9 April 2026 at 16:00
Match Summary
Slovan Bratislava defeated Kosice 4:1. The match was played in Extraliga 2025. Goals were scored by L. Nijhoff 16′, L. Nijhoff 5′, T. Marcinko 6′, S. Jellus 13′, M. Bakos 17′. League standings: Kosice #3, Slovan Bratislava #2. Score by period: P1: 0–1, P2: 1–2, P3: 0–1.
Match Context
Playoff Semifinal — Game 3 of 7
Playoff semifinal Game 3 in the best-of-seven series — the winner of the series advances to the Tipsport Liga final.
Pre-Match Analysis
Kosice Form
Kosice won Game 1 of the series at Slovan's arena (3-2 OT) before dropping Game 2 away (2-3). They entered Game 3 on home ice looking to restore their series edge.
Slovan Bratislava Form
Slovan Bratislava lost Game 1 in overtime then bounced back strongly with a 3-2 win in Game 2. Their power-play unit was effective in Game 2 (Dmowski with 2 goals).
Head to Head
Kosice led the all-time head-to-head 7 wins to 4 across 11 meetings in the 2024-25 season. Their 11 encounters averaged 4.91 goals per game. The highest-scoring meeting ended 5-4 to Kosice in November 2024.
Injuries & Suspensions
- •No confirmed injury/suspension information available for this match.
Match Report
Slovan Bratislava silenced the packed Steel Arena with a dominant 4-1 victory in Game 3 of the Tipsport Liga semifinal. The visitors struck first in the opening period when Logan Nijhoff opened his Extraliga account on a power play at 17:00, assisted by Liam Pecararo and Ryan Dmowski. Kosice struggled to generate a response despite penalty-kill opportunities. The second period proved decisive: within a stunning 37-second burst, Slovan doubled their lead as Nijhoff converted another power play at 26:00 (Pecararo, O'Connor), then captain Tomáš Marcinko made it 3-0 at 27:00 (Zeleňák assist) as a floored Kosice bench immediately yanked goaltender Dominik Riečický in favour of Patrik Jurčák. Košice briefly clawed one back at 34:00 — Šimon Jelluš deflected past Jurčák's replacement with assists from Petráš and Deyl to make it 1-3 — but that was as close as the home side would get. Martin Bakoš applied the finishing touch with an empty-net goal at 58:00 to seal a convincing 4-1 away win.
Turning Point
The two-goal burst in 37 seconds — Nijhoff (26') immediately followed by Marcinko (27') — broke Kosice's resolve and forced the goaltender change that defined the remainder of the game.
Slovan Bratislava took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series and put Kosice on the back foot heading into Game 4. Two days later (April 10), Slovan won 2-0 to go 3-1 up, pushing Kosice to the brink of elimination.
Match Events
Key match events between Kosice and Slovan Bratislava — 5 goals and 4 cards recorded during the match.
Too many men on the ice
R. Dmowski
Interference
Too many men on the ice
Power-play
R. Deyl
Empty net
Roughing
Kosice vs Slovan Bratislava Head to Head Results
Kosice and Slovan Bratislava have met 82 times — Kosice won 41, Slovan Bratislava won 41, with 0 draws. Their rivalry dates back to 2008. A combined 431 goals have been scored across these fixtures, averaging 5.26 per match (218 for the home side, 213 for the visitors). Both teams scored in 70 matches (85%). Over 2.5 goals landed in 75 games (91%), making it a fixture that tends to produce goals. The highest-scoring encounter finished 4–5 in 2024.
41
Kosice
0
Drawn
41
Slovan Bratislava
Recent Meetings (82)
Standings
Kosice sit #3 and Slovan Bratislava are #2 in the Extraliga table heading into this match.
Tipsport liga - Regular Season
| # | GP | Won | Lost | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 54 | 31 | 11 | 112 | |
| 54 | 26 | 13 | 102 | |
| 54 | 29 | 14 | 101 | |
| 54 | 25 | 17 | 93 | |
| 54 | 20 | 18 | 86 | |
| 54 | 23 | 22 | 83 | |
| 54 | 21 | 23 | 78 | |
| 54 | 18 | 22 | 74 | |
| 54 | 15 | 23 | 72 | |
| 54 | 19 | 24 | 72 | |
| 54 | 15 | 26 | 61 | |
12Presov | 54 | 9 | 38 | 38 |
Match Analysis AI
Slovan Bratislava Win 4-1 at Steel Arena to Lead Semifinal Series 2-1
A devastating 37-second double-strike in the second period sent Slovan Bratislava to a commanding 4-1 victory in Game 3 of the Tipsport Liga playoff semifinal at Steel Arena on April 9, 2026. The win handed Slovan a 2-1 series lead and left Kosice reeling on home ice.
First Period — Nijhoff Opens His Extraliga Account
The match began at full intensity before a capacity crowd of 8,347 in Košice. Slovan broke the deadlock midway through the opening period when Canadian forward Logan Nijhoff capitalised on a power-play opportunity to open his Slovak Extraliga scoring account at 17:00. Liam Pecararo and Ryan Dmowski provided the assists as Slovan converted efficiently while Kosice struggled to clear their zone. The first period ended 0-1 despite both teams generating chances at even strength.
Second Period — Two Goals in 37 Seconds Decide the Contest
Slovan Bratislava struck with a devastating combination early in the second period that effectively settled the tie. At 26:00, Nijhoff collected his second power-play goal of the night from Pecararo and Ryan O'Connor to make it 0-2. Just 37 seconds later, captain Tomáš Marcinko accepted a pass from Vojtech Zeleňák and hammered home a third goal — the Steel Arena fell silent and Kosice coach Dan Ceman immediately pulled starting goaltender Dominik Riečický in favour of Patrik Jurčák.
Košice showed resilience and pulled a goal back at 34:00 through Šimon Jelluš, who deflected the puck past Jurčák with help from Petráš and Deyl, to make it 1-3. The home side pushed for a second but could not breach Slovan's resolute defensive structure or their own two power-play chances.
Third Period — Bakoš Seals It
Slovan Bratislava managed the final period professionally, neutralising Košice's desperate attempts to get back into the game. With Košice pulling their netminder in the closing minutes in search of a two-goal swing, Martin Bakoš finished into the empty net at 58:00 to confirm the 1-4 final score.
What It Means
The result gave Slovan Bratislava a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series, with the momentum clearly shifting their way. Ceman later attributed the defeat to "mental errors" and poor line changes that led directly to the two power-play goals against. Logan Nijhoff's debut brace underlined Slovan's depth and set the tone for what was to follow — Slovan Bratislava went on to win Game 4 (2-0) two days later to move within one victory of the Tipsport Liga final.
Player Ratings
Logan Nijhoff (Slovan Bratislava)
Scored twice on the power play to open his Slovak Extraliga account — both goals in the critical second period — and was the driving force behind Slovan's dominant road performance.
Liam Pecararo (Slovan Bratislava)
Earned two primary assists on Nijhoff's power-play goals, controlling the man-advantage effectively throughout the night.
Tomáš Marcinko (Slovan Bratislava)
Scored the third goal that effectively ended the contest and broke the Kosice goaltender's confidence, forcing the change between the pipes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the final score of Kosice vs Slovan Bratislava on April 9 2026?
Slovan Bratislava won 4-1 at Steel Arena, Košice. Goals from Nijhoff (×2), Marcinko, and Bakoš (EN) for Slovan; Jelluš for Košice.
Who scored for Slovan Bratislava against Kosice in Game 3?
Logan Nijhoff (17' and 26', both on power plays), Tomáš Marcinko (27'), and Martin Bakoš (58', empty net) scored for Slovan Bratislava.
Who scored for Kosice in the semifinal Game 3 against Slovan?
Šimon Jelluš scored Kosice's only goal in the 34th minute, assisted by Petráš and Deyl.
What is the series score after Game 3 of the Extraliga semifinal?
Slovan Bratislava lead the best-of-seven semifinal series 2-1 after winning Game 3 on Kosice's home ice.
Where was the Kosice vs Slovan Bratislava Game 3 played?
The match was played at Steel Arena in Košice before an attendance of 8,347 spectators.
API data: 18 Apr 2026