He easily braced himself, shot from the first and after the winning goal in overtime hugged his teammates without much emotion. Slovan’s star striker Richard Pánik confirmed the role of a cold-blooded finisher.
Photo: TASR/František Iván
In the derby between Košice and Slovan, things really sparkled on the ice.
The native of Martin decided the Slovak hockey El Clásico and broke the negative streak of the “Whites,” who won against Košice after eight losses in a row.
“I noticed in the cabin and on social networks that Slovan did not do well against Košice last year. I personally did not pay too much attention to it. Moreover, it is very difficult to win in the Steel Arena.
Especially when the home team was driven by a fantastic backdrop. These are matches with an enormous charge,” says forward Martin Bakoš, who contributed to the triumph with a power play goal in the opening period.
He was 24 seconds away from satisfaction
The sold-out winter club from Košice upset Pánik in extra time, for whom it was the biggest derby in Slovakia ever.
“The atmosphere was great. For me, it was important that we won. You can say that I also experienced minor emotions.
It didn’t go very well for me in the match, I stopped thinking in extra time and tried to shoot it straight from the first. I’m glad it went down,” Pánik described the decisive moment.
He showed no emotion during the interview. He did not show them significantly even on the ice. As he admitted, the points in the table and the goal pleased him, but he lacked something for complete satisfaction.
“We had too many dismissals, but we showed character. We could have held on and won by three points. We were 24 seconds away from that,” says Pánik.
Hockey holiday
The home team had the opposite emotions after the loss. The people of Košice confirmed the common phrase that whoever does not use a long power play of five against three does not deserve to win.
“Unfortunately, this time it was true to the letter. However, it was at the beginning and not at the turning point of the match. We regret it all the more because we had tremendous support from our fans, whom we wanted to please with a three-point win. It was a hockey holiday,” says Košice striker Tomáš Mikúš.
The battle between the two historically most successful clubs in Slovakia was played at a high pace.
Spectators were often lifted from their seats by hard tackles on both sides, and there was no shortage of fist exchanges. After one of them, the elite defender Sena Acolatse took a shower.
“It was very fragmented with exclusions. Their power play took off at the right time. We can be happy even for one point. It kind of went wrong for us. With the quality we have, we have to perform better,” Košice captain Marek Bartánus sighed.
The people of Košice acquired an offensive weapon
The team from Košice received a significant reinforcement for the offensive, which, however, has not yet started against Slovan.
The attacking power of the “steelers” increased significantly after the arrival of the Canadian Olivier Archambault. With 59 points last year in Spišská Nova Ves, he was the most productive player in the entire league. Even coach Dan Ceman does not hide his joy at the signing.
“We believe that he will have a huge contribution to our offensive. He confirmed his qualities last season. He is a power play player. It will be crucial for me to figure out which teammates to put him with.
He is a big offensive weapon for us. Plus we have a couple of other guys coming back that were injured. So there will be a few changes in the lineup,” admits Ceman.
Not only Košice but also Slovan announced the arrival of a resounding reinforcement before the match. American striker Austin Ortega is coming to Bratislava, who should increase the competition in the team.
Ortega should play the role of gunner. In the last three seasons in Munich, he scored 80 goals in the highest German competition. Last year, he had a record of 21+17 in 56 meetings.
Coach Peter Oremus had to do without Liam Pecarar in Košice, who plays in the elite attack and served a two-game suspension for a short cut in the match against Michalovci.
“The players who are supposed to decide the matches were left out of the lineup. I believe that they will come to their senses and realize in their heads that they should be of benefit. I need to have them on the ice and not in the stands,” says Oremus.
Loading sports results… Source: sportweb.pravda.sk
