Preliminary round of the hockey extraleague play off – 5th match: Bílí Tygři Liberec – HC Škoda Plzeň, March 14, 2023 in Liberec. Adam Najman from Liberec scores the decisive goal in overtime.
Liberec – The hockey players of Liberec won the decisive fifth game of the preliminaries of the playoffs at home after beating Pilsen 4:3 in overtime, and in the quarterfinals of the extra league they will face Hradec Králové. Attacker Adam Najman decided it at 61:39. The White Tigers are among the top eight teams for the seventh season in a row.
Advertisement'; }
Photogallery: Play off hockey extraliga 2023
Hradec Králové” />
Hradec Králové” />
Pilsen already led 3:0 in the 9th minute, but in the end, from twelfth place after the regular season, they did not make it past the fifth White Tigers. In the preliminary round, it was eliminated for the third time in a row and finished worst since the 2016/17 season, when it took 13th place.
Liberec started without forward Michael Frolík, who received a one-match suspension for a foul on Samuel Bitten in Sunday's fourth match. Jiří Průžek entered the game instead. For the second time, Pilsen did not change the lineup without the suspended attacker Kryštof Hrabík.
The start of the match was delayed by a few minutes by a non-functioning timer on the cube above the ice, and the announcer had to inform about the running time until almost halfway through the first period. Right from the start, visiting Holešinský had a chance and after hugging the goal, Rekonen threatened. Then, after Birner's intervention with his shoulder on his head, Piskáček had a hard time lifting himself up. At 3:36 the West Bohemians were already enjoying the lead. Houdko's throw-in from the middle of the court was just deflected by Kváč and he hit the exposed part of Mertl's goal with a backhand from the stop.
In 126 seconds, Suchý increased the lead, after a quick break, Schleiss's shot from the center circle dribbled in front of Kváča. Liberec then defended itself against Nedomle's penalty, but in the 9th minute the guests were already leading 3:0. They took advantage of the fact that Kváč was catching without a stick, and after Rekonen's shot he hit a backhand from the Bitten stop.
The home coach Patrik Augusta took a time-out and immediately held the White Tigers Kváč, who eliminated Schleiss's chance from being outnumbered. Liberec started in the 14th minute with a goal by Dlouhé, who in the end pushed the puck past Pavlát.
In 131 seconds after Vlach's attempt was deflected off the back bar, Dlouhý again reduced the difference to a single goal into the open goal. The home team was still angry with referees Kiku and Pražák for not punishing Houdk's elbow to Kolmann's head during the goal action.
At the turn of the first and second period, Pilsen resisted Houdk's expulsion. Immediately after, Holešinský called off the alleged foul on himself with a far play gesture, Liberec then turned the advantage into an equalizer in the 25th minute. Pavláta Rychlovský overcame from the right circle and Pilsen coach Petr Kořínek also reached for the timeout. The guests defended themselves during Baránek's stay on the penalty bench.
Plzeň escaped the onslaught of the home team thanks to Ordoš's dismissal, but they also failed in their numerical advantage. In the 36th minute, after Schleiss' throw-in, Suchý poked the puck out from under Kváč's catcher and aimed a backhand into the left post, but the referees interrupted the game.
At the beginning of the third period, Liberec did not punish Mertl's expulsion. Kvača was then threatened by Pour. Both teams tried not to make mistakes in the key moment of the series and big chances were missing for a long time. In the 53rd minute, Birner could have turned the tide in favor of the White Tigers, but Pavlát intervened.
In the set-up, Flynn sent Najman to escape, who matured on Pavlát and started the Liberec celebrations of progress.
Preliminary round of the hockey extraliga play off – 5th match:
Bílí Tigři Liberec – HC Škoda Plzeň 4:3 in overtime. (2:3, 1:0, 0:0 – 1:0)
Goals and assists: 14. A. Dlouhý (J. Šír, Průžek), 16. A. Dlouhý (J. Vlach, Kolmann), 25. Rychlovský (M. Ivan), 62. A. Najman (Flynn, Rychlovský) – 4. Mertl (Houdek), 6. Suchý (Schleiss), 9. Bitten (Rekonen, Zámorský) . Referee: Kika, Pražák – Ondráček, Špůr. Exclusion: 2:3. No use. Spectators: 5891. Final score of the series: 3:2.
Lineups:
Liberec: Kváča – Nedomlel, Balinskis, Melancon, Derner, Kolmann, M. Ivan – Ordoš, Filippi, Birner – Flynn, Bulíř, A. Najman – Rychlovský, P. Jelínek, J. Vlach – A. Dlouhý, J. Šír, Průžek. Coach: P. Augusta.
Pilsen: Pavlát – Zámorský, Budík, Piskáček, Baránek, Jaroměřský, Houdek – Pour, Suchý, Schleiss – Rekonen, Mertl, Holešinský – Adamec, Honejsek, M. Beránek – Blomstrand , Bitten, A. Dvořák. Coach: Kořínek.
