to Sweden on Saturday. That is because Dalibor Dvorsky scored with 39 seconds left to make it a two-goal margin instead of three and it also gave Slovakia the tiebreaker it needed to win the group and advance automatically to the quarterfinals.
“What a game," leading scorer Juraj Slafkovsky and reigning Olympic MVP said with a grin from ear to ear. "I’ve never celebrated a loss. Everything has a first time.”
The only thing needed to clinch first in Group B was Finland beating Italy in regulation a few hours later. An 11-0 Finnish drubbing of the host country left no doubt.
Because Slovakia, Finland and Sweden were tied in the standings and each beat one of the other in regulation, the tiebreaker became goal differential in the games among them. Slovakia was plus-1, Finland even and Sweden minus-1.
Slovakia's staff “knew the math” going into the game, coach Vladimir Orszagh said, but did not say anything to players before puck drop.
“You don’t want to get in front of the guys and be like, ‘Hey, guys, if you lose by the two goals, we are still OK,'” Orszagh said. “No, no, no. We want to win.”
Slovakia's Dalibor Dvorsky, right, scores his side's third goal during a preliminary round game of men's ice hockey between Sweden and Slovakia at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. Credit: AP/Hassan Ammar
When that was clearly not going to happen trailing by three goals with five minutes left, the message was communicated to look for a goal but also be careful not to give another up because that would have put Slovakia third. Lucas Raymond's second penalty of the game, slashing with 2:30 remaining, put Slovakia on the power play and paved the way for Dvorsky to beat goaltender Jacob Markstrom and set his bench into a wild celebration.
“I didn’t know where the puck was, and all of a sudden I see him celebrating,” said Slafkovsky, who's tied with Canada's Connor McDavid for the tournament scoring lead with seven points apiece. "Then I just started jumping, which is crazy. We were still down two goals.”
Sweden coach Sam Hallam pulled Markstrom for an extra skater in the final seconds up two, an extreme rarity in the NHL and elsewhere but common internationally because of the goal differential tiebreaker.
“It’s not awkward," Hallam said. “It's pretty clear.”
Slovakia's goalkeeper Samuel Hlavaj, left, celebrates with his teammate Slovakia's Juraj Slafkovsky end of a preliminary round match of men's ice hockey between Sweden and Slovakia at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. Credit: AP/Petr David Josek
Sweden did not score again, and Dvorsky said it was “the best loss of my life.”
It might've ranked among the worst wins for Sweden, seconds away from the quarterfinals. Instead, it dropped to the seventh seed, has to play an extra game in the qualification round Tuesday and has a considerably more difficult path through the single-elimination knockout round.
“Hockey is not a straightforward sport,” veteran defenseman Victor Hedman said. "It never has been. We’ll take whatever card we’re dealt going into the next game. You got to embrace the opportunity to play in the Olympics.’’
Hallam said the message to his team would be that there are different ways to get to the final. He brought up 2010 in Vancouver when Canada had to play in the qualification round and went on to win gold on Sidney Crosby's overtime goal against the U.S.
“It is what it is,” Hallam said. “Just look ahead. Everything that’s really good never comes easy.”
