SOCHI, Russia – On paper, it is a 3-1 victory in a game between two countries with similar sounding names. In Slovenia, it will be remembered as a miracle.
"I guess now that we have beat Slovakia maybe they’re not going to mix us up any more," Anze Kopitar said Saturday at the Bolshoy Ice Dome. "For us to come into this game and to play like we did tonight, I think we can definitely be proud.
"It definitely put Slovenia on the hockey map if we weren’t there yet."
This was the victory a tiny hockey-playing nation has been waiting for. They have been close in the past at the IIHF World Hockey Championship and were only trailing Russia 3-2 after two periods at the tournament opener here. But when those opportunities arrived before, Slovenia had always failed to seize them.
Until today.
"We were the better team and it was awesome," said Kopitar.
The Los Angeles Kings star was already living proof that this kind of result was possible. That he ever even reached the NHL is truly amazing when you consider that the entire country of Slovenia features just seven hockey arenas and 148 senior hockey players. Regina has twice that many.
Kopitar played 26 minutes, 50 seconds and fittingly scored the third and final goal on Saturday. That was the dagger. The Slovenian players celebrated this victory almost like it was a gold medal victory and why not? This is their first ever Olympics and their first Olympic win.
It was a crushing blow for Slovakia, which is off to a disastrous start after previously losing 7-1 to the Americans. They couldn’t be any farther from the surprising fourth-place finish at the Vancouver Games. "Disappointment," was all captain Zdeno Chara said when asked about his emotions.
The people who care about hockey in Slovenia see it differently.
"I still have a lot of adrenaline in my body," said goalie Robert Kristan. "I have to settle down, sit down and think about it. It’s an amazing feeling. …
"We’re going to remember this thing forever."