Defender David Sklenička also shone with two goals. Hynek Zohorna scored once and assisted in two goals. The independent Czech national team gave Sweden nine goals for the first time in history. The defenders scored five goals, including Vojtěch Budík, who celebrated the first goal in the national team’s jersey.
As on Thursday in Sweden, the Swedes introduced themselves in Ostrava without the head coach Johan Garpenlöv, who is with his seriously ill father. The Czechs, to whose goal Langhamer returned after almost two and a half years, began in front of the full stands with great gusto. In his first match in preparation for the championship, Zohorn moved the puck to Sklenička and he opened the score with a shot between the concretes of goalkeeper Enroth.
“I thought the first goal was important, which was quite fast. It calmed us down and we played pretty fast hockey. I don’t think the Swedes caught up with them for a while, but it was also the goals, because the team that collects goes down a bit mentally.” said Holik.
It was settled in the sixth minute. Karlsson still missed Aman’s pass in front of the goal area, but Lang was no longer mistaken. He was soon able to return the lead to the home side after a nice penetration by Stránský, but he could not overcome Enroth. In the eighth minute, Červenka found the lone Zohorn among the circles for a while, Enroth saved the Swedes again.
A moment later, however, in the power play, Červenka reloaded Jiříček and he lost everything in front of him from the blue line. The Swedes were not saved by the coaching challenge and they had to go to four again. Although the power play remained unused, Blümel shortly after its end, after his own good ending and the intervention of the goalkeeper Enroth, prepared a puck to shoot Šulák and it was 3: 1. In the beginning of the 15th minute, Červenka finished close to the stick.
The Swedes played four to three before the break, in a completed classic power play after the break Rosdahl threatened up close, but was caught by Langhamer. In the 24th minute, the Northerners made a mistake in the pass, Holík moved the puck to Zohorn, who mastered the backhand bluff. Kellman, on the other hand, surprised Langhamer with a zero-angle ending, but the drama didn’t take place.
Half of the match came another huge mistake of the Swedes and Holík increased to 5: 2. Only 22 seconds passed and another goal was added by a successful shot with Sklenička’s wrist. After a while, Beránek hurried to Enroth himself, but in this case he did not beat him and even the arriving Flek did not succeed. Holík then increased to 7: 2 and closed his fantastic third. Olofsson answered for the Swedes. Zohorn then drove alone, but this time the Swedish goalkeeper had the upper hand in a mutual mini-fight.
At the beginning of the third twenty-minute period, Sklenička stamped a stick. Just a moment later, however, Budík spoke to the development of the score and celebrated the first national team goal. In the 48th minute, Zohorn drove alone again, but this time he didn’t mature on Enroth with a backhand bluff. In the 50th minute, Flek scored the ninth goal, but the coveted “ten” did not come.
“The team prepared well, played right tactically. I always want to see what’s behind the numbers and statistics. We put together Czech DNA, fast and clever hockey. And cohesion. Five players tried to stay compact and close together in defense and attack. “We re-sharpened the Swedes. We really moved very well. These factors determined our success,” Jalonen said.
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