Reactions from Players and Coaches on Slovan’s Humiliation and Michaloviec’s Advancements – a Video Presentation

Michalovce defeated Slovan in all home games of the regular season and maintained this record in the quarter-final series as well. It turned out to be important that they took away a promising 1:1 from the two duels at Slovan. With subsequent victories on home ice, they stepped up to the biggest quarter-final surprise of the season. Even a 0:4 loss in the fifth game did not dent their confidence and they did not allow Slovan a single goal on home ice.

“After the fifth match of the series in Bratislava, we analyzed the duel very thoroughly. We told the players that the opening on home ice should belong to us. We tried to eliminate Slovan’s strengths. It was very important that our special formations defended the opponent. our first goal resulted, which started us off. The boys went for the win. Goalkeeper Stano Škorvánek was excellent. In the end, we won and we’re looking forward to progressing.” commented the coach of the Michalov team, Peter Kudelka.

Dávid Buc sealed the 3:0 victory with a goal into an empty net. “It was a very tough series. There were a lot of battles and both teams performed very well. The games were very even, but we broke most of them in our favor. I think we were more combative and luck was on our side. “

Slovanists entered the series with Michalovci in the position of favourites. After the regular season, they took second place, to which they fell only after the last match. Their quarter-final opponent came from the qualification, in which Michalovce eliminated Dukla Trenčín. In the end, the opponent turned out to be too much of a bite for the “Whites”, whose most important phase of the season was not in the best form.

“First of all, I congratulate the Michalovce team on the promotion. I have to admit that the coaches did a very good job with the team and prepared it very well for the playoffs. The sixth game was the weakest in the series on our part, which is paradoxical. In the first period, the Michalovce team were better, they got under pressure after our mistakes. In the second it was more balanced, we had chances, but the home team got into the game with goals. Our players were nervous about the pressure. Unfortunately, you can’t win without a goal scored.” evaluated coach Ján Pardavý.

The 2022/2023 season was his first in the position of Slovan’s helmsman. In it, the team led in the Champions League, in which Slovan lost all six matches in the basic C-group. Although he partially improved his taste with a long-term successful campaign in the regular season, after falling to 2nd place after the regular season and the subsequent quarter-final elimination, the Slavists talked about failure.

“The season was very difficult for me. Loses are part of life and you have to deal with them like a boy,” added Pardavý. His team became the first to not make it past the first round of the playoffs after finishing 2nd in the regular season. The Slavs were losing 1:3 in the series, and although they returned to it with a 4:0 home victory, they did not force a seventh game.

“Today, we were everywhere one step later than Michalovce. Instead of following up on the previous game (a 4-0 victory, note), the opposite happened. In the first period, we didn’t skate, we didn’t play with the puck. Then things got a little better, ” stated attacker Milan Kytnár. Slovan has long been one of the teams with the highest ambitions, and it was no different in the 2022/2023 season. He was eliminated for the third time in history in the quarterfinals of the Slovak Extraliga playoff. He previously missed the top four in 2006 and 2011.

“Our goal was clear – to defend the title. Being eliminated in the first round means a very bitter feeling. Unfortunately, our season ended prematurely.” remarked Kytnár.