Illustration photo – Match Switzerland – Czech Republic at the Swiss Hockey Games in Fribourg, December 17, 2022. Jiří Černoch (second from right) from the Czech Republic and Switzerland players Christian Marti (right), Gaetan Hass (left ) and goalkeeper Connor Hughes.
Malmö (Sweden) – The Czech team will end the Swedish Hockey Games today with a match against Switzerland. Coach Kari Jalonen's team lost to the Finns (1:6) on Saturday after an initial 2:1 overtime win over the Swedes and will not be able to defend last year's championship at the third Euro Hockey Tour tournament of the season. However, they can still be others. The match will start at 12 noon.
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The team around captain Jan Kovář did not succeed in the duel with Finland. Despite a solid start to the game, the Czechs lost the first period 0:2 and in the rest of the game fell behind in everything. The 0:6 score after the second half was telling. The third period of Jalonen's selection, which the Czechs won thanks to Hynk Zohorna's goal, could help to make a quick recovery today against the Swiss.
Reigning Olympic champions and world champions Finns also scored six goals in Thursday's battle with the Swiss, but they could celebrate the victory only thanks to raids after the result 6:5. The fact that the Swiss team was already leading 4:1 must be a warning for the Czechs. On Saturday, coach Patrick Fischer's team played an even match against the home team of Sweden, in which they lost by a single goal after 56 minutes and ultimately lost 0:2.
“We have to take it with humility and honestly admit what was wrong. We certainly don't feel good about the match and such a defeat,” coach Jalonen admitted. “However, we have one more game ahead of us against Switzerland, in which we will have a chance to show character. In the meeting, we will analyze the game, prepare the lineup, which we will change maybe a little more than we originally planned, and decide who will catch. We will sleep and we will be ready for the next match,” assured Jalonen.
“We will say something about the match with the Finns and against the Swiss we have to go for it and win,” cheered captain Kovář. The Czechs would also like to improve their shooting. In neither of the two games so far in the tournament, they did not get over the 20 shot mark. “I think there weren't many of them in the first match with the Swedes, and not with the Finns either. It's something we should work on and try to shoot more,” added Kovář.
In the mutual matches in season, the Swiss first won 3:2 at the Karjala tournament in mid-November thanks to a goal in extra time, the Czechs countered with a 2:1 victory at the Swiss Games a month later.
The Swedes will then face the Finns for the tournament championship they lose a point in the table. The match will start at 16:00. In order for the Czech team to finish second, it needs help from the Finns in addition to its own success. If the Czechs get at least two more points than the Tre kronor team, they will take second place.
