The Czech hockey players won the World Cup in Riga 3: 2 in overtime and on the third attempt they received their first point gain in the basic group A. In the time of 61:23, forward Dominik Kubalík decided to escape.
Coach Filip Pešán’s charges succeeded 3: 4 with Russia and 2: 5 with Switzerland after previous losses. The next match awaits them on Thursday from 19:15 CEST against Sweden, which is still without a point after the defeats with Denmark and Belarus.
The Czechs lost to the newcomer of the elite category from the 26th minute after the goal of the New Jersey striker Jegor Šarangovič, but in the second period Jan Kovář and Filip Zadina turned the situation around. Vladislav Jerjomenko knocked home the 52 minutes into the match.
“We wanted three points. We wanted to beat our opponents, even though we knew he had played great matches and scored points like a team like Sweden. After that in the second half of the third period and in overtime we were happy to score two points. But it was very far to perfection, “said coach Pešán.
At the beginning of the match, the Belarusians were more active and Hrubec had to cover the shots of Prince, Protas and in the fifth minute Platt’s dangerous attempt. The nineteen-year-old goalkeeper Kolosov, who made his debut at the World Cup, was checked in the 6th minute by a shot from the position between the Kubalík rounds, and in the middle of the opening period the Belarusian goalkeeper also managed with attempts by Sklenička, Zadin and Stránský.
Roughly, Protas seldom checked Hrubce with the growing predominance of Pešán’s selection. Sekáč had the greatest opportunity of the first period in the 16th minute, who found himself alone in front of Kolosov, but did not shoot him through the concrete. Then he threatened twice in quick succession Smejkal. At the end of the opening period, the author of the only goal in Sunday’s match against Sweden (1: 0) Něstěrov offered the Czech team the first power play with a foul, but Zacharov’s team resisted a lot of pressure before the break.
After the Belarusians survived the weakening after the break, they were able to open the score. Sergej Kosticyn found himself in front of an open goal, but he did not hit the puck well. The Czechs defended themselves during Šulák’s sentence, but in the 26th minute they collected. The Belarusians renumbered the Czech defense, Kycyn’s pass to Prince was still blocked by Klok, but the puck got to Šarangovič and he already overcame Hrubce.
Klok has not yet used the first chance to equalize after Stránský’s pass, but in the middle of the match, after Hronek’s ideal pass, the puck directed Captain Kovář to an open goal. In the 34th minute, with Kosticyn’s disqualification, he turned the situation around again after Hronek’s assistance with a shot from the left circle through the defender Zadin. He could have raised Flek from the escape, but he did not shoot Kolosov from the escape. The Belarusians threatened sporadically.
“I’m glad it worked out. Hroňas gave it to me well there, Kovi screened well in front of the goal and the goalkeeper didn’t see it. Thanks to that, it failed there,” Zadina described.
At the beginning of the third period, during Hájek’s expulsion, Hrubec covered Kosticynov’s chance. A long passage followed without great opportunity, but gradually the Belarusians began to threaten more. Platt had a couple of good opportunities to reply, but the home team’s keeper Jerjomenko just wouldn’t surrender. The attempt to pull the victory back to the Czech side by the end of the basic playing time was in vain.
The Belarusians threatened the extension first. Bailen tried twice to decide, and Hrubec coped with Platt’s attempt. However, the Czechs rejoiced when Hanzl pushed Kubalík into the escape, who sent a puck into the goal with a bluff to the backhand.
“We are happy for two points. I believe it will kick us into the next match, we will make the right decisions, we will keep it and we will play easier. Let’s hope we score more goals in regular time than two as we do today. But I think we they did a good job in the team, we pulled on one rope, “said striker Zadina.
CR – Belarus 3: 2 in overtime (0:0, 2:1, 0:1 – 1:0)
Goals and recordings: 30. Jan Kovář (Hronek, Moravčík), 34. Zadina (Hronek), 62. D. Kubalík (R. Hanzl, Hrubec) – 26. Šarangovič (S. Kosticyn), 52. Jerjomenko (Lopačuk, Šinkevič ). Judges: Björk (Sweden), Frandsen (Denmark) – Lundgren, Yletyinen (both Sweden). Exclusion: 2: 2. Utilization: 1: 0. No spectators.
CR: Hrubec – Hronek, D. Musil, Klok, Hajek, D. Sklenicka, Sulak, Moravcik – Zadina, Jan Kovar, D. Kubalik – M. Stransky, M. Spacek, J. Vrana – Flek, Chytil, Sekac – A Musil, R. Hanzl, Smejkal. Coaches: Filip Pešán, Martin Straka and Jaroslav Špaček.
Belarus: Kolosov – Chenkel, Falkovsky, Antonov, Znacharenko, Korobov, Bailen, Yeromenenko, Shinkevich – S. Kosticyn, Sharangovich, Prince – Protas, Drozd, Komarov – Pare, Kodola, Platt – Stefanovich, G. Nesterov, Lopachuk. Coaches: Mikhail Zakharov, Dmitry Kaprikov, Mikhail Kravtsev and Vladimir Vorobyov.
– .
