Corey Schneider (Marblehead, Mass.) recorded 32 saves and Alex DeBrincat (Farmington Hills, Mich.) scored but the U.S. fell to host Slovakia, 4-1, in its first game of the 2019 International Ice Hockey Federation Men's World Championship.

“They deserved to win the hockey game and credit to them,” said Jeff Blashill, head coach of the U.S. Men’s National Team. “We need to get to the net more and be harder to play against and we’ll work on that tomorrow in practice. At the end of the day, it’s the first game of the tournament and we’ll learn from this game and move forward.”

Less than a minute later, DeBrincat knotted the score, 1-1, on the powerplay with 7:55 to play in the frame. Just over a minute into the man-advantage, Jack Eichel (North Chelmsford, Mass.) dished the puck over to the right faceoff dot where captain Patrick Kane (Buffalo, N.Y.) lifted a pass over a Slovakian defender’s stick for DeBrincat to one-time a shot into the top left corner.

With four minutes remaining in the first frame, Clayton Keller (St. Louis, Mo.) had the chance at a wide-open net but Slovakia goaltender Patrik Rybar stretched wide to deny Keller’s attempt. Slovakia answered with a chance of its own, but Schneider recorded crucial back-to-back saves, including one that rang off his helmet, to preserve the 1-1 score going into the first intermission.

The first five minutes of the middle stanza featured a pair of Slovakia goals just three minutes apart for a 3-1 advantage. Slovakia’s first goal came 1:52 into the frame when Erik Cernak beat Schneider with a slapshot from the blue line. Tatar then added another goal three minutes later when his shot near the right post snuck under the glove arm of Schneider. 

Midway through the frame, Schneider turned aside a breakaway chance and then followed up with another kick save to keep the U.S. within two. 

With the U.S. searching for offense, Jack Hughes (Orlando, Fla.) generated perhaps the team’s best chance late in the frame after he brought the puck in from the far blue for a shot on target, but saw his chance turned away by Rybar as the U.S. entered the second intermission trailing Slovakia by a 3-1 margin.

Like the first period, the final frame opened with a flurry of U.S. chances. The first came off the stick of Eichel before another attempt by Gaudreau was also denied. 

With 6:59 to play in regulation, a U.S. powerplay generated chances at both ends of the ice as both teams searched for the game's next goal.

Slovakia's Michal Kristoff tallied at the 15:54 mark when a shot from the slot snuck past a screened Schneider to account for the 4-1 final.

NOTES: Jack Eichel (North Chelmsford, Mass.) was named the U.S. Player of the Game ... The U.S. was outshot, 26-36, went 1-for-2 on the powerplay and 1-for-2 on the penalty kill. For complete game statistics, click here ... The U.S. has medaled in three of the last six IIHF Men’s World Championships, its best medal stretch since the 1950s ... Captain Patrick Kane is the reigning MVP of the world championship, having earned the honor last year after leading the tournament in points with 8-12--20 … For complete coverage of the U.S. Men’s National Team, visit teamusa.usahockey.com/2019mensworlds … The official IIHF home of the 2019 IIHF Men’s World Championship is 2019.IIHFWorlds.com.