Martin Straka wins his first career championship

[Tomas]

Is that the same Jaroslav Spacek from the Montreal Canadiens?

Yes, same guy. Nobody wanted him, so he retired (until today).

[JeffDFD]

Haha, wow. That is an amazing story and will be Americanized and turned into a Disney movie.

Spoiler:

Best shape of his life?

[Tomas]

Incidentally, if you want to see Game 6 (and/or the eventual Game 7) live, here is the link:
http://www.tvtipsport.cz/elh/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Game 6 is on Friday at 11:30 AM ET.
Game 7 is on Sunday at 12:15 PM ET.

Interestingly, the other 2 links on that website are the final round of relegation play-out round-robin tournament (Friday Noon ET).
HC White Tigers Liberec (captained by ex-Penguin Petr Nedved) will host BK Mlada Boleslav (captained by ex-Jacket David Vyborny)
HC Olomouc will host HC Pirates Chomutov (with another ex-Penguin Milan Kraft on the roster)

Two teams get relegated. Before those last games, Olomouc will for sure be one of the two, but the remaining 3 teams have the same number of points. Naturally, the winner of Nedved vs. Vyborny match will be saved.

[JS©]

I thought Kraft was playing 2nd Division this year.

[DocEmrick]

Haha right on, always loved Straka! Good to see him having fun

[Tomas]

I thought Kraft was playing 2nd Division this year.

Until last year. Then Chomutov managed to advance to the Extraleague, but ended with the worst regular season record - which is why they play in the relegation tournament (2 worst Extraleague + 2 best 2nd League, round robin 12 games).

[Tomas]

And there will be game 7.

Zlin 5 - Pilsen 2

Straka with one goal.

Series tied 3:3, the decisive game in Zlin on Sunday at 12:15 PM ET. The broadcast link is above.

[Tomas]

In other news, both Milan Kraft and Petr Nedved helped their respective teams to avoid relegation to the second league (Nedved even scored the GWG in the 2:0 victory 7 minutes before the end of regulation).

[Fire0nice228]

Nedved gotta be pushin like 65, right?

[Tomas]

If you want to see Finals Game 7 OT - here is your chance:
http://www.tvtipsport.cz/elh/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Pilsen at Zlin 3:3, Zlin scored the equalizer while playing 6:4 10 seconds before the end of regulation.

Straka with 2 assists.

[MRandall25]

No sound?

[André]

Tell us he won? I'd love that. Fingers crossed for Marty.

[Tomas]

No goal after the first OT. Second OT to start ~2:55 CT.

As far as the sound: there is none during intermissions. Otherwise, the regular broadcast of Czech TV.

BTW, this is the first ever Game 7 OT in the history of the Czech (and even Czechoslovak) Extraleague finals.

[MRandall25]

Yeah, I got quite the jolt when it went from dead silence to a bunch of Czech in my ear.

[Tomas]

Awesome: Jaroslav Spacek back on the Pilsen bench as an assistant coach. After his mistake in the first OT almost lead to the ultimate disaster, Spacek ordered himself off the ice after the first OT.

[MRandall25]

STRAKA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

[Rylan]

Did he score the winner?

[Tomas]

Yep. Time: 96:15.

http://translate.google.com/translate?s ... _hokej_cig" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Tomas]

Game video highlights (all 7 goals + OT chances):

http://www.sport.cz/hokej/extraliga/cla ... tml#hp-sez" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Beveridge]

As I watch that highlight package, 3 thoughts come to mind.

1. How fun/frustrating would it be to see the Pens play on ice that wide?
2. Sounds like a soccer game. Is it just the way the sound is the arenas?
3. How much of a whine fest would there be if NHL had advertisement like that on uniforms and the ice?

[Tomas]

Long life Martin, our new king:


Same team, slightly younger:

[Gaucho]

Awesome!

[relantel]

sweet!

[the wicked child]

How sweet for him to score the GWG in OT of game 7 to boot.

[relantel]

How sweet for him to score the GWG in OT of game 7 to boot.

Hard to forget his two game 6 OT goals in 2001, the Gonchar giveaway and the Buffalo winner after Mario's Immaculate deflection. Always felt bad they flopped versus the Devils that year, as that was one of the years that could have been... (93, 96, 10 among others)