“Until now, I haven’t had the honor and I would never have thought that I could ever be one,” confides the hockey player, who took over from Lukáš Krenželok at the end of the regular season. solved and it was rather Lukáš’s decision. It’s just the way it is. I have the responsibility and I have to return it on the ice,” says Lakatoš.
From the Vítkovic line-up, it is often he who experiences the match the most. Does he have to tame his emotions a lot? “As a captain, I can talk to the referees and I try to do it politely. But sometimes words are heard in emotions that I shouldn’t say. But that’s part of it,” smiles Lakatoš.
Vítkovič finished the regular part of the season in second place, Hradec Králové was fourth. In the regular matches, the East Bohemians were more successful (3:2 after raids, 2:5, 4:3 in overtime and 5:2). “It will be the same match, the same series as the one with Brno. It will be tough, a fight to the end,” thinks Lakatoš.
Photo: Václav Šálek, CTK
The players of Vítkovice are rejoicing in the victory.
Vítkovice and Hradec Králové meet for the very first time in the elimination part of the competition. “They have excellent skaters, they play together a lot, they can get along. I watched the series with Liberec and they were very good in it. However, we play a different style of hockey than Liberec and I think it will be uncomfortable for them,” captain Vítkovic is clear.
And he immediately added what should apply to the opponent in the semi-finals. “It’s always an advantage to score the first goal, one hundred percent in the playoffs. But the key to success is goalkeepers. We have a great Aleš Stezek, who keeps us going in difficult moments and we can lean on him,” reminds Lakatoš.
Extraliga will have one unexpected finalist. Passage from the program PříklepVideo: Sport.cz
Hradečtí started the series with Liberec in goal with Finn Henri Kiviah, who was replaced by Matěj Machovský after the initial defeat and did not suffer another defeat. The East Bohemians eliminated Liberec 4:1 for the matches. “Each one of us has practiced a certain shooting, where we shoot best and what is the most natural for us. The goalkeeping coach (Martin Falter) will certainly help us as well, who will analyze individual goalkeepers and advise us,” Lakatoš is looking for a recipe for Machovský, an Opava protege.
According to him, the team is excited about the semi-final battles, in which the Vítkovic team will intervene after twelve years. “We have great success within reach and we don’t want to stop now. We have more to do and we want more,” emphasizes hockey player Vítkovic, who already knows what it’s like to lift the cup for the champion of the extra league over his head at the end of the season. In the 2015/2016 season, he was a member of the team of the championship team Liberec.
