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Nitra vs Slovan Bratislava

20 April 2026 at 17:00
P1
03
P2
22
P3
02
AI

Slovan Bratislava routed Nitra 7-2 in Game 2 of the Slovak Extraliga final, scoring three first-period goals to even the best-of-seven series 1-1.

Match Videos

Player of the Match

Player Ratings

1.0 – 10.0
Player of the Match
Slovan Bratislava9.4

Samuel Takáč

Two goals (13:00 and 49:00 — the second shorthanded). Bookended Slovan's offensive surge with the opening tally and a critical shorthanded marker.

Top Performance
Slovan Bratislava8.8

Liam Pecararo

Goal + assist (35:00 PP). Power-play strike that extended Slovan's lead to 4-1 and effectively closed the contest.

Top Player
Slovan Bratislava8.5

Ryan O'Connor

Two assists (Jendek 15:00, Pecararo 35:00). Central figure in Slovan's offensive transitions and power-play setups.

Top Player
Nitra7.0

Samuel Buček

Goal at 21:00 (Paulovič, Krištof). One of few bright spots for Nitra in a game where the opening period had already decided things.

Match Analysis

AI Summary

Slovan Routs Nitra 7-2 to Even the Slovak Final

Slovan Bratislava produced a clinical 7-2 win in Nitra to even the Tipsport Liga 2025/26 final at 1-1. Three goals in the opening period — including Jakub Peterek's strike at the period buzzer — broke the hosts before the second intermission.

HK Nitra – HC Slovan Bratislava 2-7 (0-3, 2-2, 0-2)

Goals: 21 Buček (Paulovič, Krištof), 40 Hrnka (Lawrence, Chrenko, PP) – 13 Takáč (Elson, Pecararo), 15 Jendek (Petriska, O'Connor), 20 Peterek (Turan, Šimun), 35 Pecararo (Dmowski, O'Connor, PP), 36 Varga (Šimun, Elson, PP), 49 Takáč (SH), 60 Královič (Turan, Petriska, PP).

Goalies: Gadžiev (21:00 Ferguson) – Kiviaho. Penalties: 7-9 minors. Power plays: 1-3, shorthanded: 0-1. Attendance: 3,600 (sold out).

/series: 1-1/

Three first-period goals decide it early

Slovan came out attacking and scored three times in the opening twenty minutes. Samuel Takáč finished a Pecararo–Elson combination at 13:00. Dávid Jendek made it 2-0 at 15:00. Jakub Peterek closed the period at 20:00 to make it 3-0. Nitra pulled Gadžiev at the intermission, but the structural damage to the home side was already done.

Power-play efficiency in the middle

Buček got Nitra on the board at 21:00 for 1-3 (Paulovič, Krištof). Slovan answered with two power-play goals in 78 seconds: Pecararo at 35:00 (Dmowski, O'Connor) and Varga at 36:00 (Šimun, Elson) for 5-1. Hrnka's own power-play strike at 40:00 (Lawrence, Chrenko) brought Nitra to 2-5 at the second intermission.

Two more in the third

Takáč added a shorthanded goal at 49:00 for 6-2, and Královič rounded it off on the power play at 60:00 (Turan, Petriska) for the 7-2 final.

What it means

Slovan evens the series 1-1 and heads home with momentum and home-ice advantage. Three power-play goals plus one shorthanded — the discipline correction Surový demanded after Game 1. Nitra now needs to find an answer to Slovan's first-period intensity before the series moves to a hostile Bratislava arena.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the final score of Game 2?

Slovan Bratislava beat HK Nitra 7-2 (3-0, 2-2, 2-0) on 20 April 2026 in Nitra.

What is the series score after Game 2?

The series is tied 1-1. Game 3 is on 23 April 2026 in Bratislava.

Who scored for Slovan Bratislava?

Samuel Takáč (13:00, 49:00 SH), Dávid Jendek (15:00), Jakub Peterek (20:00), Liam Pecararo (35:00 PP), Roman Varga (36:00 PP), Tomáš Královič (60:00 PP).

Who scored for Nitra?

Samuel Buček (21:00, Paulovič & Krištof) and Tomáš Hrnka (40:00 PP, Lawrence & Chrenko).

Why did Nitra change goalies during the game?

After conceding three first-period goals (13:00, 15:00, 20:00), coach Kmeč pulled Peter Gadžiev for Dylan Ferguson at the first intermission. The damage was done by then.

When and where is Game 3?

Game 3 of the Tipsport Liga final is scheduled for Thursday 23 April 2026 at 18:30 in Bratislava.

Match Events

Period 1
!
1′
F. Licko

Hooking

Z. Osburn

Interference

5′
!
!
5′
R. Dmowski

Roughing

!
7′
R. Varga

Roughing

12′
S. Takac

L. Pecararo

14′
D. Jendek

R. O'Connor

19′
J. Peterek

E. Simun

Period 2
S. Bucek

M. Kristof

!
1′
J. Petriska

Tripping

!
7′
L. Pecararo

Slashing

J. Lawrence

High sticking

14′
!
14′
L. Pecararo

R. O'Connor

15′
R. Varga

T. Elson

!
17′
F. Licko

Kneeing

T. Hrnka

T. Chrenko

19′
M. Stacha

Unsportsmanlike conduct

19′
!
!
19′
O. Turan

Roughing

Period 3
!
7′
L. Pecararo

Hooking

8′
S. Takac

Shorthanded

Unknown

Delay of game

8′
!
H. Kovac

Boarding

17′
!
J. Lacka

Unsportsmanlike conduct

18′
!
!
18′
P. Bacik

High sticking

19′
T. Kralovic

J. Petriska

Match Summary

Slovan Bratislava defeated Nitra 7:2. The match was played in Extraliga 2025. Goals were scored by S. Takac 12′, D. Jendek 14′, J. Peterek 19′, S. Bucek, L. Pecararo 14′, R. Varga 15′, T. Hrnka 19′, S. Takac 8′, T. Kralovic 19′. Score by period: P1: 0–3, P2: 2–2, P3: 0–2.

Match Context

Tipsport Liga 2025/26 — playoff final, Game 2 of 7

Game 2 of the Slovak Extraliga (Tipsport Liga) playoff final. After Nitra's 6-2 Game 1 win, Slovan needed a road response before the series shifted to Bratislava.

Pre-Match Analysis

Nitra Form

Nitra arrived buoyed by a four-goal third period in Game 1 that turned a 2-2 contest into a 6-2 win.

Slovan Bratislava Form

Slovan, after Game 1 disappointment, refocused on discipline. Coach Surový demanded 'a completely different game' in his post-Game-1 press conference.

Head to Head

Series tied 1-0 to Nitra; this is the second of two opening games at the Nitra arena.

Match Report

Slovan dominated the opening period and scored three times. Samuel Takáč opened the scoring at 13:00 from Elson and Pecararo. Dávid Jendek made it 2-0 at 15:00 (Petriska, O'Connor). Jakub Peterek closed the period for 3-0 at 20:00 (Turan, Šimun). Nitra changed goalies for the second period — Gadžiev out, Ferguson in. Samuel Buček got one back at 21:00 for 1-3 (Paulovič, Krištof), but Slovan's discipline turned the middle period: Liam Pecararo's power-play goal at 35:00 (Dmowski, O'Connor) made it 4-1, and Roman Varga's power-play goal at 36:00 (Šimun, Elson) extended to 5-1. Tomáš Hrnka's power-play strike at 40:00 (Lawrence, Chrenko) closed the period 2-5. Takáč added a shorthanded marker at 49:00 for 6-2, and Tomáš Královič's power-play goal at 60:00 (Turan, Petriska) made the final 7-2.

Turning Point

Peterek's 3-0 goal at 20:00. After three Slovan goals in the opening period — culminating in Peterek's strike on the buzzer of period one — Nitra's coaching staff had to change goalies and search for any pulse from a deflated home side.

Slovan evens the series 1-1 before the shift to Bratislava. Three power-play goals plus a shorthanded one — exactly the discipline-driven response coach Surový called for after Game 1. Nitra showed it can still score on the power play, but its defensive zone in the first period was a structural problem that must be solved before Game 3.

Rivalry since 2021

Nitra vs Slovan Bratislava Head to Head Results· 50

21
wins
Drawn
0
·
Total goals
330 · 6.6/match
Both scored
46/50 · 92%
Over 2.5
48/50 · 96%

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Highest-scoring game: 58 v 2021

Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

API data: 15 May 2026