Although the visitors withstood the initial onslaught from Pilsen, in the 7th minute Rekonen opened the scoring by stopping Baránka’s shot. The more active home team could have increased the lead in the 13th minute, but Pour’s shot only hit the left post.
Liberec couldn’t keep up with their opponents in skating. Honejsk’s attempt from the circle was still saved by goalkeeper Kváč, but in the 18th minute, when Kolmann was sent off, Hrabík added the second goal by deflecting Blomstrand’s shot. But then Zámorský went to the penalty bench and 51 seconds before the first siren, Flynn reduced the score to 1:2 with a quick volley from the right circle.
The awakened guests dominated the beginning of the middle part, and in the 26th minute, during the numerical advantage, forward Filippi shot through Svoboda from the right circle. The home goalkeeper was lucky to stop Melancon’s shot from the blue line. On the other side, Schleiss threatened again only halfway through the game with a cheeky penetration with a weak finish.
On the contrary, in the 34th minute, only Svoboda’s right concrete saved the situation for the Indians after Birner’s skillful run. Piskáček shot dangerously from the counterattack and in the 35th minute Kváč miraculously pushed out Mertl’s shot heading for the net during a jam around his goal area.
In the final 20 minutes, the home team did not take advantage of two numerical advantages, and in the 49th minute, during a penalty, Baránek completed the penetration of the active Filippi Ordoš with a shot to make it 3:2. The Indians opened the game in an attempt to find a quick answer, and in the 53rd minute, after a beautiful combination with Rychlovský, Ordoš punished them with the fourth goal. The Tigers then waited out chances from Beránek and Schleiss and the final Pilsen power play. The Indians thus lost the fourth of the last five games.
| HC Škoda Plzeň – White Tigers Liberec 2:4 (2:1, 0:1, 0:2) |
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| Goals and assists: 8. Rekonen (Baránek, Zámorský), 18. Hrabík (Blomstrand, Baránek) – 20. Flynn (Balinskis, A. Najman), 26. Filippi (Melancon, Birner), 49. Filippi (Ordoš), 53 Ordoš (Rychlovský, P. Jelínek). Referee: Hradil, Jaroš – Brejcha, Malý. Exclusion: 5:5. Usage: 1:3. Viewers: 4237. |
| Pilsen: M. Svoboda – Zámorský, Baránek, Piskáček, Jaroměřský, Kvasnička, Houdek – Pour, Suchý, Hrabík – Rekonen, Honejsek, Schleiss – Holešinský, Mertl, M. Beránek – Blomstrand, Bitten, A. Dvořák Coach: Kořínek. |
| Liberec: Kváča – Nedomlel, Balinskis, Melancon, Derner, Kolmann, M. Ivan – Faško-Rudaš, Filippi, Birner – Flynn, A. Najman, Frolík – Rychlovský, P. Jelínek, Ordoš – Dlouhý, Šír, J. Vlach. Coach: Augusta. |
