In the fifth match, the hockey players of Kladno defeated the quarterfinals of the first league at home in Slavia 6: 4 and after winning the 4: 1 series they became the second semifinalists after Poruba. Tomáš Plekanec helped with three points per goal and two assists.
Unlike the Prague team, Jihlava and Vrchlabí diverted the end of the season in domestic matches. Dukla defeated Litoměřice 4: 2 and newcomer Vrchlabí won by 6: 2 over Vsetín. The series will continue on Sunday on the opponents’ ice.
The winner of the basic part of Kladno, which is trying to return to the extra league after last year’s descent, lost to Slavia 0: 3 and 3: 4, but in the end stretched a series of domestic wins in the season to 18 matches. The Knights lost on Slavia for the last time on September 16 with Slavia (2: 4).
The Kladno team had a chance to open the score in the 14th minute, but Tomáš Guman did not turn the penalty shot. At 15:39, Slavia rejoiced when Jaroslav Brož hit himself. In the middle of the second period, David Šteiner increased from the left circle and Jiří Doležal added another goal in 151 seconds.
From the 36th and 38th minutes, however, the Knights erased the loss within 81 seconds. Plekanec overcame Martin Michajlov from a escape with a bluff to the forehand, then Ondřej Machala hit the position between the rings and Tomáš Pitule prevailed in a duel with Petr Kafka.
Slavia returned the lead in the 49th minute in a power play with a goal from the blue line Jiří Říha, but 42 seconds after the work of the forty-nine-year-old Knights’ owner Jaromír Jágr, Machala scored again between the circles.
A minute and a half before the end, Adam Kubík decided in an overpowering game of five against three in the penalties of Filip Kuťák and Daniel Krejčí, and nine seconds before the end, Nicolas Hlava sealed the result into an empty goal during power play.
After the basic part, the second Jihlava against Litoměřice first lost the lead, after in the opening act three goals fell in quick succession. In the 14th minute, the defender Filip Dundáček opened the score, but in 18 seconds Matěj Toman equalized with a shot from the right circle and in another 28 seconds the lone Lukáš Stehlík turned the situation around.
Dukla answered after 41 seconds of the third period, when Tomáš Krále overcame Josef Skořepa from the position between the rings, who also used the power play and scored the winning goal in the 44th minute after a foul by the Litoměřice goalkeeper. Matěj Pekr also insured Jihlava’s win during power play.
Vrchlabí, like Dukla, failed three times in a row after the initial win in the series, but did not allow the end of the season. In the middle of the opening period, he led thanks to the goals of Tomáš Zeman and Ondřej Chrtek, but in the 15th minute David Klímek reduced in the power play and in the time of 23:47 Ondřej Smetana equalized.
In 99 seconds, however, Patrik Urban charged Pavel Mrň for the left circle, who regained the home lead. In the 35th minute, the defender Ján Niko took advantage of Urban’s next pass and the home team confirmed the result less than four minutes before the end. David Chalupa turned the escape into a backhand into a goal and in half a minute Martin Heřman scored into an empty goal.
First Hockey League Playoff Quarterfinals – Match 5:
Kladno – Slavia Prague 6: 4 (0:1, 3:2, 3:1)
Goals: 37th and 49th O. Machala, 36th Plekanec, 38th Pitule, 59th Kubík, 60th Head – 16th Jaroslav Brož, 30th Steiner, 33rd J. Doležal, 49th J. Říha. Judges: Petružálek, Wagner – Štofa, Beneš. Exclusion: 9: 8. Utilization: 2: 1. In weakness: 0: 1. No spectators. Final score of the series: 4: 1.
Jihlava – Litomerice 4: 2 (1:2, 0:0, 3:0)
Goals: 41. and 44. Skořepa, 14. Dundáček, 60. Pekr – 14. M. Toman, 14. L. Stehlík. Judges: Zubzanda, Šindel – Jindra, Šimánek. Exclusion: 5: 4, in addition Jiránek 10 min. and until the end of the match – Háva 10 min. Utilization: 1: 0. No spectators. Series status: 2: 3.
Vrchlabi – Vsetin 6: 2 (2:1, 2:1, 2:0)
Goals: 6. T. Zeman, 11. Chrtek, 26. Mrňa, 35. Niko, 57. D. Chalupa, 57. M. Heřman – 15. Klímek, 24. O. Smetana. Judges: Souček, Hucl – Flegl, Maštalíř. Exclusion: 7: 8. Utilization: 1: 1. In weakness: 0: 1. No spectators. Series status: 2: 3.
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