In the quarter-finals, although Mountfield played one game less than their opponent, they still put up a lot of effort against the White Tigers. “It hurt a lot. It wasn’t easy. All matches were tied and decided by a single goal. Luck was on our side. But we wanted more progress,” claimed Jank.
Although he does not belong to the offensive backs, he helped to decide the tense series in the fifth duel with a goal after returning from the penalty bench. The East Bohemians thus overcame the cursed quarter-finals, which had already stopped them six times. “I’m glad that we made up for the failure from last season,” Jank recalled the collapse of Mountfield, who then lost to Mlada Boleslaví as the winner of the regular season.
“And maybe we’re not done yet and it’s just the beginning of something beautiful. Something that has never happened in Hradec,” he smiled. The Hradec fans have yet to experience an extra league final, let alone a title. “They are chasing us. When I went to town to shop, people stopped me. They are really looking forward to the semi-finals. And so are we ,” revealed the 30-year-old defender. “Two days off was enough for us and we wanted to play again, immediately the rumbling in the stomach came again. He exudes energy from all the guys,” he continued.
The recipe for Vítkovice will lead again through good skating and active play on the disc. “When we lock them down, their big backs run out of oxygen. This is the way. We have to turn the game around quickly and play in their zone as much as possible so that they lose their strength,” said the native of Písek.
However, he realizes that the strength of the opponent is overwhelming. “Vítkovice constantly play excellent defense. And it reflects on individuals who can decide matches. It will be very difficult,” said the 100-kilogram burly back.
According to him, the performance of the goalkeepers will be a key factor. “The series is always decided by them. It depends on them,” said Jank. While Ridera relies on Aleš Stezka, Hradec has a balanced pair of Henri Kiviaho and Matěj Machovský, who jumped from the second quarter-final duel and has not yet known the bitterness of defeat.
“I am very happy that we have such goalkeepers. Kivi showed it throughout the regular season. And Machy literally shut the gate in the playoffs and grabbed the chance by the scruff of the neck. He is sure and self-confident,” appreciated Jank.
