Hockey extra league playoff final – 3rd match: HC Oceláři Třinec – Mountfield Hradec Králové, April 22, 2023, Třinec. Hradec Králové goalkeeper Matěj Machovský.
Třinec (Frýdecko-Místecko) – The hockey players of Třinec beat Hradec Králové 1:0 in the third final game of the extra league playoff on their home ice, and while leading the series 3:0, they are the only win since winning the fourth title in a row. Striker Marko Daňo scored the winning goal 54 seconds after the start of the second period, and Ondřej Kacetl defended his third clean sheet in this year's elimination matches thanks to 30 successful saves.
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Photo gallery: Play off hockey extra league 2023
Mountfield's hockey players now need to win gold in their first participation in the finals and become the first extra-league team in history to turn the series around with four wins in a row. the best – but we had opportunities there. We were able to overcome the excellent defense of the home team several times. It is then about the quality of finishing that has troubled us all season. And in the play-offs in all series. We have to believe that we are able to improve there and score goals give,” said the guest coach Tomáš Martinec.
Coach Zdeňko Moták's players will have their first match point on Sunday, when the fourth match is scheduled. It will take place again in Třinec, the opening round is scheduled for 5 p.m.
“We have to keep our feet on the ground and enter the next match better, because today's start was not entirely optimal. We all know that Hradec will not give us anything for free here and will fly into it again like today. We have to prepare for the next battle. We cannot go into it with by the fact that we are leading 3-0 for the matches and that it will be something simple. I am convinced that everyone is well aware that Hradec will fly into the match and that it will again be a big fight,” declared the Třinec captain Petr Vrána.
Lev, who was injured in the opening semi-final duel with Vítkovice at the beginning of April, returned to the lineup of East Bohemia, along with defender Janek, while captain Smoleňák remained out of the lineup.
Královéhradečtí showed a great desire to dramatize the final and return to the game for the title right from the opening goal. But, as in the course of the final series so far, their efforts failed due to the attentive Kacetl. In the second minute, Okuliar had a very good chance to open the scoring, but the keeper could not overcome the home goal. Blain did the same with a blow from the blue line.
However, Slezana weathered the onslaught of the guests without much trouble and gradually leveled the game. In the 12th minute, gunner Růžička threatened for the first time, but he did not aim accurately. At the end of the 16th minute, it was eliminated for the first time, but on both sides at the same time. However, even the four-man game did not release the floodgates of a cautious game with a careful emphasis on the defensive. When Roman failed with a stop, the opening act ended without goals.
Right at the start of the second half, the decisive moment of the match came. With a great long pass, Chmielewski found the onrushing Daň, who found space between the visiting defenders, chose a backhand bluff against Machovské and managed it precisely.
“They are really waiting for that mistake when we make one. And they are extremely dangerous because of that. They can punish it and convert such a chance. It happens, the match was still only 0-1, we could have scored two goals and won. But in the end it it decided the whole match,” said visiting full-back Bohumil Jank.
In the 25th minute, they could have increased the score in short succession due to a successful substitution by the Steelers Růžička and Chmielewski, but Machovský managed it.
At the beginning of the 29th minute, Perret got a good chance, but not even Kacetl was embarrassed. Halfway through the match, Královéhradečtí played their first power play after Douder's offense, but they themselves got into trouble when Daňo dangerously finished off a two-on-one renumbering. However, Machovský did not allow the situation to change.
At the beginning of the 44th minute, Marcinko could have increased, but Machovský was against it. On the other hand, Eberle tried unsuccessfully to equalize. In the closing 48th minute, Hrňa made his way to the end, but Machovský managed to intervene. Just a moment later, Kacetl also got out, when he brilliantly read the intention of the patrolling Blaine when he stopped in front of the goal area.
Both teams then played with a numerical advantage. The guests also had a good chance to equalize, but Jergl, when finishing from a wide angle into the open goal, only ended up in the side net. Less than two minutes before the end of the regular playing time, the visitors tried to make it six without Machovský, but they shelled Kacetl without success and despite a great effort they did not achieve an equaliser.
“Káca kept us up. The boys played selflessly and after the first period we started to play a little better, we tried to eliminate their quick transitions through the middle zone and it worked. It's about concentration and that the boys are selfless. At 1:0 we are they blocked a lot of shots and Káca had a lot of great saves. Hradec had a lot of great and high-quality chances, they really held us back today. Everything kind of fits together: simplicity, dedication, concentration and a great goalkeeper,” praised Vrána.
“We play with the puck, we try to create chances and then we get into those chances, but we are not able to turn it into a goal. We have to keep playing the same way and push ourselves even more. We will see what it will bring. Both goalkeepers catch excellently and the games in the whole series are very close. It's not over yet. As long as they don't have four wins, anything can happen. Maybe now things will start to go in our favor,” Jank believed. “We only have to prepare for the next game and not think about anything else,” he emphasized.
Finals of the Hockey Extraliga play off – 3rd game:
HC Steelers Třinec – Mountfield Hradec Králové 1:0 (0:0, 1:0, 0:0)
Goal and assist: 21. Daňo (Chmielewski). Referees: Jeřábek, Pražák – Špůr, Zíka. Exclusion: 3:2. No use. Audience: 5,400 (sold out). Series status: 3:0.
Lineups:
Třinec: Kacetl – Marinčin, Smith, Čukste, J. Jeřábek, Marian Adámek, M. Doudera – M. Růžička, Marcinko, Chmielewski – Kurovský, Miloš Roman, Dravecký – Daňo, D. Voženílek, Nestrašil – Hrňa, P. Vrána, Svačina. Coach: Moták.
Hradec Králové: Machovský – McCormack, Jank, Blain, Kalina, F. Pavlík, Rosandič, Marcel – Werek, Miskář, Eberle – Jergl, Lalancette, Perret – Okuliar, Kevin Klíma, Zachar – Pilař, Lev, R. Pavlík. Coach: T. Martinec.
