Sparta hockey players lost in the 31st round of the Tipsport extra league on the ice of the last Litvínov 2:3, but defended first place. But because Třinec beat Plzeň 2:1 in extra time, they reached the top of the table. Kladno’s Jaromír Jágr (53) appeared on the ice for the first time in almost two months, but he did not prevent a 2:3 defeat with České Budějovice. In the first period, he also went to the penalty bench twice.
The two teams shared points for the third time this season and the sixth time in the last seven matches. For the third time this year, the Steelers won the battle for the second point and completed the turnaround. He scored the winning goal just three seconds before the end of overtime, in which the referees called off the goal of the Indians, Jakub Galvas.
Litvínov took the lead after 89 seconds, when he pushed from the right side in front of Kováře Maštalířský and, tripped by Tomov, ended up with the Spartan goalkeeper and the puck in a shifted goal. Referees Hacaperka and Květoně recognized the goal according to the video and confirmed it even after a challenge from the Prague coach. The North Bohemians thus had another power play, which they did not take advantage of. In the 5th minute, he could have increased the score after a pass from Ondřej Kaše from behind the goal by Polášek, but he did not decorate his 500th game in the extra league with a goal.
During Holmström’s expulsion, Lithuanian goalkeeper Čajan initially resisted, although he was catching without a stick for a while, but at 14:29 he was already overcome by Kryštof Hrabík after a quick break from the right circle. In 11 seconds, Litvínov was leading again. Špaček lost the puck in the defensive zone under Sukeľ’s pressure, and Hännikäinen beat Kovář twice.
At the beginning of the second half, Litvínov defended himself against Holmström’s penalty and could increase the lead in the weakening. But Jurčík finished the backhand bluff into the side arc of the goal. In the 28th minute, Dzierkals equalized with a shot from the left circle to the opposite post.
In the middle of the match, an indisposed David Kaše headed to the dressing room prematurely. At 32:17, he was replaced perfectly in the first formation by Sukeľ and returned the lead to the home team. The goal was prepared for him by Ondřej Kaše, who skilfully freed himself behind the goal by its arc through Sirota and sent the puck with a backhand to the Litvín captain, who shot past Kovář from close range.
In the 34th minute, Mašín fouled Ondřej Kaše’s head with a cross and, according to the video, the referee awarded him a penalty for five minutes and until the end of the match. Koblasa could have used the power play, but his shot from the edge of the right circle ended up on the opposite post. Sparta could have equalized in a weakened state, but after Shore’s puck gain, Čajan was unable to beat Dzierkals with a backhand bluff. The Latvian attacker was still trying to get the puck into the open goal, but he deflected it with his skates in front of the Komuls goal line.
In the 43rd minute, Kovář had to cover Hlav’s chance after Ondřej Kaše’s pass. After Koblas’ expulsion, the Spartans’ power play was interrupted after 27 seconds with a foul by Krejčík. The Spartan goalkeeper then blocked Koblas’ shot. The home team managed not to let the opponent have chances for a long time and kept the lead.
In the 55th minute, Kousal did not burn Čajan from the position between the circles. His next attempt was missed by the Litvín goalkeeper, but Jích took the puck away from the goal area and the referees also stopped the game. In Sparta’s final power play, the score did not change even though Litvínov had an opportunity to score into an empty net.
The guests ended a streak of four defeats. Jan Buchtele scored the decisive goal in a power play five seconds before the end of the first period. In the end, the Ostravas hit the crossbar three times and lost the sixth of the last eight games.
The home team defeated East Bohemia for the third time in the season and overall in mutual duels for the fourth time in a row, without conceding a point during that time. The Energie team led 2-0 after the first period and dominated the sixth of the last seven games. The guests made their breakthrough only in the third part, when they already had a three-goal deficit.
The South Bohemians entered the match more actively, had a significant shooting advantage, but did not create scoring chances. On the other hand, Audette, Forman or Vigneault could have opened the scoring, but they did not beat goalkeeper Klouček.
In the middle of the first period, Jágr was sent off twice in a row, but Motor played their numerical advantages poorly. In the first he practically did not threaten Brízgal. In the second, he was already able to establish himself in the attacking third and Robins was the closest to a goal, but he only hit the post from the break.
Even Audette’s next chance in the 15th minute did not end in a goal, but at the beginning of the second half, Kladno was already in the lead. After outnumbering two to one, Klíma scored the 13th goal of the season. Pietroniro could have added a second goal when Blaine was sent off, but in a weakened state, he headed only into the post after Klouček’s intervention.
In the weakening, the Motor prevailed. Beránek punished Pietroniro’s hesitation in the play-off with a quick counterattack. In the middle of the game, the South Bohemians took advantage of other mistakes by the home team, and Kubík, a student from Kladno in the colors of České Budějovice, put his team in the lead. A lone Toman could have added a third goal right away, but Brízgala destroyed his chance. Thanks to this, the Central Bohemians were still able to equalize in the second period, after Klím’s pass from behind the goal, Robins deserved it.
At the beginning of the third part, Kladno Ojamäki could give back the lead, but he failed in the end. The visitors were more dangerous and took the lead after a series of chances. The goal for Stencel was set up by Toman with an ideal pass. The home team couldn’t equalize, even though they played a power play in the end enhanced by Olesen’s exclusion.
The start of the match was preceded by a ceremony, Hynek Zohorna started his 500th match in the extra league, Michal Gulaši made his mark in the club’s history when he played his 498th match in the modern era, surpassing Tomáš Malc. No one else in modern history has played so many games for the Brno club.
After the national team break, the match started very cautiously, the first chance was waited until the eighth minute, in which the visiting Faško-Rudáš drove in front of the goal area and only the protruding concrete of Stezky prevented the first goal. Kometa practically did not threaten the opponent until the 11th minute, but then they took advantage of a mistake in the Liberec defense and the free Kollár, in a signaled advantage from the left circle, shot through the goalkeeper Kváč with a great deal of luck and it was 1:0.
The White Tigers had two numerical advantages at their disposal, which they did not play badly at all, but the home team was far more effective. Pospíšil rushed into a huge chance, sending the puck under him to Flek, who shot, Kváč was still able to react, but he was already short on Zábranský’s twelfth goal shot of the season.
The second period also offered interesting hockey. Pérez raced down the left side, quickly fired at Stezka, but he managed to do so. On the other side, Brno’s fourth formation was in charge, Kos sent Ekrt into the break, whose shot ended up just wide.
Subsequently, David Moravec also appeared in a huge chance, whose Kváč was picked up. And at the end of the third period, Zábranský and Flek had a chance to weaken, but the home captain only allowed his representative colleague to stand out from the turn. Liberec was not so active in the second half and the Brno defense was able to cope with occasional attacks.
The third act initially offered an economical performance, that is, in terms of chances. The North Bohemians again played a power play, for the fourth time in the duel, but they did not perform anything world-class. Kometa could have decided the fate of the duel ten minutes before the end, but Ferda, completely alone in front of Kváča, did not hit an empty net, the Liberec goalkeeper still had time to stretch his concrete with his last strength. And he also managed a finish from the Třebíč schoolboy, who is still waiting for his first goal in the extra league.
The defending champions could have been very sorry for this situation as they were reduced five minutes from the end. A free Lenc found himself between the circles, and his accurate shot fell behind Stezko’s back. The guests tried it while playing without a goalkeeper, but Kometa defended excellently and Cingel secured a three-point win.
Keep reading
