Home » Sport » GLOSSARY OF HELSINKI: Returning to Tampere was only the first step. The medal still hangs very high

GLOSSARY OF HELSINKI: Returning to Tampere was only the first step. The medal still hangs very high

When the national team wins at least one more match, it will end the longest medal fast in history, which has lasted since 2012. In the meantime, the Czech Republic managed to open the gate to the semifinals three times, but the potato always came out of it. The players and coach Jalonen therefore talk about the fact that they took only the first step by advancing through the Germans.

And they are right. The medal, which suddenly seems unexpectedly close, still hangs very high and is a long way to go. He leads first over the Canadian hurdle and the example of the Swedes, who did not even have a 3-0 lead in the quarterfinals after the second period, warning that the defending champions do not give up under any circumstances and are never written off.

Ice Hockey World Championship 2022: Pastrňák’s goal against GermanyVideo: CT sport, SPORT.CZ

Moreover, it is certainly no coincidence that the Czechia has met Canada eight times in the World Cup in the last 15 years and defeated it only during its golden campaign in 2010 during the farewell to the group in Mannheim. If it hit the hockey cradle’s scalp on Saturday night in Tampere, it would be a really good reason to rejoice.

Because the representatives will already have a treasure in their pocket that no one has brought to the Czech Republic for ten years. And if they fail, they will get another chance in the bronze medal match against the loser from the Finland-USA duel on Sunday afternoon.

However, with players relentlessly adhering to the system and working hard, the path to the coveted precious metal can be viable.

PŘÍKLEP EXTRA – hockey studio Sport.cz this time with Radek Duda and Jan NovákVideo: Sport.cz

If the Czechs can continue to lean on goalkeeper Karel Vejmelka, who lost 129 minutes in the quarterfinals in the quarterfinals, but for ten days in the tournament he has maintained the average goal scored per match, which he caught five during that time.

Of course, he is helped by exemplary defending teammates, and the great determination, dedication to the maximum and the desire to fight for the puck and not be afraid to undergo a personal duel, in popular terms to eat ice, incredibly enhance the team spirit of the Czech national team.

Photo: Michal Kamaryt, CTK

Tomas Hertl in defensive work during the match with GermanyPhoto: Michal Kamaryt, CTK

And then there is the elite offensive line, which is one of the most productive players in the entire championship. The author of the winning quarterfinal goal Roman Červenka (4 + 10) reigns supreme in the Canadian scoring, the second most diligent recorder of the tournament David Krejčí has ​​already improved to 2 + 8 and he is in fifth place. David Pastrňák’s 4 + 3 balance from just five matches is also respectable. The discovery of the Matěj Blümel tournament (4 + 4) cannot be forgotten either. But with a classic, will this be enough?

I’m almost afraid not. That it will simply be necessary for others to join in the offensive speech, but again hand on heart, with the exception of Gudas, Voráček and Palát, contemporary Czech hockey probably cannot offer better quality. And it’s nice that the personalities of the national team live up to their reputation.

The clear hunger of the players after the success can also be important, this year’s play by Pastrňák is a reading example. He flew in from the NHL for the fourth time to help the national team at the World Cup. Between 2016 and 2018, he bit the quarterfinal setbacks in various ways. In addition, he never added a hand to the work at the crucial moment, he never scored a goal in the quarterfinals.

In Helsinki against the Germans, he could feel from the first moment how he wanted to change that and not experience an early end in the tournament. Upon arrival, Pastrňák managed to pump not only optimism and good mood into the Czech cabin, disguised by embarrassment with the Austrians, but also much-needed self-confidence.

Ace of the match: Evaluation of the quarterfinals with Germany in the show PŘÍKLEP EXTRA.Video: Sport.cz

His two ageless linemates are playing on the ice with as much interest as the Boston 88. Krejčí and Červenka’s 36-year-old motivation is obvious in the form of perhaps the last chance for a medal. At the same time, only the two of the current staff already have one of the World Championships, the captain even the gold from 2010.

Nevertheless, they are struggling like an undead, trying to tear them down, or if you want to infect everyone else. If this hockey infection spreads to the whole team at the weekend at an even higher rate than during the quarterfinals, the Czechs can really hang something shiny on their necks on Sunday.

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