Slovakia continue their unbeaten run in Olympics as they edge past Italy 3-2 to stay perfect in Group B

Slovakia is making believers out of everyone in Milan. After shocking the hockey world with a 4-1 dismantling of defending Olympic champion Finland in their opener, Slovakia held off a spirited Italian side 3-2 at Rho Arena on Friday to remain perfect in Group B. It was not the blowout many expected, but captain Tomas Tatar and his teammates found a way to secure the victory. Italy, playing in front of a passionate home crowd, refused to go quietly against Slovakia; they pushed even harder in today’s game.Slovakia has been the biggest dark horse so far. Despite lacking any of the firepower of the “Big 4 Nations,” they have thrilled fans and critics alike. Meanwhile, the hosts had already proven against Sweden that they could compete with elite competition, trailing just 2-2 in the second period before eventually falling 5-2. The 35-year-old Tatar, who spent 14 NHL seasons with six different teams, has been instrumental in Slovakia's success. He recorded 496 points across 927 regular-season games at the highest level before returning to Europe this season with Zug in Switzerland's National League.His leadership on Slovakia's top line alongside Juraj Slafkovsky and Adam Ruzicka has given the Slovaks one of the tournament's most dangerous units. Slafkovsky, the 2022 Olympic MVP, already has nine career Olympic goals at just 21 years old, trailing only Marian Hossa and Miroslav Satan on Slovakia's all-time list.Despite the loss, Italy has earned respect throughout the tournament. With zero NHL experience on their roster, they have competed hard against Sweden and Slovakia, two teams loaded with professional talent.The host nation has shown they belong at this level, even if the results have not gone their way. Their supporters at Rho Arena created an electric atmosphere that nearly willed them to an upset. Slovakia sits atop Group B at 2-0-0-0 following their narrow victory. Finland has already bounced back from their opening loss with a 4-1 win over Sweden in Friday's other Group B action, leaving the group wide open heading into the final round of preliminary games. Sweden falls to 1-0-0-1, while Italy remains winless at 0-0-0-2.Slovakia faces Sweden on Saturday in a battle for Group B supremacy. Italy closes its preliminary round against Finland, still searching for their first Olympic victory with NHL players on the ice since 2006.