Vitkovice Ostrava came up with a big road win last weekend in Grodno. Now when the teams meet again in Ostrava this Friday Neman will have to repay the favour to keep their Champions Hockey League adventure alive.

by Derek O'Brien and Sergei Danilishenko

GRODNO and OSTRAVA – As we get down to the last two game days, a few groups already have their two playoff teams decided, several others have one team already through, but some are still wide open with the fate of all three teams still to be decided. 

Group I is a classic example of the latter, where only three points separate leading Adler Mannheim from Neman Grodno and Vitkovice Ostrava. Of the three teams, Mannheim have the best chance of advancing, as the only way they can miss is if the three teams end up in a three-way tie for points and they have the worst goal difference – a single point in their remaining game on home ice will ensure that doesn't happen. Of the latter two teams, Vitkovice have the leg up on getting the second playoff spot as they have two games remaining, while Neman have only one. 

Vitkovice went a long way to putting themselves in a good situation by winning 2–0 in Grodno last weekend – the same score by which Grodno beat visiting Mannheim in their first home game. From watching that first game the Czech club knew they were skating into a hostile environment against an aggressive team that plays well with the lead, and they managed to grind out a big win on the road. 

“We saw Neman’s game against Mannheim when they won 2–0,” Vitkovice coach Ladislav Svozil said after Saturday's game. “We knew we would have to play good defence and not take many penalties, but we did have a lot of penalties. When we were playing 5-on-5, we were looking better. Our players had some problems in the first period. We could not accurately get the puck out of our zone and played badly around our net. We needed these three points. We want to take the next step in the CHL.”

Despite the outcome, Neman coach Milos Holan's team played the style he wanted. The defeat is not a disaster – it just means they'll have to repay the favour to Vitkovice and win on their home ice this coming Friday.

“Before the start of this season in the Champions League not everyone believed in us. They said, 'They're going to lose every game 7–2 or 8–1,'” Holan said after the home defeat. “I'm proud of our players for not giving up more than two goals in any game yet. Yes, there is another game in Vitkovice, but today we played a good game.”

Still it's always tough to lose on home ice, especially when you think you played well enough to win, or at least take some points. Neman outshot Vitkovice 32–28 in the game, but were unable to beat goaltender Pavel Kantor – at least not according to video replay officials, who ruled no goal on a close play in the third period. Neman are especially kicking themselves for not making their power plays count – they had eight opportunities, including three in a row to start the game and three in a row to finish it. 

“We had a lot of power plays, created a lot of chances, but didn't score. We didn't have luck on our side,” said Neman top-line right winger Sergei Malyavko, who had 2 shots on goal in the game. When asked to compare Vitkovice to the Mannheim team they've faced twice already, he said, “The Germans play a Canadian style in the zone, and Czechs are more technical – they play a combination of styles.”

“They have different styles of playing,” Vitkovice top-line forward Rostlslav Olesz said to the same question about Neman and Mannheim. “Mannheim are the German champions, they have a lot of skilled players who have experience in the NHL, and I think that they are leading our group.” About the game, Olesz said, “It was a tough game. The coaches said that Neman are a fast team and they were right. They played really well. Belarus has skilled guys and it was difficult to play against their system.”

“We tried to play good defence, but we couldn't score despite a lot of power plays. Vitkovice were the better team tonight and deserved to win,” Holan summed up. “We have to win in Vitkovice now to qualify. We won't give up and will try hard on Friday.”

While Neman enter Friday's game in a more desperate situation of the two teams because it's their last game and they have to win, Vitkovice play their last game in Mannheim on Sunday and don't want to assume anything there, so they won't want to squander their chance to wrap up a playoff spot – 2 points on Friday will accomplish that. 

One advantage Neman might have is the crowd in Ostrava isn't likely to be as unwelcoming to them as the fans in Grodno have been to Mannheim and Vitkovice. There are several Czechs and Slovaks in the Neman line-up who will have friends and family in the crowd at Ostrava Arena. And coach Holan will feel especially at home, as he's from the Ostrava area and grew up in the Ostrava system. 

“I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited about it,” he said back in the summer time about the upcoming game in his former home rink. “Although I've been gone a long time, Vitkovice is home. A lot of people have told me they're coming to watch. It'll be interesting. I must say that I am looking forward to that game.”