Extraliga· Season 2025
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 Ratings
1.0 – 10.0Samuel 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.
Liam Pecararo
Goal + assist (35:00 PP). Power-play strike that extended Slovan's lead to 4-1 and effectively closed the contest.
Ryan O'Connor
Two assists (Jendek 15:00, Pecararo 35:00). Central figure in Slovan's offensive transitions and power-play setups.
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 SummarySlovan 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
Key match events between Nitra and Slovan Bratislava — 9 goals and 15 cards recorded during the match.
Hooking
Interference
Roughing
Roughing
L. Pecararo
R. O'Connor
E. Simun
M. Kristof
Tripping
Slashing
High sticking
R. O'Connor
T. Elson
Kneeing
T. Chrenko
Unsportsmanlike conduct
Roughing
Hooking
Shorthanded
Delay of game
Boarding
Unsportsmanlike conduct
High sticking
J. Petriska
Rivalry since 2021
Nitra vs Slovan Bratislava Head to Head Results· 50
Nitra and Slovan Bratislava have met 50 times — Nitra won 21, Slovan Bratislava won 29, with 0 draws. Their rivalry dates back to 2021. Slovan Bratislava leads the head-to-head with 29 victories from 50 meetings. A combined 330 goals have been scored across these fixtures, averaging 6.60 per match (153 for the home side, 177 for the visitors). Both teams scored in 46 matches (92%). Over 2.5 goals landed in 48 games (96%), making it a fixture that tends to produce goals. Nitra are currently unbeaten in the last 3 meetings. The highest-scoring encounter finished 5–8 in 2021.
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.
Nitra
A 2-0 series lead before leaving home would have put Nitra in commanding position; instead the home side faced a must-win to protect its edge.
Slovan Bratislava
Slovan needed to flip the series narrative — and improve discipline after conceding two power-play goals in Game 1 — before returning 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.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 15 Jun 2026