Patrik Zdráhal scored two goals for Vítkovice Ostrava on the opening night of the Champions Hockey League season. On the last day of 2014, he did it again for the Czech national junior team in a huge win over Russia to qualify for the quarter-finals of the World Junior Championship. 

by Václav Jáchim and Derek O'Brien

TORONTO – Patrik Zdráhal opened the 2014–15 hockey season in style, recording two goals and one assist on the opening night of the Champions Hockey League back on 21 August in Vítkovice Ostrava's 5–1 victory over ERC Ingolstadt. Four months later, the 19-year-old came up big again, turning in another two-goal performance in the Czech Republic's 4–1 victory over Russia to quality for the quarter-finals at the IIHF World Junior Championship.

"I think it was a life-and-death struggle. For me and probably for the whole team. The most important game of my career!"

That may seem like an overstatement, but the situation the Czechs faced was extreme. With a win in regulation they would finish second place in the group, but anything less would have meant fifth place and a spot in the relegation series. The Czechs exploded out of the gate, out-shooting the Russians 12–3 in the opening period with Zdráhal scoring the only goal in the opening 20 minutes. 

“We played great,” said Zdráhal. “We showed team spirit, and to all the critics that we can play as a Czech nation. We read some articles and discussions on the internet, so I think that we shut their mouths a bit. Awesome! I'm sure that luck was on our side too, and I'm glad we did it.”

The win was huge in a compact Group B, where four teams finished within a point of each other. The Czechs and Russians finished tied with five points each – the Czechs got second place by virtue of winning the head-to-head battle – while Denmark and Switzerland had four points each.
“We were confident, we believed in ourselves,” said Zdráhal. “We knew what we were up against in the Russians. We went into it intending to beat them.”

Zdráhal himself scored twice in the game – the first goal of the game in the 11th minute, and the eventual game-winner on a breakaway early in the third period. 

“On the first goal the puck went behind the net, David Pastrňák made a nice play to find me and I tried a one-timer. I thought the goalie stopped it, but thankfully he didn't. And the second goal? That time Pasta (Pastrňák) also got the puck and gave me a perfect pass to send me in alone on goal. I couldn't see where it went, but that's where I often put it. It was the first time in about three months it worked, though. I hadn't scored (on a breakaway) for a long time now, so fortunately this time I did.”

Before the game Zdráhal described in detail what the Czechs needed to do to win this game. The Vítkovice forward spoke about putting forth a maximum effort, as well as being smart with the puck and eliminating turnovers leading to odd-man rushes, which they did perfectly against the Russians. 

“I think we executed the game plan exactly the way the coaches wanted,” Zdráhal agreed. “We were better.”

“That's how we have to play every game in the tournament,” he said. “Too bad we haven't done that all along, but it was not so, but we did this time. And we showed that we are a team.” 
Now the team moves to Montreal, where they will face the Slovaks in the quarter-finals on Friday.

“They'll be a tough opponent,” Zdráhal said of the Slovaks. “They have excellent players like Martin Réway and Peter Cehlárik (of Sparta Prague and Lulea Hockey, respectively). Of course we wanted to avoid playing Canada, but we can't underestimate anybody. We have to play the same game as we did against Russia." 

With the team's victory coming just ahead of New Year's celebrations, Zdráhal knows what they have ahead of them in the first few days of 2015. The Czechs will celebrate lightly, but won't overdo it. 

"It will be pleasant, but we can't overdo it,” he said responsibly. “We have to go to Montreal on Thursday for the next game, so it definitely won't be anything wild. We'll go to bed early.”

And so, while there is a lot left to be played in the current hockey season, Zdráhal closed out the calendar year of 2014 in similar fashion to how he opened the season back in August.