Slovakia handled Japan 7-3 in regulation, pulling away after a level opening period. The visitors scored in every frame and outscored Japan 5-1 over the final two periods.
The teams traded goals early and went to the first intermission tied 2-2. Slovakia took control in the middle period with a 2-0 edge for a 4-2 lead, then closed it out 3-1 in the third — that second-period shutout stretch was the turning point.
The decisive number is the period-by-period split: 2-2, 0-2, 1-3. Japan managed only one goal across 40 minutes after the first break, while Slovakia never went a period without scoring.