In the second period, Slovakia managed to tie the game at 2-2 with a goal scored by Peter Cehárik at 4:10. However, the U.S. quickly regained the lead just a few minutes later when Mikey Eyssimont scored a wraparound goal, assisted by Matthew Kessel and Luke Hughes.
The U.S. Men’s National Team continued to dominate the game in the third period, with Brady Tkachuk extending their lead to 4-2 at 9:29. Smith followed suit shortly after with a goal assisted by Boldy and Gaudreau, making it 5-2 in favor of Team USA. Kevin Hayes then scored an empty-net goal to secure a final score of 6-2 for the U.S.
Goaltender Alex Lyon made 17 saves on 19 shots in the first two periods, while Trey Augustine made four saves in the final period. The team’s success was largely due to their impressive play on power play, where they had a 1-2 advantage throughout the game. Additionally, Team USA outshot Slovakia by a margin of 31-23 overall.
The U.S. Men’s National Team will begin their play in the upcoming IIHF Men’s World Championship against Sweden in Ostrava, Czechia. All games will be broadcasted live on NHL Network as they strive for another championship title under their belt this time around.”