Continuing our January Semi-Final Flashback series is a memorable return game between Sparta Prague and the Växjö Lakers for a spot in the 2016/17 Champions Hockey League Final. The first game played in Sweden ended 2-1 in Sparta’s favour but did the Czech team keep their lead, or did their Swedish opponents get the better of them? Tune in live tonight to find out!
Sparta, a traditional Czech powerhouse, have featured in the CHL since its inauguration in 2014/15. Despite not making it further than the Round of 16 in their two previous seasons, their form looked promising ahead of 2016/17. They battled their way to the Czech Extraliga Playoff Final the year prior, narrowly missing out on the title to fellow CHL club Bílí Tygři Liberec , and were looking to make a mark on the European stage. They started their three team Group Stage run with a big 7-2 win against Polish debutants Comarch Cracovia, followed by a run of two wins and a loss to qualify for the Round of 32.
There they were matched with a familiar face – Finnish side Kärpät Oulu, who eliminated the Czech team in the Round of 16 the year prior and made it all the way to the 2015/16 CHL Final. Sparta, lusting for payback, managed a 1-1 draw at home and miraculously won the return leg in Finland with a sole overtime goal. This new found CHL form boosted their confidence and game and in the following two elimination rounds, the Round of 16 and the Quarter-Finals, Sparta sent both Swedish club HV71 Jönköping and Swiss giants SC Bern packing – often defying the odds and fighting back to win games. The Semi-Finals had another surprise for them, as they were matched with another familiar opponent – the Växjö Lakers.
Växjö, 2015 SHL Champions, had also featured in the two previous CHL seasons and in 2014/15 they faced Sparta in the Group Stage. The Czech side beat them 5-2 away and 5-4 at home as Växjö were eliminated from the season in the Group Stage. 2016/17 started with a 7-3 win against BK Mladá Boleslav. They finished in top spot of their group and were matched against Red Bull Munich for the first elimination round. Växjö drew 1-1 with them at home and followed up with a hard-fought 4-3 victory in Munich to advance to the Round of 16 to face Finns Saipa Lappeenranta.
Despite losing the first game by a goal, they ended up advancing on to face the ZSC Lions in the Quarter-Finals after another hard-fought victory in the return leg. An uneventful 0-0 draw in the first leg of thier tie against the Lions set the playing field for an all-out game of hockey in Sweden, but with the final minutes of the third period counting down the score was still undecided. Up stepped Växjö’s Calle Rosén who scored the game-winning goal three minutes before the final buzzer to propel his team into the Semi-Finals to face Sparta after yet another return leg comeback. But would Växjö be able to repay the two defeats from the Czech team that cost them the Playoffs two years ago?
Sparta started the first leg in Sweden strongly – Martin Gernát scored one minute after the opening puck drop and his goal was followed up by another ten minutes later. Sparta ended the first period up by two goals, whilst Växjö struggled to keep their heads in the game. They managed to knock one back in the third period, but with only six minutes of the tie remaining the clash ended with a narrow one goal advantage for the away team. Could Växjö pull off another strong performance in the return leg in Prague or were the gates to the CHL Final wide open for Sparta?
Tune in LIVE tonight at 19:00 CET and immerse yourself in the electric atmosphere of a 12,000+ crowd in a packed O2 arena to find out!