Both teams played to a closely contested first period. There were very few mistakes for either team to capitalize on and the scoring chances were kept to a minimum. Denmark outshot Slovakia 7-3 in the period.

"We were a bit tense at the start of the game, somehow we couldn't get started and I could see that our guys were nervous." Said head coach Vladimir Vujtek.

Denmark made it 1-0 with a power play goal from Patrick Bjorkstrand. Jesper Jensen’s shot in the left faceoff circle side of the Slovakia net was redirected by Bjorkstrand past Laco on the stick side. Jesper B. Jensen picked up the second assist. 

With 18 shots in the second period, Slovakia’s offence finally got going but still wasn’t able to get the biscuit past Galbraith. In the period Libor Hudacek led the way with three shots on goal.

Slovakia put the most pressure on when Kirill Starkov was called for high sticking. Slovakia kept the puck in the Denmark zone for nearly the entire two minutes with Patrik Lusnak, Milan Bartovic and Andrej Meszaros getting the best high percentage scoring chances during that time.

The third period Slovakia put together a sustained attack that produced several near misses over the first five minutes. They set wave upon wave of pressure in trying to get a goal. When they did it was like a huge sigh of relief for the team and the fans who’d spend two thirds of the game waiting for one.

That goal came when Morten Madsen was called for elbowing at 13:03 giving Slovakia its fifth power play opportunity of the game. Defenceman Michal Sersen’s shot found its way through traffic and behind Galbraith. The roof nearly flew off the arena. 

The sequence of goals that followed came fast and if you left your seat or weren’t paying attention you’d miss the Slovaks quickly taking leads and Denmark just as quickly answering back.

1:18 later Marek Viedensky put the Slovaks up for the first time with a quick shot between two defenders. That lead would not last long as Nichlas Hardt notched the equalizer off a pinpoint pass from Morten Madsen when Slovakia failed to clear the puck out of their zone.

Then Dominik Granak scored 1:14 later to retake the lead for his team. But with 2:14 remaining in the period Daniel Nielsen evened the score for Denmark at three sending the game into overtime. Slovakia again dominated shots in the period 18-4.

In the extra session, Tomas Kopecky has a quality chance as did Marek Daloga but the score remained even taking the game to its final conclusion: a shootout.

When Laco stopped Nichlas Hardt on the final shot of the game, Slovakia finally got they were looking for.

The game did not end the way it began. What started as a defensive struggle and quality goaltending turned into a high-octane offensive performance that was fun to watch.

"We're so close and yet so far." Galbraith said. "At the same time this Slovakia team is a great team going to go far. Ask me later and i think it'll be a point won."