Welcome to Last Word On Hockey’s Predictions from the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. Each day, our writers look at the games and give in-depth analysis. Our team breaks down the key matchups, storylines, and stats, then makes predictions based on how they might play out. For this edition, we will look at Sweden against Slovakia. Don’t forget to check out more Olympic Predictions, as our writers will continue this series throughout the Olympics, right up to the Gold Medal Game.
2026 Olympics Hockey Predictions with Sweden vs Slovakia
International Head-to-Head Record: Sweden has a 11-6-0 record plus 2 ties against Slovakia in 19 games since 1994.
Time: 6:10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST), 3:10 a.m. Pacific
How to Watch: In Canada: SN, CBC, CBC Gem, TSN
In the United States: USA Network, Peacock
Location: Santa Giulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan, Italy.
What better way to kick-start the weekend than with some Olympic hockey? The final day of Group B preliminary action is here, with Sweden and Slovakia kicking things off. Both teams look poised to snag a spot in the top four and a guaranteed spot in the quarterfinals.
The Swedish Story
Current standing: 1-1, three points, second place in Group B, six goals for, six goals against (for a zero differential)
Further information on Sweden’s current status can be found in the links. You can find their roster and projected lines here.
Sweden faced a setback in a 4-1 loss against rival Finland on Friday and missed out on an opportunity to put themselves in a prime position to clinch Group B. Now, they will need to perform in the second half of a back-to-back against an undefeated Slovakia team. They have not looked great in either of their two games so far, squeeking out a win against Italy and being outworked against Finland.
In order to have a chance to be the top team in Group B, Sweden must defeat Slovakia by three or more goals. Furthermore, Sweden would also need to win by a bigger margin than Finland in their matchup against Italy. Simply put, it would benefit them greatly if they blow Slovakia out of the water in this game. One aspect to improve on for Sweden would be their power play, which went one for six against Finland. Being opportunistic will be the key to victory and potentially taking the top spot in the group.
The Slovak Story
Current standing: 2-0, six points, first place in Group B, seven goals for, three against (a plus-four differential)
To prepare for the upcoming game, here is Slovakia’s roster and projected lines.
Slovakia has had an impressive preliminary round so far, with wins over Finland and Italy. They will look to sweep Group B with an upset win over Sweden. Juraj Slavkovsky leads the Olympics in points so far with four points in the first two games.
The Slovaks are in a great position right now in Group B. A single point would secure them the top spot in the group and guarantee them a spot in the quarterfinals with a bye. The game plan may very well be to play a stingy game defensively, and push the game to overtime if they can. Provided they can keep the game close, a loss would not be the end of the world.
Starting Goalies
Below are the projected starters for today’s game. Please check social media for the most updated information before making any player prop bets.
Jacob Markström looks to be the starter for Sweden, marking a change from Filip Gustavsson. Markstrom has had a rough season with the New Jersey Devils so far. In 30 games, he has a 15-13-1 record, a 3.20 goals-against average, and an .882 save percentage. This will be his first Olympic appearance in his career, but it is not his first taste of international play by any stretch. He played in the IIHF World Championships in 2010, 2013, 2016, and 2019, winning gold for Sweden in 2013. He was believed to start the last game, but Sweden returned to Gustavsson again. In a back-to-back scenario, expect a goaltending change.
For Slovakia, expect them to start Samuel Hlavaj. He stopped 39 out of 40 shots against Finland, and who knows, maybe he could steal another game against a team favoured to beat them. He has a 5-9-4 record, a 3.33 goals-against average and an .884 save percentage in 18 games with the AHL’s Iowa Wild this season.
Olympics Hockey Predictions and Best Bets
Both teams have different paths to hoping to take Group B’s top seed. Team Sweden will throw everything they have at Slovakia. Slovakia will benefit from keeping the game close, playing low-event hockey if they can. Sweden should have the better roster, and a bounce-back is in order for them. We expect Sweden to prevail here, but will they win by enough to propel themselves ahead of Slovakia in the standings? Perhaps not.
Prediction: Sweden wins 3-2.
Best Bets
To wrap things up, here are our anytime goal scorer picks. For Sweden, we will pick William Nylander to get a much-needed goal. On the Slovak side, we will pick Adam Ruzicka to score in his third consecutive game.
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
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