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.