Pardubice will go into action after a long time, they have not played since Wednesday, March 22, when they completed the promotion to the top four. And they were the only ones who managed to do it after four games. Steelers, on the other hand, were encouraged by a win over Sparta in six games, which, together with Pardubice, was one of the biggest favorites in the competition. Both teams were separated by 28 points after 52 rounds of the regular season.
The last time the two rivals met in the playoffs was five years ago, when Třinec only advanced with an 8:1 win in the decisive seventh game. Pardubice had the upper hand in the regular season, winning three out of four duels. The only defeat came at home (0:3).
