Slovakian hockey player Martin Pospíšil has a game behind him that should have taught him something. The Calgary Flames coach put him on the bench in the second period and did not play him. Why did he do that? He explained it after the match.
Pospíšil played six substitutions in the first period, only one in the second. Already in the first third he went to the penalty bench for tripping, then in the second for holding. Just after the second penalty, Ryan Huska sat him down.
“It wasn’t about his game, it was good, but when you get two offensive fouls, it just doesn’t work… It’s different when you go to the penalty box for physical play, but when you go for holding or hooking it’s not good.” said the head coach after the match at the press conference.
For the fourth time in history, all 32 NHL teams participated in the game at night. Five Slovak hockey players also skated on the ice. Martin Fehérváry, Šimon Nemec and Tomáš Tatar gained points.
However, he had already used him in the third period, played seven substitutions in it and was on the ice twice in overtime. “I thought I’d only sit him for the rest of the second period because we need him. He brings more speed to our game than anyone else. Maybe he’ll understand. Suspensions for physical play are different, because that’s what his hockey is about, but not the ones you can control and they are lazy suspensions and we cannot accept something like that as a team. So we can say that he was such a scapegoat today.” Huska added.
Calgary finally won 4-3 after overtime, Pittsburgh scored one goal during Pospíšil’s suspension. After six games, the Flames still have only one loss. Pospíšil has five points (1+4) after six duels.
