Sparta vs Třinec: captain snaps at referees after disputed play

The round-12 hockey showdown between Sparta and Třinec was decided by a single goal, and after the final whistle the Prague players complained about the officiating. The hosts lost, although according to coach Patrik Augusta they played “excellent hockey” against a strong opponent and “scored one goal fewer”.

The incident the hosts could not accept

Sparta fans and players alike found it hard to swallow one incident in the 52nd minute. First, Martin Růžička, in the defensive zone, struck the breaking Pavel Kousal with his stick held in both hands, yet the officials did not send the Třinec captain off. The visitors were not punished either for a milder body check by David Musil on Devin Shore.

A few seconds later, referee Jeřábek raised his arm when Mašín stopped an attack by Ondřej Kovařčík. The home defender was rightly penalized, but after the earlier incidents the Sparta players (understandably) boiled over. “Are you kidding me?” fumed Chlapík, who had already wanted a word with the officials several times during the game. The referees did not understand his emotions: “Calm down and skate away,” Jeřábek repeated insistently.

“That’s hockey”

After the game the Prague side, mindful of a possible fine, did not want to comment on the disputed moments. “You know I can’t and won’t talk about it. That’s hockey,” said coach Patrik Augusta. He then added: “Třinec is playing so well and in such a series that everything that happens on the ice goes their way.”

The “Steelworkers” failed to convert their power play but took advantage of the momentum: 13 seconds after Mašín returned to the ice, Nestrašil, after a lucky bounce off Sirota’s back, passed the puck to Hudáček in front of an empty net. The hosts could not equalize.

More than 14,000 spectators enjoyed a tense game. But Sparta fans were also upset by an incident in the 23rd minute, when, after a coach’s video review request, the referees disallowed Shore’s goal for interference with Matěj Blümel in the crease. “It’s frustrating, but I can’t influence it, so there’s no point worrying,” said Shore.

Třinec assistant coach Jiří Raška praised the work of video coach Lukáš Daněček, who spotted Blümel’s contact with goaltender Marek Mazanec. “The video coaches did a great job. So did the guys on the ice. In the end we were one goal luckier, and three points from here are very valuable,” he said.

The emotions on the ice were also fuelled by the pesky Daniel Voženílek, who got into battles, provoked and distracted opponents. After one scuffle Jakub Sirota dropped his gloves and was ready to fight, but Voženílek declined and chose to head to the bench.

Around Prague, based on reporting by sport.cz