Ice Hockey World Cup 2022 | Finland – Czechia 2: 1 SN, Huge drama for Finns! The national team lost in the first match of the Czech Games after the raids

For the national team, a really sharp test came just two weeks before the start of the championship. The Finns faced him with fifteen Olympic winners in the lineup. However, the home team, whose roster for the Czech Hockey Games consists of a total of 29 names, had the support of almost nine thousand spectators in the crowded Ostravar Arena and fought a brave fight with a big favorite.

From the representatives present at the Ostrava camp, who have not yet intervened in the preparatory matches, on Thursday Červenka, M. Stránský and M. Špaček and defender Šulák jumped in. And they were among the best.

The other two players who also took part in the preparation for the World Cup this week, goalkeeper Langhamer and striker H. Zohorn, should present themselves at the Ostrava tournament this weekend. The Krejčí Center in Ostrava is still training with the team and will not intervene in the matches.

The excellent movement of the Finns and their great blue line defenses caused the Czech team problems in the first period and the opponent took the lead when Hartikainen punished Budík’s expulsion by ending a quick power play combination.

Before that, the Czechs also played in the numerical advantage, with Pesonen sitting on the penalty bench for playing with a high stick twice for two minutes, but this did not affect the score. Chances of Červenka and Černoch did not lead to a goal, and when the Czechs did get the puck behind the line, Smejkal illegally screened in the goal area.

“It just lacked a more accurate shot or a better handling of a bounced puck. The Finns, on the other hand, played their power play very easily and ended it with a great shot in the lid, “said defender David Jiříček, who is only 18.5 years old, but despite his age he was given a significant space on the ice.

Since the second period, the Czech team has changed its hockey performance a lot. By far more compact game, built on better skating and mutual help, the whole five put the Finns under pressure. The home team carried out the coach’s match plan in an exemplary manner, holding on to the puck and their activity forced Olkinuor to make thirteen hits in only the middle act. In total, the opponent’s goalkeeper had to show thirty-two.

Špaček equalized in the 27th minute, but only hit the bar up close. Finland, relying on its tactics, carefully defended its tight lead. Nevertheless, even before the second break with Mexican waves, the fans woke up in the auditorium with a well-deserved Czech goal.

Maninen went to the penalty box for the trip, and it was 75 seconds before the end of the third, when Captain Červenka, with a puck on his stick, raised his head and saw the black man who had pierced Olkinuor between the circles in an ideal position. The Karlovy Vary center scored the fourth goal in preparation for this year’s World Cup.

The Finns could immediately regain the lead with the elimination of Ščotka, but the Czechs were closer to scoring thanks to the breaks in weakening. However, after renumbering Smejkal, the black man sent a backhand bluff over the goal and Blümel got so close in front of Olkinuor that he could not find room to finish.

The Czech team, strongly supported by the spectators, rose to the best performance in the entire preparation period, and a great hockey battle took place on the Vítkovice ice, during which the home team did not lag behind the golden Finnish boys from Beijing.

Goalkeeper Lukeš, who originally left the preparation for the World Cup last week with a coach’s verdict, to return after the injury of the invited Malík and get an unexpected opportunity to catch against Finland, showed a total of thirty successful hits. When he was overcome in the 47th minute, the defender Budík intervened promptly for him. On the other hand, Červenka had a decision on the stick, but failed.

Both units thus entered one point in the table. The bonus, which belongs to the winner as a reward, was fought for five minutes in a three-on-three setting. The national team was more active in it, but Olkinuora seized all three chances, so the raids took place.

Thanks to the hit of their defenders, the Finns gained a two-goal lead, but then, under the pressure of the need to transform, two Czech shooters succeeded. Červenka finished perfectly above the catcher, Smejkal also came out of the bluff. But they didn’t succeed in repeating, fortunately Vatanen and Kaski, too.

In the end, it was Manninen who started the whole long shot with a shot, who determined the winner during a repeated attempt, and the Czech team had to freeze the upper pole sounding after Stránský’s raid.

In their opening match of the Czech Games, the Swedish hockey players defeated the home team Austria 1: 0. The match played in Vienna was decided in the 46th minute by the power play Linus Karlsson. On Saturday, the Northerners will face the Czech Republic in Ostrava.

In the third tournament of the Euro Hockey Tour series, Austria replaced Russia, which was excluded from international hockey events after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The match in the Austrian capital offered a minimum of chances. In the 25th minute, Raffl stretched from the intermediate ring from the first and narrowly missed the Swedish goal. Karlsson was a disappointment, however.

Tre kronor decided to win in the 46th minute, when after 25 seconds they took advantage of the numerical advantage. Karlsson stretched out in front of the ring and with a blow under the top bar gave his team a full point gain.