In a thrilling matchup at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship, Slovakia emerged victorious over Kazakhstan with a 5-4 overtime win. The back-and-forth contest featured wild momentum swings, late heroics, and ultimately an overtime dagger that sent the Slovaks into a frenzy.
Slovakia Jumps Out to Early Lead
The Slovaks came out firing on all cylinders, building a quick 2-0 lead in the first period thanks to a pair of goals from forward Dalibor Dvorsky. The 17-year-old phenom continued his stellar play in the tournament, showcasing his elite skill and hockey sense.
Slovakia extended their lead to 4-1 midway through the third period and appeared to be cruising to victory. However, a controversial 5-minute major penalty assessed to Kazakhstan’s Asanali Sarkenov for a cross-check on Slovak forward Frantisek Dej turned the tide in unexpected fashion.
Kazakhstan’s Stunning Shorthanded Rally
Trailing by three goals and down a man for five minutes, the Kazakhs staged an improbable comeback. Davlat Nurkenov cut into the lead with a shorthanded tally at the 16:37 mark of the third period. Then, with goalie Vladimir Nikitin pulled for an extra attacker, Kirill Lyapunov tied the game with just 29 seconds left on the clock, stunning the pro-Slovak crowd in Ottawa.
We never quit. Even down two men, we kept battling and found a way to force overtime. I’m so proud of the heart and fight in this group.
– Kazakhstan Head Coach Sergei Starygin
The late goals marked an unprecedented occurrence – never before had a team scored two shorthanded goals in the final minutes to erase a three-goal deficit and force overtime at the World Juniors. The Kazakhs celebrated wildly as the buzzer sounded, while Slovakia looked shell-shocked heading into the extra session.
Strbak Plays OT Hero for Slovakia
In overtime, Slovakia regrouped and tilted the ice in their favor, generating several grade-A scoring chances. After Kazakhstan failed to convert on an odd-man rush, the Slovaks transitioned back the other way with numbers. Forward Maxim Strbak streaked into the offensive zone, took a feed from Dvorsky, and snapped a quick shot past the blocker of Nikitin, sending his bench into hysterics and sealing the 5-4 victory.
This group never panicked, even after giving up the lead late. We knew if we stuck with our game plan and continued to apply pressure, we would find a way to win. Strbak came up huge for us in OT.
– Slovakia Head Coach Ivan Fenes
With the win, Slovakia finished the preliminary round with 5 points and secured third place in Group B and a spot in the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, Kazakhstan earned their first point of the tournament but will need a win over Switzerland in their final preliminary game to have a chance at advancing to the knockout stage.
- Slovakia finishes preliminary round with 5 points, advances to quarterfinals
- Kazakhstan must defeat Switzerland to have chance at quarters berth
The Slovaks will await the final results from Group A to determine their quarterfinal opponent, while the Kazakhs face a must-win situation against the Swiss. If they can pull off another upset, Kazakhstan could find themselves on the cusp of their best-ever World Junior finish and a chance to shock the world in the medal round.
