Valábik to bolster the Blaze blue-line

Valábik reached the Kazakh Final with Arlan last season,
scoring 20 points in 33 games in the process
Photo: etemirtau.com

Last week the Coventry Blaze got pulses racing when they announced the signing of 29-year old Slovak defenceman, Boris Valábik. The Nitra native, who stands a mightily impressive 201cm joins the Blaze with 80 NHL games to his credit as a member of the now-defunct Atlanta Thrashers, before returning to Europe in 2012. Most recently, Valábik plied his trade for Arlan Kokshetau in the Kazakh Championship, where he was signed as a replacement for Ben O'Connor (not directly, obviously), whilst also being a team-mate of former much-heralded Blaze blue-liner Dustin Wood.

Anyone with an internet connection has probably already seen some of Valábik's fight videos on YouTube, and that's not really my interest in this article here. I tweeted quite extensively on the day the Blaze signed Valábik. See below:

And from what I remember, the guy is a pretty decent skater, just takes a while to get going.

— Jon Rowson (@JonRowson) July 13, 2015

On Arlan's depth charts, Dustin Wood was first pairing ahead of him. Can't find any info as to why Valábik played only 8 of Arlan's PO games

— Jon Rowson (@JonRowson) July 13, 2015

Key for Valábik this year will be staying healthy though. Had multiple knee surgeries already, and back troubles in 2013/14.

— Jon Rowson (@JonRowson) July 13, 2015

I watched Valábik a number of times whilst he played for Kometa Brno in 2012/13, and even on the big ice, in an incredible quick league such as the Czech Extraliga, Valábik looked more than competent. The simple fact is, that a guy of his size, with his nose for physicality, would be playing in the NHL if it weren't for his skating. However, in the EIHL, a much slower league than the majority of other European leagues, coupled with the smaller ice surface which he will play on for the majority of his games, I think this signing makes sense. Often the Devils are praised for signing a hard-nosed team for the "small ice" of the Big Blue Tent. Why not the Blaze in the case of Valábik?

Now. Where am I going with this? I don't particularly want to go too in depth with my critique/thoughts as I haven't seen the guy play live for two years, whilst also, if my opinions were 100% correct, I'd be in the hockey business rather than writing on a blog. Additionally, I feel that it is a little terse to comment on Valábik before the Blaze have completed their defence line-up, and to see how he compliments Godfrey, Jorgensen, Quesnele, Chalmers and (when he's available) Clements.

However, seeing as the Blaze press release lacked an interview with Valábik, and I stumbled upon an interview in Slovak with the Nitra native on a Slovak hockey site this evening (link: dated 14/07/2015) which I thought would be a good read for Blaze fans, especially as it reveals some rather interesting information.

(Ed note: Before I start, a quick note of thanks to Tomáš Kmec [@Tomas_Kmec] for his help in interpreting parts of the article beyond my literal translation skills. This translation will be by no means 100%, and I will always go for a looser translation more to do with the tone of the article. My additions are within square brackets)

Hokejportal: During the last season, in an interview with Hokejportal, you described some wild practices in Kazakhstan with Karaganda. After a few days you asked us to withdraw the interview from the site. Can you say the reasons a few months later?
Boris Valábik: The agent, whom I worked with in Kazakhstan, asked me to withdraw the interview. I don't know why exactly, but he simply asked me, so I agreed. It certainly was not a good advertisement [for the Kazakh League], and I did not want to cause harm. It was a Latvian who works in Kazakhstan.

HP:You were not going to play in Kazakhstan this season?
BV: Not really. The financial capacity of the clubs has reduced significantly, closely linked to the financial crisis and the oil price. The teams there are highly dependent on oil, and the possibilities to finance sport are therefore reduced. They want to provide sport for people, but it does not matter what the league quality will be. They are not willing to give a player more money despite reducing the import quota. Now a team can only have five foreigners. Last season teams could ice 11 imports in each game, and I think there was one team with 14 imports on their roster. When all can't play, it doesn't make for a good environment in the locker room because there are significant bonuses for winning games.

HP: What in the end made you decide to sign in Coventry?
BV: I signed only on Monday [last week], and Coventry confirmed it very quickly. I was surprised because I signed an open contract*. Until the end of July, there is the possibility of finding something else, I can go. I debated moving home to Nitra and I am still thinking. But I wanted to have something in my hand, so I signed for them [Coventry]. They met all my requests so much so that it would have been stupid for me not to sign with them. What I desired, they fulfilled. Whether it be financial, or anything else.

HP: The terms were very good?
BV: My agent was surprised how good they were. I had no reason to say no. I know nothing about the British League. I have received some information from former team-mates from my time overseas. They told me that the level is higher than expected. A month ago, I was talking with another British team [seemingly Sheffield], but I said no. In the end I gratefully accepted Coventry's offer. I might surprise myself, but I am still searching for a team as the contract is open.

HP: People say that the British League is poor
BV: They say that, but I don't listen. What people say is secondary for me. I cared when I was 18, but not now. Even when I played in the NHL, I found people swore at me. Whether I was at the World Championships, winning in the AHL, I always found some who saw something bad in me. If I gave in to what people said, I would never be drafted, I wouldn't have played in the NHL and would have been sitting in an office somewhere today. If I paid attention to the words of people, my life would have taken a completely different direction.

HP: You mentioned interest with Nitra, can you elaborate?
BV: I am still in touch with Miroslav Kováčik and we will certainly talk. I'm not denying that at all. I know a lot of the guys on the team right now, and Miroslav seems to me like a man in the right place. England gives me a better financial offer, but I'm at home in Nitra, playing in the Champions League. Everything has its pros and cons, I still have to decide.

Reading this first interview, I was intrigued about Valábik's contract situation and the concept of an "open contract". What I presume this to stand for is the typical two-week notice period that Valábik could, if he so chooses, hand in his two weeks notice, seemingly before the end of July, and sign with Nitra if they match the financial offer. It seems to be a bit of a strange scenario, but it remains to be seen. Clearly, this article is for a Slovak audience, so this perhaps explains the continued discussion of the option of moving to Nitra.

Valábik scored 1+2 on his debut for Piešťany in 2013,
including an overtime winner
Photo: TASR/Čas.sk

However, thankfully pravda.sk conducted another interview with Mr. Valábik at the time of the signing which provides more information about this "open contract", as well as who he snubbed in the lead up to signing in Coventry.

Pravda: Why did you decide to sign in Coventry?
Boris Valábik: The first word that comes to mind is stability. One month ago, I declined an offer from the Nottingham Panthers. However, I still kept the EIHL in mind. I began to take an interest and my former team-mates gave it praise. People from their club called me every day and convinced me that they wanted me. Most importantly, the club always pays its players on tie, the full amount.

Pravda: Were there other teams competing for your services?
BV: There were, and are still offers. I have a clause in my contract that if I receive a better deal I can leave. Currently I am debating an offer from Nitra. Playing at home is a massive draw. However, at my age, it is mainly about the money. I look at hockey pragmatically, I want to restart my career.

P: What do you know about the British EIHL?
BV: Firstly, I was surprised that a few hours after signing the contract, I received calls from my friends Branislav Mezei and Ivan Čiernik. The marketing is at a good level there. They immediately wanted me to have a Twitter account so I could interact with the fans. I heard that the league is physically tough, there are many foreign hockey players, and I won't shy away from fighting, although I have slightly calmed down. But I have always been the type to provoke things on the ice.

P: How will you remember your season in Kazakhstan?
BV: It was an interesting experience that opened my eyes. I went to Kazakhstan purely for the money. I went through three clubs. The whole sport and life in the country is linked to oil. As its price dropped, there was less money for sport and it has made a big impact on the league for next season.

P: You have had injury problems for a lot of your career, how do you deal with it?
BV: It's challenging. Few people know that I played almost my entire NHL career hurt. Torn pectoral muscle, shoulder sprains, a sprained ankle, which I convinced myself I could play with. Within five years I had six operations. I appreciate my health more now, especially now that I am healthy and I don't have any problems at present.

P: Have you reconciled with the enforcer label that followed you in the NHL?
BV: I was a defensive defenceman. I did not score a lot of points, so therefore the media only reacted when I fought. I was not a typical enforcer. I always defended team-mates when it was needed. I never started a fight over an argument or during the warm-up. I admit that maybe I was not able to concentrate on my normal game as much whilst I had such a reputation

[Ed: The interview goes on to ask a number of more questions about his NHL career, but I've limited it to just what I think is relevant for Valábik's time in the EIHL].

Obviously the picture is a little clearer with the help of that second interview. Valábik, like I think a large number of players in the EIHL has a clause (typical two-week release clause) which allows him to leave for a better offer. Therefore, I don't think this is anything for Blaze fans to get too worried about.

All in all, Valábik looks like he will be donning a Blaze jersey come September, and I can think of many of the Skydome faithful who will be delighted to see that, especially if he puts in performances like his debut for Piešťany in 2013/14. Two assists and the overtime winner:

,

Vítame vás, Boris. Veľa šťastia v Anglicku!

Why the Czech Extraliga is the best in the world.

It's like an addiction at the moment. Every day, at around quarter past five I set my browser to www.tvtipsport.cz in wait of the next Czech Extraliga playoff game. Now at the semi final stage, with both series' looking like they are heading for seven games, I'm basking in the glory of watching what is in my opinion, the best hockey league in the world. Yes, the NHL, KHL and probably even the Elitserien, SM-Liiga and NLA have more talented players. Yes, the quality of the hockey on a technical level is probably  better in all of those aforementioned leagues. However, after watching a large amount of the KHL this year due to my Slovan commitments, and also having a resurgent interest in watching the NHL due to the performances of the Ottawa Senators, I will hands down say that you could give me a relegation play-out game between Liberec and Olomouc over any of the other leagues.

The enthusiasm and passion of the fans is summed up
by the raucous lot from Kometa Brno
Photo: Ivo Dostál

'Well you are a blogger on Czech hockey, of course you'll want to watch that league more'. Yes, that could be true, but while my long standing interest (dating back to my first game, a Prague derby between Slavia and Sparta in October 2006) in Czech and Slovak hockey makes me perhaps more receptive to that league due to my knowledge of the players and the teams, I can honestly say that come playoff time, the Czech Extraliga is the most entertaining hockey you will see. I make no apologies for being a Slavia fan. Throughout the years I have probably been to around twenty Slavia games and have enjoyed every one. Even the 6:0 spanking by Vitkovice with Milan Hnilička in goal in 2009 was an enjoyable game. However, I'm finding the second semi final series, between PSG Zlín and Oceláři Třinec to be as equally thrilling. Zlín, lead the series 3:2, but the two games they lost, they got dominated by the immensely talented Třinec forwards, losing Games 2 and 5 6:2 and 6:1 respectively.

But what makes the hockey so great? Why does this nobody want to lecture me on the best hockey? Honestly, I can't really tell you what makes it so great. Come playoff time though, there's one word that sums up the Extraliga. Passion. You can see it on the faces of every player. Every goal is celebrated to the fullest, and although the term giving 110% gets thrown around far too often, with these players, they truly are giving everything and more in order to bring their team to victory. There is also an incredible parity in the league, which means that you can never count any team out. After looking dreadful in Game 1, losing 3:0 at the o2 Arena to Slavia, Plzeň, led by former NHL stalwart Martin Straka, won Games 2 and 3 and looked to have the upper hand, only to lose Game 4. It is this same sort of parity which sees Liberec, who have been consistently one of the best teams in the regular season over the past four years, now playing in the relegation playoffs. The two finalists from last year, Pardubice and Kometa Brno are both out of contention, while Sparta Praha, who were sitting bottom of the table in November, ended up making the playoffs and losing in seven games in the quarter finals. I go into every game I watch never knowing who is going to win, and I've lost far too much money over the years trying to use my knowledge on betting, only to lose my winnings to a last minute goal or the like.

My favourite hockey photo. Tomáš Svoboda after scoring
the game tying goal vs Liberec in the 2011 Playoffs.
Photo: Michal Beránek

So are you going to see the best quality hockey from a technical level? No. No you're not. The Extraliga is often a very offensively inclined league. Goals are often scored in abundance, and teams often look for a good defensive unit as the third priority between a potent offence and a lights out netminder. You'll very rarely see a netminder with a save percentage under 2.00, yet save percentages stretch into the 0.930s regularly, highlighting that these teams love to shoot the puck. Yes, you're not going to get huge body checks in the corners, and to see a full gloves off, Queensbury rules fight is very rare, but rile them enough, and the Czechs love a scrap. Often it'll be frantic flying of the fists, and often they forget to take their gloves off, but what does this highlight? Passion. You're not going to get guys like Colton Orr who get 27 minutes of penalties in two seconds of ice time. You're getting guys who love hockey, and who can also play it. You're also getting fans that don't stop singing for the whole sixty minutes. It creates an atmosphere that is intoxicating, and keeps me wanting more. The chants are engaging, the banners and the tifos creative and often hilarious, and just a love for hockey that permeates throughout the Czech Republic.

Cocky or brilliant? Robert Kysela showboats in the 2001 Playoffs

I know the adverts are often distracting. I know that the jersies are often garish  and that the foreign commentary can make it difficult to follow and difficult to get into, but with a bit of effort, and an open mind, the world of the Czech Extraliga is an accessible place. The names are difficult, granted, but I really think people are missing out by not giving foreign leagues more of a try, especially when reliable, decent quality streams are always going to be available. There are characters in the league. Guys like Radek Duda, guys like Martin Straka make headlines, and their play on the ice reflects that. There's the nostalgia of seeing former NHL players like Radek Bonk, Petr Nedvěd and Václav Varaďa finishing their careers in their native land.

So this is my plea to you, from one hockey fan to another. I write this as I have half of my screen taken up by my beloved Slavia, currently losing by one goal to Plzeň in Game 6, which if they don't win, means their season is over. God forbid that they do lose this game, sure, I'll be downhearted, but it's a joy to watch this Plzeň team, and wish them all the best in the future.

The Czech Extraliga is the best hockey that you're not watching. Change that now.

Jaroslav Janus to bolt to the Lightning?

(First, perhaps an apology to regular readers. A curse of writers block they call it. I was miffed that I went four months without posting on this blog. I guess with the rigours of every day life, plus my continued work with HC SLOVAN Bratislava taking up any time that I wanted to give to myself to doing hockey writing saw me neglect this labour of love in favour of my 'work'. However, I'm hoping this will be the recommencement of regular postings on this blog. I've spent too long working on it before to let it die out now).

Recent news reports coming out of the Slovak capital hint at a possible NHL return for HC SLOVAN Bratislava and Team Slovakia netminder Jaroslav Janus. The 23 year old Prešov native shone in his first year in the KHL, leading his club, predicted to prop up the Western Conference, to a 6^th place finish in the West, and a playoff spot in the club’s first season at this level. The playoff match-up against defending champions Dinamo Moscow may not have gone to plan, with Janus being replaced by Branislav Konrád after conceding five goals in Game 1, and returning in Game 4 but being unable to stop the big blue machine, who won the final game in the series 3:2 and completing the sweep of Slovan.

Jaroslav Janus shone for HC SLOVAN Bratislava in 2012/13
Photo: hcmetallurg.ru.

However, to focus on Janus’ disappointing playoff performance would be a misnomer, as behind what can only be described as some frantic defending, especially following the loss of lockout additions Ľubomír Višňovský and Andrej Sekera in January, Janus consistently played lights out. A .928 save percentage put him among the top ten in terms of starting netminders in the KHL, while his five shutouts were good enough for joint-third out of KHL netminders. One could also attribute the downturn in performance to burnout. Janus, who went without a pre-season due to being a last minute addition by Slovan, ended up starting 47 out of Slovan’s 52 regular season games, which was the most out of any netminder in the KHL, with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod’s Vitali Koval the only one coming close, having played one game less.

However, while I could write a whole post raving about Janus’ performances this year, as having seen first-hand some of his desperation saves in games against SKA St. Petersburg and Ak Bars Kazan, it could be the last that Slovan fans see of Janus, who came through the club’s junior system. The source of this news comes from a brief posting on the news tab on www.hokej.cz, which featured a quote from Janus’ agent, Robert Spálenka. This has been cited by both SME in their article (link) and the news was also made public by HC SLOVAN Bratislava themselves on the club’s website (link).  Spálenka is quoted as saying “Tampa is interested in Janus; the matter is under discussion”. That one line quote could be make or break for Slovan’s offseason plans.

Janus, who was drafted in the 6^th round by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2009, is perhaps most famous in North America for his incredible performances in goal for Team Slovakia at the World Junior Championships of that same year. Janus backstopped Slovakia to an incredible 5:3 victory over the United States in the quarter finals, despite being outshot 49:17. Although Slovakia would go on to lose their semi-final game to Sweden, and eventually the bronze medal game too, that one game, along with his performances in the round robin stage got Janus’ name known, as before that his OHL record with the Erie Otters was hardly exceptional.

Just one of Janus' many saves against the United States in 2009

The Lightning had a prospect netminding logjam at this point, with Riku Helenius and Dustin Tokarski and Janus competing for the two goalie spots with the Lightning’s AHL affiliate, the Norfolk Admirals, with Janus being sent down to the Florida Everblades of the ECHL during the 2010-2011 season. Janus was a part of the Admirals’ plans during the 2011-2012 season, starting 34 games and playing the 1b role behind Tokarski as the unstoppable Admirals led the march to the Calder Cup. Last season, which Janus played in the KHL, was technically the final year of his three year entry level deal signed on the 1^st January 2010, which means that Janus is now a restricted free agent, with Tampa Bay holding his NHL rights. There is also further complication in the KHL, as upon signing the contract with Slovan in September, Janus’ services were looked into by another party. Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, who then owned Janus’ KHL rights originally wanted to sign Janus due to an injury to starting netminder Curtis Sanford. News of the deal that took place between the two clubs was hushed up and eventually Janus ended up with Slovan.

Janus in goal for the Lightning during 2011/12 pre-season
Photo: Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images North America

With a transfer agreement between the KHL and NHL looking to be somewhat in place following the Ľubomír Višňovský fiasco in late January, Janus may certainly have room to manoeuvre his way back to Tampa Bay, who have had netminding woes this season with Anders Lindback, Mathieu Garon and Cedrick Desjardins all flattering to deceive. However, to add yet more confusion to the situation, Janus was quoted by the HC SLOVAN website at the start of the month with saying ‘Srdce mám belasé’, which translates as saying ‘I have a sky-blue heart’; sky-blue being the traditional colours of Slovan (link). Also, as stressed in both of the Slovak media releases, Janus is supposed to have a contract in place with Janus for next season in accordance with the ‘gentlemen’s agreement’ with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Yeah, more plot twists than a M. Night Shyamalan flick.

Currently it remains whether or not to be seen where Janus will end up next season. Slovan have already said that they do not expect this matter to be resolved until after the Easter weekend, while Janus’ participation with the Slovakia squad at the World Championships may protract the saga further. Is Janus ready for the NHL? At 23 years of age he is still young for a netminder, and I think it would be rash to throw him in at the deep end and expect him to be a solid NHL starter right off the bat. He’s an exceptionally agile netminder, which allows him to compensate for his sometimes poor positional play. Perhaps it came as a result of the scrambling Slovan defence in front of him, but many a Slovan fan would often see Janus on his front, diving across his crease to make yet another save. There’s no doubt that his season with Slovan will have prepared him for the rigours of an NHL schedule. For Janus, it will surely be the NHL or KHL next season.

However, I don’t have a crystal ball, and my predictions are usually terrible so who knows what will happen. If he doesn’t make his way back to the Slovnaft Arena though, Slovan are in a world of trouble.

Daňo the hatrick hero for Slovakia

Slovakia got their promotion charge off to the perfect start on Thursday, with a convincing 5-0 victory against Italy in the IIHF Division 1A Under 18 World Championships. Dukla Trenčín prospect Marko Daňo was the star of the show, scoring a goal in each period to add to an assist, giving the promising forward a four point night. Slovakia dominated the Italians in every aspect of the game, restricting their opponents to a paltry 20 shots, whilst they captalised on the numerous powerplay chances Italy gave them, as three powerplay goals were scored by the Slovaks.

The first period was a closely contested one, as a well organised Italian backline proved difficult for the home side to penetrate. However, six minutes into the first period Slovakia opened the scoring, as a lovely piece of skill by Mário Lunter set up Daňo on the back post, who hammered the puck past a diving Martin Rabanser. Slovakia wouldn't have to wait long in the second period to double their lead, as only three and a half minutes into the period, Daňo scored his second powerplay goal of the night. Milan Kolena seemed to lose control possession of the puck, but Lunter managed to regain control, and set up Daňo, who scored his second goal of the night in a similar manner to his first.

Italy offered very little going forward, as they only mustered seven shots through two periods, but they started to come back at Slovakia in the third period, getting 13 shots on Patrik Romančík, who was equal to all of them. Romančík made one very good save, sticking out a sprawling pad to deny an Italian forward whilst Slovakia were killing a Martin Reway penalty. Speaking of Reway, he was kept off the scoresheet by the Italians tonight, but it wasn't for the lack of trying. He was clearly the most skilled player on the ice, but things didn't go his way tonight.

Slovakia scored two goals in 45 seconds at the start of the third period, as Dávid Šoltés scored on a breakaway after lovely set up play by Milan Kolena to make the score 3:0, and then Daňo completed his hatrick, scoring on a third chance rebound after Lunter and David Griger were denied by Rabanser. Lunter would eventually close out the scoring in the sixth minute of the third period, adding to his three assists. Despite the Italians getting a number of chances as Slovakia started to take silly penalties, they were foiled every time by Romančík. Slovakia outshot their opponents 2 to 1, and things are looking promising for the team, although they will have to up their game against the better teams in the group.

Slovakia "18" - Italy "18" 5:0
7.  Daňo (Lunter) PP,  24. Daňo (Lunter, Kolena) PP,  44. Šoltés (Kolena, Valjent),  45. Daňo (Lunter, Griger), 47. Lunter (Griger, Daňo) PP
Shots on goal: 42:20
Penalty minutes: 10:14

Kometa Brno hold on. Extraliga Final all square

(Written for Eurohockey.com)


In a thrilling game at the sold out ČEZ Aréna, Kometa managed to cling on to a win following a miraculous Pardubice comeback in the third period, which levels the series at 1:1

After Tomáš Svoboda's backhand goal to make the score 2-6 with eight and a half minutes to go in the third period, you could be forgiven for thinking that the game was over. However, a stunning Pardubice comeback which saw them score three times in under two minutes gave the 10,050 sellout crowd in attendance a nail-biting finish, which saw the away side manage to hold on to their slender lead, and take the series back to the Kajot Arena level.

Jaroslav Svoboda makes it 2-0 in the first period.
Photo: Pavel Mazáč, www.isport.blesk.cz

As was the case in the opening game in this series, the game ebbed and flowed, and momentum swung from one way to the other with amazing frequency. The game got off to a frantic start, with both teams getting a number of chances, but it was Kometa who would get the better of the early exchanges, moving out to a two goal lead with thirteen minutes gone. Kometa capitalised on Pardubice's mistakes as both goals came as a result of neutral zone giveaways, with Roman Erat scoring first, before a beautiful piece of play by Leoš Čermák set up Jaroslav Svoboda to score on the backhand with thirteen minutes on the clock.

Few would have predicted Kometa to have dominated the game so convincingly, and their positive play continued in the second period, as they stretched their lead to three goals midway through the frame, as a Radim Bičánek point shot beat Martin Růžička on the powerplay to give Kometa a 0-3 lead. However, the away side seemed to become complacent in the second half of the period, and Pardubice would begin to get into the game. Daniel Rakos finally broke their duck with a subtle deflection of a Václav Benák point shot 35 minutes into the game, and from there to the end of the period, they laid siege to Trvaj's goal. It is no surprise that Pardubice outshot Kometa 2 to 1 at the end of the second stanza.

It would have been unfair to hope that the third period of Game 2 would match the standards set by the two teams in Game 1, but once again Kometa and Pardubice put on a show for the fans. A seven goal period left both sets of fans exhausted by the time the final buzzer went. Pardubice cut the lead to one 90 seconds into the period, thanks to a Lukáš Radil goal, but only two minutes later, Kometa forward Tomáš Svoboda netted to restore Kometa's two goal advantage. Their lead was soon stretched to four, as Tomáš Svoboda scored his second goal of the night, whilst Tomáš Divíšek tapped in a one timer to add a goal to his three assists, to give the former Pardubice veteran and current playoffs points leader a four goal night.

Jiří Trvaj made 30 saves for the victory.
Photo: Pavel Kraus.

However, Pardubice can never be counted out of a hockey game, and when Kometa got themselves into penalty trouble, giving Pardubice a 5 on 3 powerplay for 80 seconds, the home side smelled blood. Aleš Píša fired home a point shot to make the score 3-6 on the two man advantage, and although they failed to capitalise on the remaining time on the 5 on 4, Jiří Cetkovský scored just as the penalty expired, moving the puck out of Gretzky's office before getting his own rebound off of Jiří Trvaj's pads. Kometa looked shell-shocked and head-coach Zdeněk Venera quickly called a time-out to try and rally his troops. What he said didn't seem to work though, as only 24 seconds later, Pardubice had made the score 5-6. A nicely worked move off an offensive zone draw saw Petr Koukal send a pass across the slot, which Jan Stary dispatched high into the top corner. He climbed up the boards in celebration, and the home crowd was rocking.

Kometa just needed to hold on for five more minutes to get the victory. However, they seemed to be conspiring the throw the game away, as with just over three minutes on the clock, Jozef Kováčik fired a puck over the glass from his defensive zone, giving Pardubice a powerplay. They threw everything at the Kometa goal, and a Vladimír Sičák point shot hit the post, but Kometa managed to hold on for the victory, to the relief of Venera and the travelling support.

The series now moves to Brno, where Pardubice won twice in the regular season, but with the form that Kometa are showing, they must fancy their chances against this Pardubice side.

Bokroš finalises Slovakia Under-18 squad

Richard Sabol will be the go to guy for Slovakia
Photo: Majo Srnik

Tomorrow sees the start of the Division 1A World Under-18 Championships in Piešťany, and sees the start of Slovakia's attempt to reclaim their place in the top division following their relegation last year. After two warm up games with Belarus, where the teams shared victories, Slovakia have cut down their squad from 28 to a final 23, with the coaching staff hoping that this will be the team to do the job.

The final roster is as follows:

Netminders: Richard Sabol (HC '05 Banská Bystrica), Patrik Romančík (HK 36 Skalica), Denis Godla (HK Spišská Nová Ves)

Defenseman: Jakub Predajnianský (HC '05 Banská Bystrica), Patrik Luža, Michal Valjent (both HC Slovan Bratislava), Tomáš Rusina (MHC Mountfield Martin / MHK D. Kubín), Richard Buri (HC Nitra), Ľubomír Dinda (HK ŠKP Poprad), Peter Šohajda (HK 36 Skalica), Denis Šimek (HK Trnava)

Forwards: Mário Lunter, Eduard Šimun (both HC '05 Banská Bystrica), Stanislav Horanský, Dominik Rehák (both MsHK Žilina), Marko Daňo, Patrik Koyš, (both HK Dukla Trenčín), Milan Kolena (HC Mountfield Martin), Daniel Rzavský (HC Nitra), Dávid Gríger (HK ŠKP Poprad), Dávid Šoltés (HC Košice), Martin Reway (HC Sparta Praha/Czech Republic), Matej Paulovič (Färjestad BK/Sweden).

The players who didn't make the cut are defencemen Martin Chrkavý (Topoľčany) and Martin Kečkeš (Falu/Sweden), whilst forwards Tomáš Paleček (MsHK Žilina), Ján Blaško (HK Dukla Trenčín) and Denis Šimurka (EHC Linz/Austria) will miss out on a place in the final squad.

Bokroš, the head coach of both the Under-18 and Under-20 programs, was pragmatic in his interview with SZLH yesterday (link). "We've had a year-long preparation, in which we played five tournaments and tried 51 players. We have done the maximum to ensure the team is the best available. I believe that we are mentally and physically prepared to handle the challenge. A difficult task awaits us over the next seven days. We must win five games. We know about it and we have to handle it."

Marko Daňo impressed with the Under-20's.
Photo: Peter Kapusta (KITA)

The squads strengths lie in its forwards and netminding, however, the defence looks a bit thin on the ground. The only players ranked by the ISS for the upcoming 2012 NHL Entry draft are defencemen Patrik Luža and Richard Buri  who are ranked 80th and 94th respectively among European skaters, whilst Žilina forward Stanislav Horanský is ranked 120th in the same category. In goal for the Slovaks will more than likely be Richard Sabol, who was the third goaltender for the Under-20 team in the World Junior Championships in the winter, and has had a very promising year for Banská Bystrica in the Under-20 domestic league. The only other player who represented Slovakia U-20 in Alberta was forward  Marko Daňo, who was one of the finds of the tournament, as the 17 year old, originally used in a fourth line role, found himself on the first line for the final game against the Czech Republic, and scored in the game against Finland. Daňo, draft eligible in 2013, has spent a lot of his season with the Dukla Extraliga team, scoring 10 points in 32 Slovak Extraliga games, whilst also tallying three points in the playoffs, where his side were eliminated by Slovan Bratislava.

There are a number of exciting forward prospects for Slovakia who are draft eligible in 2013, with the biggest name being Martin Reway. A member of the "'95 group", Reway has made the switch to the Czech Republic and is currently a member of the Sparta Praha youth program, where he has excelled at the Under-18 level. Reway scored two goals in Slovakia's 5-3 win over Belarus on Sunday, and he looks set to be a star of the tournament. However, two other members of the same year group have struggled in their pre-tournament form.  Matej Paulovič and 16 year old Patrik Koyš were both on the bubble when it came to the final cuts, but they managed to make the squad. Both played on the fourth line for Slovakia in the pre-tournament games, and have not shown their best form as of yet. Paulovič, who scored 28 points in 17 J18 Elit games for Färjestad this year has a mix of size and pace which could make him a very exciting prospect for NHL scouts next year, whilst Koyš, who was a point per game in the Slovakia U-20 league as a 16 year old, has looked out of sorts with the national team so far. 

The tournament begins on the 11th of April, and anything but promotion will be a huge failure for the program, and could see a number of top prospects lose potential draft status by not playing against the worlds best juniors only a couple of months before the draft.

Round 46: As you were at the top.

Also posted at www.eurohockey.com.

Friday night in the Extraliga saw few surprises, as both Sparta Praha and HC Plzeň won, defeating HC Mountfield and Slavia Praha respectively. Going into the final few gamedays before the playoffs, Sparta have an almost unassailable seven point lead at the top of the Extraliga standings, and will, barring a drastic turn in form, head into the playoffs as the number one seed. 


Sparta Praha 4 - 2 HC Mountfield

Troy Milam celebrating his goal for Sparta
Photo: Jan Benes

Sparta put in another accomplished home performance at the Tipsport Arena to give their fans more to cheer. Only 5554 were in attendance, which is a surprisingly low number considering the success of the Holešovice side, but the fans that did make it were treated to a good game between two of the best teams in the league. Sparta opened the scoring in the 17th minute, as French forward Sacha Treille pounced on a terrible defensive giveaway to score. Little over a minute later though, Mountfield had equalised as Jiří Šimánek benefited from some sloppy Sparta play, faking out Tomáš Pöpperle and scoring on his forehand. The second period saw only one goal, and it was Sparta who got the goal, as Slovak defenceman Michal Sersen fired a slapshot from a tight angle which Jakub Kovář should have done better with. It was unfortunate for Kovář, who was Mountfield's best player as he kept them in the game, making 40 saves in all, but he couldn't stop Sersen's shot. Sparta pulled away in the third period, as Petr Ton and Troy Milam scored in the first seven minutes of the final frame to take the game away from Mountfield. Tomáš Mertl scored a consolation goal with little over three minutes to go in the third, but it wasn't enough for Mountfield to get back in the game, and they trudged back to České Budějovice with no points from their trip to Prague.


Plzeň 5 - 2 Slavia Praha

Adam Svoboda playing the puck
Photo: Milan Podpera

In the nights televised game, it was second placed Plzeň who kept up the pressure on Slavia, as they ran out 5-2 winners. Slavia made it tough for the Indians in the first two periods, as the score was 1-1 going into the final period as Jan Alinc cancelled out Martin Straka's goal in the second period to send the teams into the break deadlocked. However, Plzeň exploded in the third, firing four goals into Slavia's net. The first of these came three minutes in, as Martin Straka fired a one timer from a tight angle past the flying glove of Dominik Furch to give Plzeň the lead. Straka was a dominant force for Plzeň, showing that his old age isn't catching up to him yet, as he assisted on Plzeň's third and fourth goals, scored by defencemen Jiří Marušák and Jaroslav Modry. Slavia's second goal came sandwiched between these in the 54th minute, as Michal Vondrka scored. Plzeň scored an empty net goal courtesy of Nicholas Johnson to seal the points. Eurohockey player of the month nominee Radek Duda was surprisingly kept off of the scoresheet.


Pardubice 5 - 1 Kometa Brno
Pardubice kept up the height on the top two with a solid victory on home ice against an inconsistent Kometa side. Pardubice controlled the game from the early going, however, they had lady luck on their side for their first goal, as Jan Kolář's centering pass took an unfortunate bounce and trickled through unwitting Finnish goalie Sasu Hovi's five hole. Pardubice doubled their advantage before the end of the first period, as Lukáš Radil tipped Vaclav Kočí's point shot past Hovi. Kometa couldn't get a break, and in the second period they were once again undone by bad fortune, as Jan Buchtele's goal came courtesy of a lucky deflection off of Hovi and his defenceman. Kometa finally got on the board in the 47th minute as Leoš Čermák beat Dušan Salfický from a tight angle, showing that hard work near the net pays off, but that was all that the travelling Kometa support would get to cheer, as Pardubice scored twice in the remaining minutes, as Pardubice's other Jan Kolář, and Aleš Píša scored to give Pardubice the comfortable three points. 


Liberec 4 - 1 Zlín
Liberec strengthened their grip on fifth place with a solid home win against fellow playoff contenders Zlín. The white tigers scored twice in the opening two periods to seal the three points, taking a 2-0 lead into the first intermission through goals by Jaroslav Kudrna and Petr Nedvěd. Liberec were 3-0 up just over a minute into the third as Tomáš Urban fired home, but Zlin started to show some fight, and finally got the goal that they deserved at the halfway mark, as Bedřich Köhler beat Marek Pinc in the Liberec goal for the only time on the night. Liberec got their fourth and final goal under a minute later though, killing any of Zlin's momentum as Tomáš Klimenta got a goal to go with his two assists to give the forward a three point night.


Kladno 4 - 3 Třinec (Shootout)
A thriller in Kladno saw the home side come away with a vital two points in their quest to avoid the relegation places. Kladno came from behind twice in the game to send it to a shootout. Martin Látal scored the game tying goal with a little over five minutes left in the third period, and this seemed to give Kladno the confidence they needed, and an accomplished performance by Jan Chábera in the Kladno goal gave them the victory, the Czech shot-stopper making 40 saves. Canadian defenceman Jason Lepine scored the shootout winner.


Litvinov 2 - 3 Mlada Boleslav (Shootout)
The bottom of the table clash went to a shootout as well, and it was the last placed team, Mlada Boleslav who came away with two points in a rather dull game. It started so well, as Juraj Majdan and Roman Tomas scored in the opening three minutes to leave the score at 1-1, but it was a long wait until the 55th minute for the games next goal, as Martin Frolik scored with 54 minutes on the clock to give Litvinov the lead. However, Mlada Boleslav managed to reply in under 90 seconds, and Roman Tomas scored his second of the night for Mlada to tie the game up and send it to a shootout. David Vrbata scored the winning penalty shot for Mlada Boleslav, who now sit just one point behind Karlovy Vary.