28 April 2026 at 16:30
Match Summary
Nitra defeated Slovan Bratislava 5:2. The match was played in Extraliga 2025. Goals were scored by T. Marcinko 1′, S. Cederle 5′, S. Bucek 19′, M. Vitalos 4′, R. Dmowski 11′, S. Bucek 16′, J. Passolt 19′. League standings: Slovan Bratislava #2, Nitra #1. Score by period: P1: 1–1, P2: 0–1, P3: 1–3.
Match Context
Tipsport Liga 2025/26 — Final, Game 6
Game 6 of the 2025/26 Tipsport Liga Final. Slovan led the best-of-seven series 3-2 and could have clinched the title at home; Nitra needed a road win to force a deciding Game 7.
Pre-Match Analysis
Slovan Bratislava Form
Slovan won Games 3 and 4 (Game 4 in OT) and led the series 3-2. Regular-season closing form: L-W-L-L-L.
Nitra Form
Nitra won Games 1 and 5 of the Final and finished the regular season as league leaders (112 pts, form W-W-L-W-W).
Head to Head
The first five Final games produced 38 combined goals; four of the five were decided in the third period.
Match Report
Slovan opened the scoring on the power play in the second minute through captain Tomáš Marcinko, set up by Bakoš and Varga — 1-0. Nitra answered with a power-play goal of their own at 6:00 from Stuart Čederle (Krištof, Osburn) to tie it 1-1. Nitra grabbed momentum in the second period when Samuel Buček pushed the visitors ahead 2-1 at 39:00, fed by Čederle and Lacka. The third period delivered the knockout: Marek Vitaloš made it 3-1 at 45:00 from a Turanský feed, Robert Dmowski (Maier, Turan) cut the deficit to 2-3 at 52:00, but Buček restored the two-goal cushion at 57:00 with another assist from Lacka and Čederle. Jaroslav Passolt added an empty-netter at 60:00. Goaltender Dylan Ferguson stopped 45 of 47 shots.
Turning Point
Vitaloš's goal at 45:00 to make it 3-1. After Slovan failed to win the second period, going down two early in the third forced the home side to over-commit — and Nitra exploited it with sustained pressure behind the net.
Nitra forced Game 7 in front of 10,055 sold-out Slovan fans expecting a coronation. The deciding game shifts to Nitra on April 30, where Slovak hockey will crown its 2025/26 champion. Nitra is now riding back-to-back wins; Slovan must reverse a momentum swing that has clearly tilted away.
Match Events
Key match events between Slovan Bratislava and Nitra — 7 goals and 8 cards recorded during the match.
Tripping
R. Varga
Hooking
Z. Osburn
Roughing
Roughing
Interference
Roughing
Roughing
Hooking
J. Lacka
O. Turan
S. Cederle
Empty net
Slovan Bratislava vs Nitra Head to Head Results
Slovan Bratislava and Nitra have met 84 times — Slovan Bratislava won 54, Nitra won 30, with 0 draws. Their rivalry dates back to 2008. Slovan Bratislava leads the head-to-head with 54 victories from 84 meetings. A combined 558 goals have been scored across these fixtures, averaging 6.64 per match (316 for the home side, 242 for the visitors). Both teams scored in 79 matches (94%). Over 2.5 goals landed in 82 games (98%), making it a fixture that tends to produce goals. The highest-scoring encounter finished 5–8 in 2021.
54
Slovan Bratislava
0
Drawn
30
Nitra
Recent Meetings (84)
Standings
Slovan Bratislava sit #2 and Nitra are #1 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
Nitra Force Game 7 — Buček Brace Sinks Slovan in Bratislava
HK Nitra spoiled HC Slovan Bratislava's title celebrations with a clinical 5-2 victory in Game 6 of the Tipsport Liga Final, evening the best-of-seven series 3-3 and forcing a decisive Game 7 in Nitra on April 30.
HC Slovan Bratislava 2, HK Nitra 5 — 1-1, 0-1, 1-3 Slovan: Marcinko (Bakoš, Varga) 2:00 PPG; Dmowski (Maier, Turan) 52:00. Nitra: Čederle (Krištof, Osburn) 6:00 PPG; Buček (Čederle, Lacka) 39:00; Vitaloš (Turanský) 45:00; Buček (Lacka, Čederle) 57:00; Passolt 60:00 EN. Goalies: — / Ferguson (45 saves on 47). Penalties: 3-5 (2-min); PP: 1-1. Attendance: 10,055 (sold out). Series tied 3-3.
Marcinko Strikes First, Čederle Replies
Slovan came out as expected — confident, fast, with a sold-out arena ready to crown a champion. Captain Tomáš Marcinko cashed in a power-play feed from Bakoš and Varga at 2:00, and the home crowd was off its feet.
Nitra answered four minutes later. Stuart Čederle finished a power-play setup of his own from Krištof and Osburn at 6:00 to draw level. Both teams went to the room tied 1-1.
Buček Tilts the Second Period
The second period was Nitra's most controlled stretch of the night. Pressure behind the Slovan net created chance after chance and Samuel Buček finally broke through at 39:00, taking a feed from Čederle and Lacka to put Nitra ahead 2-1 — a goal that turned the room.
Third Period Decides It
Vitaloš struck early in the third (45:00) from a Turanský setup, and Slovan trailed 1-3. Robert Dmowski (Maier, Turan) gave the home side life at 52:00 with a 2-3 strike, but Buček shut the door at 57:00 — Lacka and Čederle assisting again. Passolt's empty-netter at 60:00 closed the scoring.
Goalie Dylan Ferguson, the consensus series MVP through six games, stopped 45 of Slovan's 47 shots to seal the win.
What It Means
Slovan led the series 3-2 and were one win from the title at home. Now they travel to Nitra needing to reverse momentum that has clearly swung — Nitra has won the last two games and looks the more dangerous team five-on-five and on special teams. Game 7 on April 30 is the only one left.
Player Ratings
Samuel Buček (Nitra)
Two goals (39:00, 57:00) — the first claimed the lead, the second sealed it. Operated on the dominant Nitra line with Čederle and Lacka.
Stuart Čederle (Nitra)
Goal + 2 assists. Power-play equaliser at 6:00, plus secondary assists on both Buček strikes — involved in three of Nitra's five goals.
Dylan Ferguson (Nitra)
45 saves on 47 shots. The series MVP through six games — kept Nitra alive during Slovan's first and third-period push.
Tomáš Marcinko (Slovan Bratislava)
Captain's power-play opener at 2:00 (Bakoš, Varga). Set the early tone — but it was Slovan's last lead of the night.
Match Videos
6. zápas finále play-off: HC Slovan Bratislava - HK Nitra 2:5 (1:1, 0:1, 1:3)
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the final score of HC Slovan Bratislava vs HK Nitra Game 6?
HK Nitra defeated HC Slovan Bratislava 5-2 (1-1, 0-1, 1-3) in Game 6 of the Tipsport Liga 2025/26 Final.
What is the series score after Game 6?
The series is tied 3-3. The Tipsport Liga champion will be decided in Game 7 in Nitra on April 30, 2026.
Who scored for HK Nitra?
Stuart Čederle (6:00, PPG), Samuel Buček (39:00, 57:00), Marek Vitaloš (45:00) and Jaroslav Passolt (60:00, empty net).
Who scored for HC Slovan Bratislava?
Tomáš Marcinko at 2:00 on the power play (Bakoš, Varga) and Robert Dmowski at 52:00 (Maier, Turan).
Who was the player of the game?
Goaltender Dylan Ferguson stopped 45 of 47 shots and Samuel Buček added two goals — together they denied Slovan the title in front of a sold-out Bratislava crowd.
When is the deciding Game 7?
Game 7 is on Thursday, April 30, 2026 in Nitra. The winner takes the 2025/26 Slovak championship.
API data: 28 Apr 2026