HC Sparta Praha took all three points from HC Škoda Plzeň with a shutout, their second in a row. Goalkeeper Josef Kořenář made a strong display behind a disciplined defence, while Sparta also benefited from good fortune in a hard-fought game that recalled last season’s quarter-final series to defenceman Ronald Knot.
“Maybe it wasn’t a particularly beautiful win, but we kept a clean sheet, have a great goalie and are taking three points home. That’s the most important thing for us,” Knot said. He described the game as a series of battles with little space, much like the teams’ previous meetings.
Plzeň put the puck in Sparta’s net twice, but neither goal stood after review. Knot said he had not realised the situations would be checked, and acknowledged that an opening goal for Plzeň could have made the game much harder for Sparta.
Knot praised Kořenář and the team’s penalty killing, while noting that Sparta must keep working on its defensive play. He said the shutout reflected a combination of daily improvement and luck, not a reason to stop working on defence.