Třinec takes the lead in the finals series, another Růžička record

Game One (Mon, Apr 4 2011):    
Třinec – Vítkovice    5:2 (0:0, 3:1, 2:1)
The biggest difference between the both teams was in their programs before the series. Vítkovice took a league finals ticket 8 days before the first game of the finals, Třinec was playing its last semi final game last Friday and its pause was just 2 days long.

The Czech hockey-press was speculating which is better – to be in a game-rhythm or to have a week-long rest? Everyone received an answer after few minutes of the game one: Třinec effected more enthusiastic and fresh, the Dragons were full of movement. The Knights weren’t able to get into the game; they looked sleepy and were skating like on the start of a season.

The away team wasn’t able to keep up with their opponent and had to resort to fouls. And this was one of the major Vítkovice mistakes, because Třinec is using its power play with an amazing regularity.

And Třinec’s players proved it again: The first power play of the game for the Dragons meant the first goal for Třinec. The second power play (2-men advantage) of the home team and the score is 2-0.

Vítkovice definitively lost the game after two minutes from the second goal because a discrete action of three Třinec forwards against two defenders of Vítkovice ended with another goal in Roman Málek’s net. Adamský stayed alone with the puck, although Malík and Bartoň were in the space between him and the net. Bartoň made no mistake, he was watching Hrňa, but Malík wasn’t able to communicate with Ujčík – forward coming from an attacking zone - who will keep an eye on Adamský. No one from this couple admitted to Adamský and he could comfortably score a goal.

From an occasional action Petr Vrána scored a goal for 3-1 and this also was the score after two periods, but Jan Peterek brought back the three-goal lead to Třinec in the 45th minute.  The last sparkle of a hope came to Vítkovice one minute later when Burger pushed the puck into Hamerlík’s net, but the Třinec captain Bonk said the last word in the 48th minutes and set the final score to 5-2.

In the summary: If the long rest before the final series will help Vítkovice, it will be in the last games of the series, especially in games number 6 and 7, if they will have to play them. In a preview into the second game that will take place this evening, we can expect that Vítkovice will skate much better than in the first game after an eight days long pause and the game should be much more equal.

Martin Růžička, the European Player of March 2011, broke another record in this game: Until yesterday there was a record holder in points reached during one playoffs season Žigmund Pálffy with 26 points. Because of Růžička’s one goal and one assist, he has 28 points now on his account and is the new record holder.

 

Advanced player search

Tweets by @eurohockey