Prague – The Tipsport Extraliga will determine its final quarterfinalist this afternoon as the best-of-five preliminary round series between HC Sparta Praha and Rytíři Kladno heads to a decisive Game 5. Puck drop is scheduled for 3:00 PM local time (13:00 UTC), with live coverage on Oneplay Sport and a text feed available on Hokej.cz.
Game 5 of the TELH Playoff Preliminary Round
3:00 PM HC Sparta Praha – Rytíři Kladno TEXT COVERAGESeries Stand: 2-2.
Kladno failed to capitalize on their first match point Friday, falling 5-2 at home. Now, they have a second opportunity to secure a surprising advancement to the top eight teams in the league. “Everyone is making a large deal out of this, but we went into this with the intention of winning,” stated Kladno captain Miroslav Forman regarding the series against their Prague rivals.
“We obviously know Sparta’s great quality, but we knew how we’ve been playing in recent months and how You can play. It’s not a surprise for us,” Forman added, reflecting on the closely contested preliminary round.
Sparta has likewise regained confidence heading into the pivotal game. They finally capitalized on power-play opportunities in their last outing and welcomed back Michael Špaček from injury, joining Devin Shore in the lineup. “Špágr really helped us, he’s an experienced player and especially on the power play, he can hold the puck and create the right decision,” said Sparta’s leading scorer Michal Řepík, expressing his delight at the return of the veteran forward.
A question mark remains regarding Sparta’s ability to overcome a historical hurdle – their struggles in decisive playoff games. The club hasn’t won a crucial playoff matchup since 1998. “Records are made to be broken. I hope we can finally manage it in front of our fans and turn this series around,” Řepík stated in an interview on hcsparta.cz.
The outcome of this final game will determine the remaining two quarterfinal matchups. If Sparta prevails, they will face HC Škoda Plzeň, with HC Kometa Brno then taking on HC Dynamo Pardubice. Should Kladno emerge victorious, they will face Pardubice starting March 18th, potentially setting up a clash between Pardubice and the defending champions, Brno.
TELH Playoff Quarterfinal Schedule
Wednesday, March 18 – Game 1:
5:30 PM HC Škoda Plzeň – 7th Place (Oneplay Sport)
6:00 PM HC Dynamo Pardubice – 8th Place (ČT sport)
Thursday, March 19 – Game 2:
6:00 PM HC Dynamo Pardubice – 8th Place (Oneplay Sport)
6:30 PM HC Škoda Plzeň – 7th Place (ČT sport)
Friday, March 20 – Game 1:
6:00 PM Bílí Tygři Liberec – HC Energie Karlovy Vary (Oneplay Sport)
6:30 PM Mountfield HK – HC Oceláři Třinec (ČT sport)
Saturday, March 21 – Game 2:
6:00 PM Bílí Tygři Liberec – HC Energie Karlovy Vary (ČT sport)
6:00 PM Mountfield HK – HC Oceláři Třinec (Oneplay Sport)
Sunday, March 22 – Game 3:
8th Place – HC Dynamo Pardubice
7th Place – HC Škoda Plzeň
Monday, March 23 – Game 4:
8th Place – HC Dynamo Pardubice
7th Place – HC Škoda Plzeň
Tuesday, March 24 – Game 3:
HC Energie Karlovy Vary – Bílí Tygři Liberec
HC Oceláři Třinec – Mountfield HK
Wednesday, March 25 – Game 4:
HC Energie Karlovy Vary – Bílí Tygři Liberec
HC Oceláři Třinec – Mountfield HK
Thursday, March 26 – Potential Game 5:
HC Dynamo Pardubice – 8th Place
HC Škoda Plzeň – 7th Place
Friday, March 27 – Potential Game 5:
Bílí Tygři Liberec – HC Energie Karlovy Vary
Mountfield HK – HC Oceláři Třinec
Saturday, March 28 – Potential Game 6:
8th Place – HC Dynamo Pardubice
7th Place – HC Škoda Plzeň
Sunday, March 29 – Potential Game 6:
HC Energie Karlovy Vary – Bílí Tygři Liberec
HC Oceláři Třinec – Mountfield HK
Monday, March 30 – Potential Game 7:
HC Dynamo Pardubice – 8th Place
HC Škoda Plzeň – 7th Place
Tuesday, March 31 – Potential Game 7:
Bílí Tygři Liberec – HC Energie Karlovy Vary
Mountfield HK – HC Oceláři Třinec
The stakes are high as both Sparta and Kladno vie for a place in the quarterfinal round of the Czech Extraliga playoffs. The winner will advance, while the loser will see their season come to an end. The game promises to be a thrilling conclusion to a hard-fought preliminary round series.
Fans can follow all the action live on Oneplay Sport and Hokej.cz. The next confirmed action will be the start of the quarterfinal series on March 18th, with HC Škoda Plzeň hosting the seventh-place finisher.
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