Pilsen hockey players won the 46th round of the Tipsport extra league over Brno 4:0 and scored their third win in a row. They scored at home for the sixth game in a row. Leaders Pardubice Kladno showed a tenacious performance on the ice, which took the match to overtime. In it, defender Peter Čerešňák (33) decided the home victory 2:1 already in the seventh second. The fifth loss in a row was added by Litvínov, who did not even score a goal in Mladá Boleslav and lost 0:1.
Pardubice won over Kladno in overtime and defeated the Knights for the sixteenth time in a row. In the 6th minute of the match, the score was already 1:1, but then there was a long wait for the decisive goal. In overtime, defender Peter Čerešňák decided the win for the extra league leader after seven seconds of the game. Kladno dropped to 13th place in the table.
Liberec flew into the game and took the lead after only 29 seconds of the game. Najman opened the scoring with a shot over Hrachovin’s shoulder. Vítkovič could have equalized immediately, but Lukeš excellently eliminated Yetman’s penetration.
On the opposite side, Galvas could have added the Tigers’ second goal, but Hrachovina also pulled off a great save. You didn’t even come at him from a good position finishing the Bagman. Then, after a quick counterattack, visiting Edmonds had the equalizer on the stick, but Lukeš made a great shot. The first overtime in the match was played by Ostrava after a foul by Vlach. However, the home team quickly outnumbered the home team and after Zachara’s shot, he increased his own weakness to a two-goal difference with a quick stop by Jansa.
At the beginning of the second half, Pytlík and Weatherby could increase the lead of the North Bohemians, but Hrachovina kept its team. After that, however, Wesley needlessly fouled Pytlík, and with a five-minute penalty, he headed to the cabins prematurely. Liberec took advantage of the opportunity offered in a flash, Hrachovina was shot through by the best Liberec shooter Lenc with a cannonball from the blue line.
The White Tigers continued to enjoy themselves and in the continued advantage, after a nice combination with Ivan and Faško-Rudaš, Pytlík added the fourth goal of the home team. The Vítkovic players got to speak again only after the middle of the match, but Lukeš managed Troock’s chance. However, after that, the guests played with a numerical advantage and were able to reduce. Zbořil’s shot was caught behind Lukeš’s back by the quick-witted Kalus.
At the beginning of the third period, Abdul had a great chance in Vítkovic’s next power play, but Lukeš excelled. But in the 46th minute, Abdul could already rejoice when he knocked Hauser’s deflected shot into the net. Galvas could have restored Liberec’s three-goal lead in a flash, but he overshot Hrachovin’s goal from an ideal position between the circles.
Ridera then threw all her forces into the attack and Brůna was close to a contact goal. But Lukeš was helped by the top bar against his cannon without preparation. However, the onslaught of the visitors was subsequently slowed down by a foul by Yetman, and Liberec were able to use the power play for the third time in the match. After a pass from Galvas, Lenc made a breakthrough for the second time in the match. Galvas had the last word, who crowned a successful performance with a goal.
The guests started more actively and already in the second minute, Flek’s shot narrowly missed the Pilsen goal. The home team responded with a goal when Sedláček scored from a corner kick in the 3rd minute. Just 30 seconds later, after the face-off, Zámorský only hit the right post with a throw from the blue line, but Mikko Petman made it 2-0 with a quick stop.
The successful passage of the Indians was only slowed down by their indiscipline, but the Kometa players did not take advantage of two power plays despite another dangerous run by Cingela. In addition, Pospíšil shortened the second numerical advantage with an unnecessary penalty. They also did not convert the home advantage into its continuation at the beginning of the second period.
The center of gravity of the game was transferred to the middle zone, and after a lot of personal battles, Malák got into a good position only after the middle of the game, but he finished above Stezek’s goal. Then, during a two-on-one renumbering, the visiting Ekrt messed up the pass, and Sedláček failed to beat Stežka from close range with a pressing foul on the counterattack.
The home team took advantage of Ščotka’s dismissal and in the 38th minute, Lajunen made it 3:0 with a quick shot from the center of the circle. Half a minute before the second siren, Flek could have cut it, but he did not beat Malík with his backhand from the escape in his own weakness.
The home team started the final 20-minute period offensively, and the visitors only got back to the front with a Rohlík penalty. In the 45th minute, Malík had to block Pospíšil’s shot from the right circle with his wrist. The Indians did not let the opponent have any more chances with an active approach, and in the 56th minute when the undisciplined Pospíšil was sent off, Zámorský closed the score at 4:0 with a shot that was unfortunately missed by Zábranský.
The fight had quality parameters from the beginning. Even thanks to the power play, the visitors were more threatening at first, Flynn surprised Škorvánek with a shot on the crossbar from almost zero angle, but Mountfield took the lead with two goals in two minutes. The first goal after recently joining the team was scored by the American Moses, who directed Klím’s pass for Mazanc. He then confused the goalkeeper by handling the puck from defender Melancon, who immediately had a lot of space at the near post.
Bunnaman, even with the contribution of the Třinec block, hit the crossbar with completely exposed goals. The steel players created dangerous counterattacks, but Hradec’s defense was able to step in, albeit often at the last moment.
Even due to the adverse conditions, Třinec’s activity increased in the second period and the home team had to rely on exemplary shot blocking. Hudáček was too close to Škorvánek on his way out in front of the goal and in the best chance he missed Michal Kovařčík in a power play. The only cruel punishment for the guests was the opponent’s third goal in the 33rd minute. Radil sent the puck into the goal area, where Melancon pushed it past Mazan with his skates or stick. Video review did not reveal an apparent kick to the referees.
In the period around Cienciala’s second break, he had a couple of crucial fights with Škorvánek, or rather with his left concrete, through which he did not get the puck in the breakaway or in the onslaught. Třinec’s chances to equalize were almost ended by Daň’s knee foul on Jergl, for which the judges awarded a bigger penalty.
Hradec Králové did not play the five-minute overtime perfectly, and after it ended, they failed again in the chance to complete Melancon’s hat trick, but the East Bohemians safely controlled the lead. They beat Třinec for the third time this season, again by a difference of three goals. In the extra league table, they now have 75 points, just like the Steelers, and both teams are three points short of the positions among the leading four, which will ensure participation in the quarterfinals after the regular season.
With the win, Karlovy Vary moved to 4th place in the table. With a goal and two assists, Jiří Černoch and Jan Bambula signed for Energie’s win. National striker Ondřej Beránek, who is among the substitutes for a possible start at the Olympics in Milan, did not finish the match due to an injury in the upper part of his body. The engine lost for the fourth time in a row and is tenth.
Boleslav succeeded at home for the fifth time in a row. After the win in the fight between the two worst rival teams, the Skaters moved away from the last Litvínov by 16 points. Tomáš Fořt’s goal in the second period decided, Dominik Furch kept his fourth clean sheet of the season.
