2024-04-07 09:48:43
The hockey players of Sparta won the third game of the semi-finals of the extra league playoff on the ice of the champion Třinec 3:2 in overtime and are already leading the series 3:0. Only one win separates Prague from progressing to the finals, where they were last in 2022. At 74:11, defender Jakub Krejčík made the decision in a long power play.
Třinec started without striker Daniel Voženielk, who was given a two-game suspension by the disciplinary committee for his tackle on Spartan forward Filip Chlapík from Wednesday’s second duel in Prague, and the appeal committee reduced it to half.
Spartan Kousal was the first to threaten with a blocked attempt, and at 5:30 a.m. the visitors were happy to take the lead after an opening without much chance. After Mikliš’ throw, Lajunen pushed Buchtele, who beat Kacetl with a backhand. Sparta defended itself during Sobotek’s expulsion.
Dravecký then missed in a good position after Hudáček’s pass, and during the Steelers’ next attempt, Růžiček’s shot ended up outside Kovář’s goal. Kacetl was checked by Řepík, during whose expulsion Daňo and Hudáček fired. When Kundrátek was sent off, he did not push the puck past the Třinec goalie, and the visitors’ power play was cut short by Řepík’s foul on Čach.
At the beginning of the second half, Horák got into a break, but Kacetl didn’t shoot between the concrete blocks. Then Kempný pushed Hrehorčák into the goalpost, and referees Hribik and Pilný, after reviewing the intervention on video, awarded a penalty for five minutes and until the end of the match. Sparta thus had to fight for 42 seconds in three against five. Kovář resisted a lot of pressure and the Steelers got the equalizer out of a five-on-four game. Helewka handled the puck with his hand, passed it to Ciencialo, who headed into the open area of the goal near the right post.
The Třinecký goalkeeper was then threatened by Kousal, Krejčík, Irving and Buchtele. When Kurovský was expelled, Horák had two options, and in the end he got through four seconds before the penalty expired. The guy charged from the left circle to the right to Řepík, who didn’t give Kacetl a chance with a quick finish. Daňo could equalize with a shot from a position between the circles, Kovář also managed attempts by Smith and Cienciala. At the end of the second half, he got in front of Kacetla Lajunen, but the Steelers goalkeeper blocked his backhand attempt.
At the beginning of the third period, Třinec defended himself against Marinčin’s expulsion and the power play was shortened by 35 seconds by Irving’s foul. But Forman was able to strike when he was weakened, but he did not convert the escape. Then Sobotka, Konečný or Lajunen could secure Sparta’s lead. For Ocelar, he had a chance after Daň’s pass to Helewka, but he missed with his back to the goal. At 56:44, Kundrátek ended the collaboration with Čach and Hrehorčák into the open goal and forced a set-up.
In it, Čacho first caused problems for Kovář with the flow of Hrehorčák’s shots. In the 66th minute, Horák had a great chance, but Kacetl eliminated it with a catch. Helewka threatened for the home side, and Chlapík for the visitors.
After Šenkeřík’s play with a high stick against Najman, Sparta won a four-minute power play, during which Chlapík first hit the left post and Krejčík finally decided with a shot from the blue line.
The Steelers would have to turn around the series after the opening three defeats to maintain their hopes of winning a fifth consecutive title as the first team in the history of the playoffs of the domestic top division. The fourth duel is played on Sunday from 18:00.
Semi-finals of the play off hockey extra league – 3rd match:
HC Oceláři Třinec – HC Sparta Prague 2:3 in overtime. (0:1, 1:1, 1:0 – 0:1)
Goals and assists: 24. Cienciala (Helewka, Daňo), 57. Kundrátek (Hrehorčák, Čacho) – 6. Buchtele (J. Lajunen, Mikliš), 36. Řepík (Chlapík, Moravčík), 75. Krejčík. Referee: Hribik, Pilný – J. Svoboda, Hynek. Exclusion: 5:4, in addition Kempný (Sparta) 5 min. and until the end of the match. Usage: 1:2. Audience: 5,400 (sold out). Series status: 0:3.
Třinec: Kacetl – Marinčin, Smith, Kundrátek, Nedomlel, Marian Adámek, Šenkeřík – M. Růžička, A. Nestrašil, Cienciala – L. Hudáček, Helewka, Daňo – Kurovský, P. Vrána, Miloš Roman – Hrehorčák, Čacho, Dravecký. Coach: Moták.
Sparta: Jakub Kovář – Mozík, Kempný, Mikliš, Krejčík, Irving, Němeček, Moravčík – Řepík, Sobotka, M. Forman – Chlapík, R. Horák, D. Vitouch – Konečný, J. Lajunen, Buchtele – P. Kousal, O Najman, K. Hrabík. Coach: Gross.