Welcome back Cracovia!

Playoffs started with the quarter-finals. Following the withdrawal of Nesta Toruń during the season, only six teams played the quarter final. The exception was the winner of the regular season, KH Sanok, who gained a bye for the semi-finals.

Quarter finals were (best of five):
JKH Jastrzębie (2.) – Zagłębie Sosnowiec (7.) - series without any history, JKH made it three easy wins with 17 goals scored and only 1 conceded. Hockey players from Zagłębie had absolutely nothing to say at this stage, JKH massacred them, and even then it could end up worse if Jastrzębie would to play serious.
Scores: 7-0, 3-0, 7-1.

GKS Tychy (3.) – Unia Oświęcim (6.) - third team of the regular season began the play-offs with a defeat at home ice, but won the next three games. Team from Oświęcim appeared a tough opponent for Tychy but it was definitely not enough to think about the semi-final.
Scores: 4-5 SO, 9-1, 6-3, 2-1

Cracovia (4.) – HC GKS Katowice (5.) – the most balanced series of all quarter finals despite of finishing in three games. Two matches  ended with penalty shoot-out and the amount of goals in each game shows the perfect form presented by goalies. To semifinal advanced Cracovia, but HC GKS can proceed calmly to the consolation tournament.
Scores: 3-1, 2-1 SO, 2-1 SO

Consolation tournament for 5th place in my opinion is completely unnecessary and Polish Federation can easily considered to eliminate any games for teams which lost in the play-off first round. Only due to my journalistic duty I write that the tournament was played in robin-round system and was won by HC GKS Katowice, second was Unia and last was Zagłębie.

In the semi finals KH Sanok, Polish Champion in 2012, waited for the quarter finals winners.

Semi finals (best of seven):

KH Sanok (1.) – Cracovia (4.) – this series was the first great surprise during play-offs. Last year Polish Champion lost this series with Champions from 2011. Series began at Sanok, and there Cracovia did a very strong game with an overtime victory. Next two games was played at Roch Kowalski Hall in Cracow. Game #2 was won by Sanok, but the team coached by Rudolf Rohacek was better in the third game. Then the series get back to Sanok, and it was also came back for Sanok players, which again equalise the series. Unfortunately for best team in regular season, it was their last victory. In both next games Cracovia won advancing to the final series. Game #5 was extremely interesting, because Sanok had a 2-1 lead after 2nd period to lost whole game 6-7. This was disaster for KH Sanok, the strongest Polish team, considering it won all six games against Cracovia during the Regular season.
Scores: 3-4 OT, 6-3, 4-5, 3-1, 6-7, 1-3.

JKH Jastrzębie (2.) – GKS Tychy (3.) – second semifinal series was shorter and was finished in four games, all won by JKH. Jastrzębie took two clear home wictories and also two shoot-out win on Tychy’s ice. JKH clearly deserved for final, but on the other hand GKS Tychy deserved at least for one game win.
Scores: 5-3, 4-3 SO, 3-2 SO, 4-0.


Third place game series (best of five):
KH Sanok (1.) – GKS Tychy (3.) – GKS won the bronze medal series, which started series with two away victories. Third game in Tychy give a win for Sanok, but fourth game was also last game thanks to overtime goal scored by Tomas Jakes. GKS Tychy took the bronze medals, but very unexpeted was Sanok form during play-offs. Winners of regular season won only three of theirs ten games in post season, which wasn’t enough for any medals. This means that team, which had a NHL-star in roster, finished season empty hands
Scores: 2-6, 2-3, 4-1, 3-4 OT.

Final series (best of seven):
JKH Jastrzębie (2.) – Cracovia (4.) – final series was the most exciting series for many years in Poland. After three games almost everybody announcing easy 4-0 win of Cracovia. Team from Cracow, with great Leszek Laszkiewicz, Sebastian Kowalówka, which was in his best form ever, and almost perfect in the goal with Rafał Radziszewski, defeated JKH three times in a row and also leading in fourth game 3-1 after first period. Unfortunately for Cracovia, after this, JKH made their positive break and playing without pressure, they took a win 5-4 in this game. Next game played in Jastrzębie was great five nothing victory of JKH. Series get back to Cracow, and while everybody in Cracovia hall expected finish of the series at home, JKH once again made a surprise and won 3-2 to tie the series.

The last game took place at hall in Jasrzębie with amazing 3000 fans at the arena, but this time there was no happy end for JKH. With a decisive match there was pressure back, and JKH didn’t handle with and lost a game 2-6 with two empty net goals at the end of game. Worth to say is fact, that Leszek Laszkiewicz played amazing game and scored three goals. This victory mean for Crcovia celebrating their tenth title in history. Once again turned out, that nobody can prepare team to succesful play-offs as Rudolf Rohacek – in regular season Cracovia played not too good, but in the most important point of season they played at their best. Also JKH played their best season in their history, and who knows, maybe this team, built very smart and patiently by theirs boss, will be next Polish Champion?
Scores: 2-3, 1-2 SO, 1-4, 5-4, 5-0, 3-2, 2-6.

Polish Champions 2012/13:
Goalies: Rafał Radziszewski, Mateusz Kulig, Sebastian Mrugała (didn’t play in any game).
Defenders: Nicolas Besch (France), Martin Dudas (Czech Republic), Jarosław Kłys, Adrian Kowalówka, Grzegorz Myjak, Patryk Noworyta, Łukasz Sznotala, Sebastian Witowski, Artur Zieliński.
Forwards: Aron Chmielewski, Tomasz Cieślicki, Petr Dvorak (Czech Republic), Josef Fojtik (Czech Republic), Grzegorz Horowski, Piotr Kmiecik, Robert Kostecki, Sebastian Kowalówka, Leszek Laszkiewicz, Daniel Laszkiewicz, Michał Piotrowski, Łukasz Rutkowski, Damian Słaboń, Patrik Valcak (Czech Republic), Piotr Ziętara (traded to Podhale Nowy Targ during season).
Head coach: Rudolf Rohacek (Czech Republic)
Assistant coach: Andrzej Pasiut.

Tweets by @eurohockey