The team from the Czech capital came out on top of this heated all-Czech clash in the Champions Hockey League Round of 16, as Sparta Prague took a strong 4-1 win over Oceláři Třinec to enter next week's Return Game with a three-goal cushion in hand.
"We put in a lot of work and the result reflects that."Kryštof Hrabík, Sparta Prague
"We played a great first period, that was so important for the game," started Sparta forward Kryštof Hrabík when looking back at the game, "the early goal really got us going. Overall, we played a really strong game. We put in a lot of work and the result reflects that."
What was the key to breaking down the mighty Třinec defence, and Marek Mazanec in the away net, so early on in the game? "Bringing the game to their end of the ice was our strength," noted the 25-year-old.
How was it facing such a familiar opponent in the European stage? Did they play or try anything different to what you were expecting?
"We know them well, Třinec are always a tough team to face, but most importantly we know that the series isn't over yet - there's still next week's Return Game!" he ended.
And that's a point that resonates throughout the Sparta squad, as the team can still remember how they blew a 3-0 series lead to Třinec in last year’s Czech Extraliga playoffs like it was yesterday.
These two teams will clash again next week in Třinec on Wednesday, 20 November at 18:00 CET. Don't miss this one!