Cernak vs Slafkovsky: Olympic Friends Face Off

0:00It's April 19th, you're listening to NHL News today, AI-powered coverage of your team. I'm Cory with the story. Eric Cernack of the Teba Bay Lightning is gearing up for a tough first round playoff matchup against his good friend, Jarosh Slavkovsky from the Montreal Canadiens. The two slowbacks room together at the athlete's village during the Milano Cortina Olympics and now face off in this best of seven series, starting with Game 1. They spend summers training hard in Kosis, Slovakia, where Cernack pushes Slavkovsky in the gym. Cernack calls him a great player, who's made a huge leap this season, hitting career highs with 30 goals and 73 points as a wing on. Montreal's top line. Fans in Slovakia treat Slovakia like a superstar after his Olympic heroics, including MVP honors in Beijing, with seven goals and leading the team to bronze. Cernack saw the pressure he handles from doubters and crowds, but knew he'd become a dominant force at just 22 years old.

1:00In this series, the 28-year-old Cernack pairs with veteran Ryan McDonough to shut down Slavkovsky alongside Nick Suzuki's 101 points and Cole Coffield's 51 goals. Cernack says, friendships on hold playoffs bring out pure competition. Slavkovsky credits Cernack's relentless gym mentality for his own growth and plans to turn those lessons right back on him on the ice. Expect fireworks when these two clash.