16.01.2017 - Petra Pilbauerová

The rematch with Växjö Lakers is coming!

Sparta got a home win over Karlovy Vary 2-1 in overtime was followed by a 3-2 victory in Pilsen also in the extra period. The two-point wins over the lower-placed teams keep Sparta inside the Extraliga´s top five. But now, semi-final rematch against Växjö Lakers is comming up. Who is going to the final of Champions Hockey League?

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Sparta began the season by playing the first CHL game in Poland and took a high win 7-2 on the road. The next was Färjestad Karlstad on home ice, and the Swedish club struck twice in the third to win 2-1. In the return game with Cracovia, Sparta fired 65 shots on goal, but the game was tied closely 4-4 before a power-play goal decided it in Sparta´s victory. In their last game in Karlstad, Sparta needed a regulation win, but it was not so easy. They got to the overtime but the situation turned around for them and Sparta won, but Färjestad´s win over Cracovia in the last game dropped Sparta to the second place.

In the Round of 32 against Kärpät Oulu the team gave up only 1 goal on 37 shots over more than 120 minutes of hockey, and won the series in overtime. Then in the Round of 16, Sparta lost 2-4 at home to HV71 Jonkoping, but destroying win 5-0 in Sweden to take the series on aggregate. Then after opening the Quarter-Finals with a 1-1 tie in Bern, won 4-1 at home the following week and thanks to that secure their spot in the Semi-Finals.

The lone Czech club to have made it this far in the CHL playoffs took another big step to close to the final, as Sparta Prague beated Växjä Lakers 2-1 in Sweden. They shocked the Lakers with two goals inside the opening 13 minutes. Just 1:16 was on the board when Martin Gernat shot the first goal of Sparta.

“We got a 2-on-1 and I was skating through the goalie for the rebound,” Gernat described.“The second rebound hit his pad and I just tried to hit the puck in the air. It went in and it was quite a lucky goal but it counts." Sparta doubled its advantage just over ten minutes later, as Lukas Cingel got he puck to an open Kudrna at the side of the net for the 2-0 lead.

“Lukas Cingel had the puck behind the net and he tried to pass it to me,” Kudrna described. “The puck somehow got to me and I just tried to shoot it and it went in. We got a little bit lucky. After that I think that we played very well defensively and our goalie had a very good game.”

That late goal by Hennessy gives the Lakers a chance which may be very important for the Swedish club on 17 January. Heading into their home arena Sparta should be feeling confident as it looks to become the first Czech club to reach the CHL Final.

About Sparta´s strategy at home next week, Gernat said, “We can’t get afraid to play the game. We have to play our game, skate with them and try to score as many goals as we can. We’ll see what happens there.”

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