Sweden Edge Slovakia 4-2 to Reach Ice Hockey World Championship Quarter-finals

Sweden survive scare to beat Slovakia

Tre Kronor recovered from a loss to Norway to beat Slovakia 4-2 in a must-win game. The result eliminates Slovakia and sets up a quarter-final against Switzerland or Finland on 28th May.

After falling behind early, Sweden turned it around with three second-period goals. A disciplined third period and Ekman-Larsson’s empty-netter secured a 4-2 win and a last-eight berth...

Sweden avoided a group stage exit at the 2026 World Ice Hockey Championship by edging Slovakia 4-2 in a winner-takes-all match. The win secured fourth place in Group B and sent Slovakia home.

A loss to Norway three days earlier had left Sweden in a precarious position with three wins and three defeats. While Norway later clinched a quarter-final spot by defeating the Czech Republic, Slovakia fell to Canada. That result turned the Sweden-Slovakia game into a direct playoff for the final quarter-final berth.

After five minutes, Slovakia looked set to take the quarter-final spot. Patrik Koch drove down the left wing and fed Adam Sykora, who redirected the puck to Martin Chromiak. Chromiak’s shot beat Magnus Hellberg before the goalie could react.

Sweden then gave away a delay of game penalty and Erik Brannstrom was later sent for holding. Slovakia failed to capitalise on either powerplay, and Tre Kronor made them pay by equalising with four minutes left in the period.

Mattias Ekholm moved the puck along the blue line to Joel Persson, who quickly passed it forward to Anton Frondell on the right. The Chicago Blackhawks forward fired a sharp shot from a tight angle past Samuel Hlavaj, sending the game into the first intermission level at 1-1.

In the opening 11 minutes of the second period, Sam Hallam’s side flipped the game and built a cushion. Sweden went 2-1 up less than three minutes in after winning the puck in their own zone. Carl Grundstrom found Jakob Silfverberg at centre ice, and he skated into Slovak territory before picking his spot past Hlavaj.

A moment of individual brilliance made it 3-1. Ivar Stenberg carried the puck at speed into the attacking zone, deked past his defender and sent him to the ice, then fired the puck into the net.

Sweden gets the job done! 💪🇸🇪 #MensWorlds #IIHF @trekronorse

🔗 Game recap: https://t.co/ILDHvrFawg pic.twitter.com/Xwup3P7S0K

— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) May 26, 2026

Late in the second period, Sweden handed Slovakia a way back in when Brannstrom was called for interference. Marek Hrivik converted the resulting powerplay to cut the deficit to 3-2 before the break.

Sweden stayed disciplined in the third, avoiding penalties and holding Slovakia to only six shots on goal. It was a controlled defensive performance, and any nerves were settled when Oliver Ekman-Larsson sealed it 4-2 with an empty-netter a minute from time.

Ticket to the quarter-finals punched! 🔥🎟️ #MensWorlds #IIHF @trekronorse pic.twitter.com/ZmPKG6JAbH

— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) May 26, 2026

Sweden finish fourth in Group B with 12 points, one ahead of Slovakia who are eliminated. The Swedes will face the winner of Switzerland against Finland in the quarter-finals on 28th May.