2024-04-29 19:07:14
The hockey players of Třinec won the play-off final of the hockey extra league and won the fifth title in a row. In the decisive seventh game, coach Zdenek Moták’s men won 2:1 on the ice of Pardubice in the second overtime with a goal by David Cienciala at 83:51.
Both goals during regulation time came in the second period. The Slezans led from the 25th minute thanks to a goal by captain Petr Vrány in the power play, Ondřej Vála equalized at 39:53. The title was finally decided by Cienciala, who started the season in the Dynamo jersey.
The Steelers won their 16th straight game. They were the first to reach the title in the playoffs exclusively with 4:3 results per match. They won their sixth title overall. Třinec celebrated for the first time in 2011 and then four times in a row in completed seasons in 2019, 2021, 2022 and last year.
Pardubice hockey players have to wait for their first gold since 2012. Already last year, in the role of the main favorite, they only achieved bronze, when Třinec eliminated them in the seventh semi-final in the East of Bohemia.
As expected, the visitors had to do without striker Nestrašil, who was injured in Friday’s sixth game in Třinec. Helewka replaced him in the position of the center of the second attacking formation.
From the start, it was played at a pace with great commitment, but carefully considering the importance of the game. In the seventh minute, Třinečtí made a bad substitution and offered the home side a power play. They survived it unscathed, Růžička finished from a good position during the full game, Will caught him. Right after that, Růžička fired immediately after the ball, but even in this case, the Pardubice goalkeeper had the upper hand.
In the 11th minute, Vála jumped in after an unsuccessful Ocelarů power play from the penalty bench and pushed his way in front of Kacetl from the right wing, but was unable to overcome him. In the 15th minute, although Sedlák did not finish according to his expectations, his goalkeeper was inadvertently scared by the commuter Čacho.
The tough fight continued in the second period. In the 24th minute, Kaut fouled Helewk in a dangerous position, and Třinečtí had another power play at their disposal. They didn’t do well during it for a long time, but then Vrána redirected Kundrátka’s throw and the defenders of the gold took the lead.
In the 28th minute, Dynamo could bounce back even more. Hudáček was searching in front of the empty goal of Cienciala when his partner missed, he just grabbed his head helplessly. Immediately, Adamek threw the puck into the audience. Pardubice had overwhelming pressure in the power play, but without success. Adam Musil brushed his shot against the stick, even Pánik couldn’t equalize from a good position.
Exactly after 32 minutes played, Dravecký was another sinner on the visitors’ side. Zohorna, with a numerical advantage, with the help of the defending defender Nedomlela, opened the goal structure, Pánik missed from close range.
In the 38th minute, Kurovský did not use a good opportunity. When it seemed that the guests would go into the third part with a narrow lead, just 6.9 seconds before the siren, Vála took advantage of Kacetl’s obscured view and equalized.
The opening minutes of the third act offered a power play to Slezan after Mandát’s foul. Voženílek missed the puck while trying to finish from close range, otherwise Dynamo defended without much difficulty. In the 48th minute, Zohorn was shooting dangerously, Kacetl pushed the puck to safety with his mask.
At the end of the regular period, both teams could decide in a power play. Dvořák first pulled the emergency brake when he was already picking up speed for the duel with Willem Voženílek. Then Nedomlel fouled at 56:36. Mandát had the best chance in the weakening of Pardubice, but Kacetl struck with the right concrete.
The dramatic finale had to be extended. In the 74th minute, Pánik fired dangerously, but he could not overcome the attentive Kacetl. At the beginning of the second overtime, Kousal had a great chance, but Kacetl hid his close-range backhand into the trap. Then came the big moment of the emphatic Cienciala, who pushed the puck behind Will’s back through the tight defense of two opponents.
Hockey extraliga play off final – 7th match:
HC Dynamo Pardubice – HC Ocelarí Třinec 1:2 in the second overtime (0:0, 1:1, 0:0 – 0:0, 0:1)
Goals and saves: 40. Vála (Mandát) – 25. P. Vrána (Kundrátek, Cienciala), 84. Cienciala. Referee: Jeřábek, Šír – Ondráček, Špůr. Exclusion: 4:4. Usage: 0:1. Audience: 10,194 (sold out). Final state of the series: 3:4.
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.
Třinec: Kacetl – Marian Adámek, Smith, Kundrátek, Nedomlel, Polášek, Šenkeřík – Hrehorčák, Čacho, Dravecký – M. Růžička, Helewka, D. Voženílek – L. Hudáček, Cienciala, Daňo – Kurovský, P. Vrána, Miloš Roman. Coach: Moták.