logo
FlamesNation has no direct affiliation to the Calgary Flames, Calgary Sports and Entertainment, NHL, or NHLPA
World Championships Recap Day 10: Team Canada defeats Team Slovakia, Team Finland remains perfect in the tournament
alt
Photo credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
Ryley Delaney
May 25, 2026, 09:30 EDTUpdated: May 25, 2026, 00:35 EDT
Comments
There are just two days remaining in the 2026 IIHF World Championship preliminary round.
On Sunday, three Calgary Flames were in action, with two of them playing against one another. Zach Whitecloud and Team Canada got the better of Martin Pospíšil’s Team Slovakia thanks to a huge third period. In the other group, Olli Määttä’s Team Finland took down Team Austria.
Let’s take a look at how the Flames did, as well as look at the standings and set up the penultimate day of the preliminary round on Monday.

Team Canada vs Team Slovakia

With a 5-1 victory over Team Slovakia on Sunday, Team Canada can finish no lower than second in Group B. It was a low-scoring affair for the first 40 minutes, as Dylan Cozens opened the scoring for the Canadians with about five to play in the first. Then midway through the second period, Kristián Pospíšil scored to tie the game at one.
The Canadians won this game in the third period thanks to four goals in just over seven minutes. Gabriel Vilardi scored just over two minutes into the final frame, and that goal was followed up by John Tavares less than three minutes later.
It was the Canadians who scored on Team Slovakia’s power play seven minutes into the third, as Evan Bouchard went end-to-end and set up Ryan O’Reilly for the goal. For good measures, Macklin Celebrini scored to give Team Canada a 5-1 lead with no further scoring.
It was another quiet game for Zach Whitecloud, who played just under 18 and a half minutes with no shots on goal and a minus-1. The Canadian defenceman is still looking for his first point of the tournament.
On the other side, Martin Pospíšil played just over 15 and a half minutes, also finishing as a minus-1 with no shots on goal. Pospíšil took 17 draws, winning 10 of them for a 58.82 face-off percentage. With no points, Pospíšil now has a goal and three assists in six games.

Team Finland vs Team Austria

On the other side of the bracket, Team FInald defeated Team Austria by a score of 5-2, as the Finns remained a perfect 6-0-0-0 in the tournament.
Late in the first, Mikael Granlund opened the scoring for the Finns. Then three minutes into the middle frame, Saku Mäenalanen made it 2-0 for Team Finland. Midway through the second period, Jesse Puljujärvi scored to make it 3-0, then picked up an assist less than a minute later on Sakari Manninen’s goal to make it 4-0.
The Austrians outscored the Finns in the third period, with Benjamin Nissner opening the score about three and a half minutes into the final frame. Patrik Puistola returned fire for the Finns, restoring their four-goal lead. With 96 seconds left in the game Leon Wallner scored to make it 5-2, but it was far too little, far too late.
As for Määttä, the left-shot defenceman received just under 19 minutes of ice time, firing two shots on goal but finishing as a minus-1. Through six games at the tournament, Määttä has two assists, two penalty minutes, and is a plus-2.

Other notes…

Let’s take a look at the standings first. Group A’s winner will be determined on Tuesday, as Team Switzerland and Team Finland enter that game with both teams having a 6-0-0-0 record. The winner will earn the top seed in the group. That game has a 12:20 p.m. MT start time on Tuesday.
Team Canada currently sits first in Group B, but if they wish to earn the top seed, they’ll need to defeat Team Czechia on Tuesday. That game also has a start time of 12:20 p.m. MT.
Both Team USA and Team Slovakia are fighting for their playoff lives. Starting with the Slovaks, their final game is against Team Sweden on Tuesday at 8:20 a.m. MT. A win of any kind sends them to the playoff round, but a regulation loss would send the Swedes to the playoff rounds.
That doesn’t mean that Team Slovakia is necessarily out, but unless Team Norway falls to both Team Czechia and Team Denmark in regulation, this game against Team Sweden is pretty much a must-win game.
Lastly, Devin Cooley and Matt Coronato sit on the outside looking in, as they have five points through their first five points. They sit four points out of the playoff rounds, but take on Team Austria on Tuesday at 8:20 a.m. MT. Before that game, they have a date with Team Hungary on Monday at 8:20 a.m. MT.
Assuming they win both of those games in regulation, that’ll give them 11 points, which will be enough to get them into the playoff round no matter what.
Other games on the docket on Sunday saw Team Latvia defeat Team Great Britain 6-0, while Team Denmark defeated Team Italy 3-2 in a shootout. As for Monday’s slate of games, in addition to Team USA’s match-up with Team Hungary, Team Czechia takes on Team Norway at 8:20 a.m. MT, Team Germany takes on Team Great Britain at 12:20 p.m. MT, and Team Slovenia and Team Italy play at 12:20 p.m. MT.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for FlamesNation, Oilersnation, and Blue Jays Nation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

This Article is a presentation of LeaseBusters

LeaseBusters is Canada’s premier lease takeover marketplace, helping drivers get out of their current vehicle leases without costly penalties or negative equity. Instead of paying thousands to break a lease, sellers connect with qualified buyers ready to take it over—saving money and avoiding financial stress. Buyers benefit from shorter-term commitments and often better monthly payments, while dealerships retain a replacement customer and leasing companies keep contracts active. It’s a smarter, more efficient solution for everyone involved. Four parties, four wins—only with LeaseBusters.  For more information, check out www.LeaseBusters.com
Editorials

Breaking News