Třinec Defeats Mountfield in Thrilling Quarterfinal Opener, 4-2
Goals and Assists: 16:52 Kalina (Radil, Pavlík), 23:42 Moses (Nenonen, Klíma) – 11:16 M. Kovařčík (Nestrašil), 21:08 M. Kovařčík (Nestrašil, O. Kovařčík), 26:43 Flynn (Růžička), 59:55 Marinčin.
Třinec secured a 4-2 victory over Mountfield in the first leg of their quarterfinal series on March 20, 2026.
Mountfield faced an uphill battle throughout the contest, twice having to fight back from deficits. The first period ended in a 1-1 tie, but the middle frame saw a flurry of three goals in just over four minutes between the 22nd and 27th minutes. Třinec regained the lead with a power-play goal, only for Mountfield to respond in kind with a man-advantage tally of their own. However, the momentum shifted again as Třinec struck for a third time, a lead Hradec ultimately couldn’t overcome.
Despite their efforts, Mountfield struggled to generate sustained offensive pressure, often finding their shots thwarted by strong goaltending or hitting the post. Třinec effectively protected their advantage, and sealed the win with an empty-net goal in the closing seconds, taking a 4-2 lead in the series.
