The defending champion was already in the lead after 62 seconds when, after Pardubice lost the puck on the offensive blue line, the Canadian Dauphin sent compatriot Formenton to escape, who sent the puck between the concretes of Will and thus opened the score of the opening duel of Torriani’s group.
Cienciala had a chance to equalize on his stick, but Juvonen countered his shot in time. Dynamo then pecked dearly for Radil’s hooking. The weakened team handled it well for a long time, but seven seconds before the culprit’s return to the ice, Virtanen’s throw into the net was again deflected by the Canadian forward Formenton.
Two more serious chances brought Ambri-Piotta a reassuring lead soon. Pardubice matched their opponents in the game, they also had a power play, but with no effect in the end. At the same time, Poulíček’s opportunity was literally calling for a goal.
Will’s stick for the turn of Pardubice
Shortly after the start of the second period, the extra league leader already had fourteen shots thanks to good movement and a more active concept of hockey, i.e. double the number compared to Ambri-Piotta, but the score remained 0:2, and even during Eggenberger’s action, Will’s stick saved it.
It wasn’t until the 30th minute that Paulovič’s emphasis in front of the goal paid off, after winning a throw-in and thanks to his skillful hands, he got the puck behind the Finnish goalkeeper. “We told ourselves that we have to play more simply and stop making a lot of mistakes. It was immediately confirmed to us that the pressure to score is bearing fruit,” said the author of the first Pardubice goal.
In the third act, Pardubice stepped up their onslaught. M. Kaut hit the crossbar in the 47th minute and Zohorna, the only witness to Pardubice’s previous appearance at the tournament in 2007, took care of the equalizer after Kousal’s action.
Dynamo could then decide from the power play for Lilja’s foul on Mandát, but A. Musila’s shot was missed. The winner had to be determined only in extra time, during which Sedlák won the skating duel and sent the puck between the concrete of the goalkeeper of the Swiss club.
“In the beginning, we made up for a tougher match, then it cost us a lot of energy, but we were better and took over his reins. In the end, even with a bit of luck, we managed to turn it over to our side,” claimed the author of the winning goal, Lukáš Sedlák.
“There were passages in the match when we dominated, so the team deserved the victory. But for next time we need to play all the way from the start and not allow such lapses with mistakes, after which we cash in,” said Pardubice coach Václav Varaďa.
Spengler’s Cup – Davos, Switzerland: Ambri-Piotta – Pardubice 2:3 after extra time. Goals: 30. Paulovič, 48. T. Zohorna, 62. Sedlák – 2. and 9. Formenton, chief referee Hribik (CZ) and Stricker ( Switzerland), exclusion 2:3, utilization 0:1, 6800 spectators (sold out), third periods 0:2, 1:0, 1:0 – 1:0. Will – Čerešňák, T. Dvořák, Košťálek, Hájek, Bučko , Kolář, Hrádek – Hyka, L. Sedlák, Říčka – Radil, T. Zohorna, R. Kousal – M. Kaut, A. Musil, Cienciala – Paulovič, Poulíček, Mandát – Pochobradský. Coach: Varaďa. Ambri-Piotta: Ambri-Piotta: Juvonen – Heed, Pezzullo, Fohrler, Virtanen, Wüthrich, Jecker, Honka – Mueller, M. Špaček, Lilja – Pestoni, Dauphin, Formenton – Bürgler, Heim, Kneubühler – Zwerger, Landry, Eggenberger – Douay. Coach: Cereda. Group Cattini: Frölunda – Canada 0:4 (0:2, 0:2, 0:0) Goals: 19. and 35. Hazen, 17. T. Smith, 33. Knight.
2023-12-27 08:45:57
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