2024-03-17 00:57:50
The winners of the regular season, Pardubice, also managed the second home quarter-final of the hockey extra league play-off and defeated the East Bohemian rival Hradec Králové 3:2 in another close match. Sparta also won at home for the second time, beating Liberec 3:2 after extra time in a sometimes heated contest.
Striker Robert Kousal decided the victory of Pardubice at 59:54. The four-game winning streak continues on Tuesday and Wednesday in Hradec Králové.
In the 4th minute, Poulíček pushed to finish between the circles, but Pařík intervened. Will was then checked by Pláněk. There were no big chances in the opening half. The Hradec keeper covered Kaut’s shot from the right circle. Dynamo increased the pressure, but Mountfield, led by Pařík, resisted.
After 16 minutes of the game, the guests got their first power play, but Will Hradec’s onslaught stopped with Dvořák’s penalty. At the turn of the first and second periods, even Dynamo did not take advantage of the numerical advantage when Pavlík was sent off.
In the 23rd minute, the home side was held by Will, who dealt with the escape of Kevin Klíma. During Jergl’s stay on the penalty bench, the guests also defended themselves. Mountfield threatened in the 26th minute, when Šťastný saved after Eberle’s shot.
At 28:34, they rejoiced at the home team’s lead. After Pařík’s pass, Vála shot from a position behind the left circle and Vondráček, who scored in the second game in the series and for the third time in a row, dribbled the puck in front of the goal area.
Although Hradec Králové didn’t survive the overtime when Dynamo was penalized for too many players on the ice, they responded when Košťálk was sent off in the 34th minute. Kevin Klíma found Jergl on the left from the right circle and he headed into the open goal.
Mountfield received another power play after Pánik’s intervention with a high stick, but Dynamo managed the weakening. The departure of the players to the cabin after the second period was delayed by skirmishes.
In the 44th minute, Sedlák could have restored the lead to Dynamo, but Vála immediately went to score, but Hradec Králové did not take advantage of another numerical advantage. Košťálk’s dismissal brought about the fifth overtime in a row for the guests, but the situation did not change. At 48:02, Mountfield turned the score around after Freibergs shot from the blue line.
In the 49th minute, Blain followed the visiting captain Eberle immediately after 12 seconds to the penalty bench, and after 57 seconds Pánik used a five-on-three power play to score from the right side from a zero angle by Pařík. The fight went to overtime just like on Friday, but after Radil’s action, Kousal decided from the stop.
A heated fight in the O2 arena
A goal by captain Michal Řepík in a time of 73:10 secured the win for Sparta. The people of Prague won 3:2 in overtime and lead 2:0 in the four-game series. The quarterfinals continue on Tuesday in Liberec.
Both teams started cautiously, but earlier Sparta started to get bolder in the attack and took the lead in the 4th minute, when Hrabík hit Kempné’s shot from the blue line behind Hrenák’s back.
The White Tigers could equalize in the power play, but Kovář blocked Rychlovský’s promising attempt. After that, Liberec was more active with shots, but the Spartan goalkeeper continued his excellent performance from the first match of the series, in which he caught Liberec on raids. At the end of the first period, the home team had several promising chances, but they did not add a second goal.
Thanks to this, the North Bohemians were able to equalize in the 25th minute. When Buchtele was sent off, Rychlovský came through from the stop and scored his jubilee 30th goal of the season. Sparta then significantly increased their shooting activity, but Hrenák caught reliably. Together with his teammates, he withstood the first weakness and shortly before the half of the game, not even Konečný overcame him from a solo attack.
In the 34th minute, emotions rose significantly in the O2 arena. The visiting Flynn sent Moravčík’s head into the goalpost and the match was over for him. Bek Sparta left the ice on a stretcher and had to go to the hospital. According to Sparta’s statement on social networks, his condition is stable.
During Flynn’s departure to the booths, the players of both teams got into a conflict between the substitutes, and the referee sent home team members Kryštof Hrabík, Jan Buchtele, and visitors Jaroslav Vlach and David Aubrecht to the booths prematurely.
During the departure of the expelled Liberec striker, there was a conflict between the players of both teams between the substitutes, and the referees also sent Hrabík, Buchtele, Vlach and Aubrecht to the booths prematurely. However, Prague played the five-minute power play badly and did not add the second goal.
At the turn of the second and third period, the home team survived two setbacks when the German was sent off and then struck on their own. After a quick combination, Hrenák was overcome by Najman. However, Liberec was able to catch up quickly. Bulíř’s shot passed through the concrete to Kovář, and Birner reached it promptly. The referees stopped the game before the Liberec striker finished, but after checking the video, they recognized the goal, saying that their “whistle” had no effect on the finish.
When Zacharo’s shot hit the post in the 52nd minute, the match went into extra time just like the day before. At the beginning of the fourth 20-minute period, both teams played very carefully, in the 68th minute Hawryluk finished dangerously, but he was subsequently sent off. However, Sparta did not use another power play. In the end, however, she won again when Hrenák Řepík shot through in the 74th minute.
Quarterfinals of the Hockey Extraliga play off – 2nd match:
HC Dynamo Pardubice – Mountfield Hradec Kralove 3:2 (0:0, 1:1, 2:1)
Goals and assists: 29. Vondráček (Vála, Poulíček), 50. Pánik (M. Kaut, Čerešňák), 60. R. Kousal (Radil, Will) – 34. Jergl (Kevin Klíma, McComack), 49. Freibergs (Plánek , Tamáš). Referee: Mrkva, Obadal – J. Svoboda, Thuma. Exclusion: 9:7. Usage: 1:1. Audience: 10,194 (sold out). Series status: 2-0.
Pardubice: Will – Čerešňák, D. Musil, Košťálek, T. Dvořák, Hájek, Vála – Hyka, L. Sedlák, Pánik – Radil, T. Zohorna, R. Kousal – M. Kaut, A. Musil, Paulovič – Vondráček, Poulíček, Mandate. Coach: Zadina.
Hradec Králové: Pařík – Blain, Freibergs, Pláněk, T. Pavelka, McCormack, Kalina, Pilař – Jasper, Tamáši, Perret – Jergl, Kevin Klíma, Okuliar – Šťastný, Estephan, Eberle – Miškář, Lalancette, R. Pavlík. Coach: T. Martinec.
HC Sparta Prague – White Tigers Liberec 3:2 in overtime. (1:0, 0:1, 1:1 – 1:0)
Goals and assists: 4. Hrabík (Harper, Kempný), 45. O. Najman (Krejčík, Chlapík), 74. Řepík – 25. Rychlovský (Filippi, Melancon), 47. Birner (Bulíř, Melancon). Referees: Úlehla, Stano – Hynek, Šimánek. Exclusion: 6:3, in addition Buchtele, Hrabík – Flynn, J. Vlach, Aubrecht all 5 min. and until the end of the game. Usage: 0:1. Spectators: 12, 241. Series status: 2:0.
Sparta: Jakub Kovář – Mozík, Kempný, Mikliš, Krejčík, Irving, Moravčík, Němeček – Chlapík, Horák, D. Vitouch – Řepík, O. Najman, P. Kousal – Forman, Lajunen, Buchtele – Harper, Konečný, Hrabík. Coach: Gross.
Liberec: Hrenák – Knot, McCoshen, Melancon, Ivan, Budík, Derner, Aubrecht – Faško-Rudaš, Filippi, J. Vlach – Flynn, A. Najman, Rychlovský – Hawryluk, Bulíř, Birner – Kelly Klíma, Šír, Zachar. Trainer: Pešán.