Dominant Performance For Slafkovsky In Olympic Opener

Of course, the fact that the 21-year-old is now doing it against NHL competition makes it even more impressive, but he has also developed his game since Slafkovsky was the dominant 17-year-old playing against non-NHL competition. It also shows how good a player Slafkovsky can be when the games matter most. On Wednesday morning he proved to be the leader that Slovakia needed to overcome a more skilled opponent in Finland.

From the moment the puck dropped against Finland, Slafkovsky was ready to be a problem for his opponents. His first goal of the game came 8:46 into the 1st period, after he intercepted a bad pass by Finnish defenseman Mikko Lehtonen along the boards. Slafkovsky would then drive his way to the net and get around Finland’s netminder Juuse Saros to get the very first goal of the Men’s Olympic Hockey tournament. It was a great individual effort and an even prettier goal as he completely bullied his way to the net with his big frame before using his finesse skills to put the puck past Saros.

His 2nd goal, which came on the power play, looked very familiar to Habs fans, with Slafkovsky ripping it from the slot like he has so often done with the Habs this season. His wicked wrist allowed him to put Slovakia up 3-1. Slafkovsky has 10 goals on the power play this season, which ties Suzuki for the most on the team. The goal for Slovakia may have been higher than he usually shoots in Montreal, but it was the same wrister he used to get his 2nd goal of the game. With that goal, he now has 9 career Olympic goals, which is tied for 8th most all-time in Olympic history. The fact that he’s only 21 years old bodes well on whether he could catch up to the guys ahead of him in rhe future.

With the net empty, Slafkovsky would end up breaking his stick on his way to chasing a loose puck, which unfortunately left him unable to complete the hat trick. Despite having no stick, Slafkovsky would get to the puck before everyone else and kick it over to his centre man, Adam Ruzicka, who got the insurance goal to give Slovakia the 4-1 upset win. With the strong play of Slafkovsky, that wouldn’t have been possible.

Over the past year, Slafkovsky has gotten much better at driving to the net, and it has really elevated his game to the point where he can now bully his way through his opponents. The play he made on his first goal still isn’t something he does naturally, but as he continues to grow, it is something we will likely see a lot more of in Montreal. The good news is that he’s beginning to be a dominant power forward and that being in a position of leadership allows him to become a better player.

In Slovakia, Slafkovsky is obviously the star for their country, which seems to allow him to find another level in his game. That is when the domination factor comes into play for the young forward. The same thing occurred in the NHL earlier this season when he was moved away from Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield to see how he did without them driving play for him. Well, it turns out he became a dominant play driver when being given his own line. With that being said, when there is more pressure to perform, Slafkovsky rises to the occasion as well as almost anybody in the world right now. This explains why international tournaments have always been where he shines, as he clearly has the clutch gene in him.

It will be interesting how the rest of the tournament goes for Slafkovsky, but he certainly has started on a great path with 2 goals and an assist, leading everyone in scoring on Day 1.

Do you think Slafkovsky will finish among the top scorers in the tournament?