And in the last ten years, none… “It’s not over yet and you can see that this team never gives up in any game,” believes in the resurrection of Liberec coach Patrik Augusta, whose team will face the first match point on the Mountfield ice on Sunday.
“We told ourselves that we would go to Hradec with a clear head. We want to prepare well for them, surprise them and bring the series back to us. We will try to do great things in it,” says Liberec forward Michal Bulíř, who was the only one to beat goalkeeper Machovský with his first shot in this year’s playoffs in the fourth part of the quarterfinals.
| Obraty v play off from 1:3 to 4:3 |
| semi-final 2010/2011 Třinec-Slavia 4:3 |
| quarter-final 2008/2009 Slavia-Vítkovice 4:3 |
| semi-final 2004/2005 Zlín-Vítkovice 4:3 |
| semi-final 2003/2004 Slavia-Sparta 4:3 |
| quarter-final 2001/2002 Zlín: Znojmo 4:3 |
The turnaround in the playoffs from 1:3 to 4:3 was last achieved twelve years ago by Třinci in the semi-final with Slavia. The Steelers were close to him even eight years ago. Back then, in the final with Litvínov, they also trailed 1:3 on points. They still managed to win the seventh decisive duel, but they already lost it.
And how difficult it is to stand up in such a situation, the experienced Lukáš Derner also found out on the Liberec side in 2011. With Liberec in the quarter-finals, he lost to Slavia 1:3, then won twice. Slavia scored a turn in the key seventh match.
“We have to finally take the lead in the match so that we can dictate the pace of the match. In the long term, we do not succeed in this. During the entire playoff, we only led in the first match against Pilsen, which takes strength and then it’s difficult,” says Bulíř, who in four duels with Hradec Králové led for only 97 seconds in the first duel.
“We managed to win twice in Liberec, which we appreciate very much, but it’s not over yet. We have to humbly prepare for the next match,” East Bohemia coach Tomáš Martinec knows well.
The white beasts have nothing to lose now. “The pressure on Hradec will probably be greater now to end the series at home. We are losing 1:3, we are going out and we can have a clear head. If we score the first goal, we will put them under even more pressure,” Bulíř plans. “Everything is possible in the playoffs. We have to win three times. And if we win against them, they will have a very difficult time at home. We have an important match ahead of us and we will go take them by surprise,” concludes Bulíř.
Will the White Tigers be able to beat Hradec Králové on its ice on Sunday and return the quarterfinals to Liberec?
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