HC 05 Banská Bystrica - HC Košice 3:2 sn (0:1, 0:1, 2:0 - 0:0)

Goals and assists: 43. Skalický (Hohmann, Pretnar), 60. Pretnar (Surový, Skalický) - 17. Pacan (Nagy, Miklík), 25. Klíma (Kafka) - game winning shootout: Faille (BBY)

Penalized players: 9:9 for two minutes., also: Delisle (BBY - 10 minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct), Šoltés (KOS - 10 minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct), power plays: 1:0, short-handed plays: 0:0, referees: Baluška, Stano - Orolín, Gavalier, 2743 visitors

HC 05 iClinic Banská Bystrica: Lukáš – Ďatelinka, Kubka, Mihálik, Pretnar, Gélinas, Delisle, Brejčák, Gabor – Bortňák, Surový, Lamper – Bartánus, Hrnka, Hohmann – Asselin, Faille, Skalický – Kabáč, Češík, Brittain

HC Košice: Habal – Čížek, Šedivý, Kessel, Dudáš, Koch, Pulli, Michalčin, Hudák – Miklík, Pacan, Nagy – Spilar, Suja, Hovorka – Kafka, Klíma, Šoltés – Hričina, Petráš, Vrábeľ

Both teams entered this season play-off rather carefully. For this reason, spectators were watching fast hockey, but with minimum scoring chances. Despite this, both teams had a few scoring opportunities. Pulli fired as the first one for the visitors, but he missed the area among 3 poles. For the home players Brejčák tested Habala's attention - unsuccessfully. Scoreless game went on even after Miklík's finish; he was in a good position but Lukáš in the Rams' net saved the puck. Later, the home players called for a power play after Brittain's activity, but it did not really help them score. Košice set good defensive system and by saving the puck they prevented Banský Bystrica from scoring. Goal finally came in the 17th minute. At first, Nagy deceived the defense of Banská Bystrica and after that he found Pacan in front of the net. Canadian center of Steelers' elite formation did not hesitate and let his team take the lead. Košice were rather careful till the end of the period, so the score did not change and they left the ice in better condition.

The opening minutes of the middle period brought a little bit more lively hockey, which entertained the spectators the whole 20 minutes. Moreover, there were more scoring chances, Dudáš had the first opportunity to score as soon as the 1st minute. He fired at Lukáš, but didn't overcome the Czech goalie. Home team players also tried to score, but they couldn't find the recipe for the Steelers' defense and most of shots were saved by D-men. Košiče took its chance to score the second goal. Finally, it came in the 25th minute, as Kafka passed to Klíma. The robust forward skated to the defending zone of Banská Bystrica and completed the action with an accurate shot into the corner of the net. With the score 0:2, Banská Bystrica got an opportunity to score - five-on-three power play. It took exactly 1 minute and 4 seconds, but it was not enough for the home team to score. Slovinian representant Pretnar was almost successful, however his interesting attempt was saved by Habal who cleared the puck. After 40 minutes of the match, Košice were leading 2:0.

The third period brought as attractive hockey as the previous periods. And it does not owe anything to the play-off reputation. Initial minutes brought a power-play for Banská Bystrica. At first, it did not start well for them, but finally they did not toss their chance away. Skalický received an ideal pass in front of the net and he overcame replacing Habal. Banská Bystrica could even tie the score, as Surový gained control of the puck during a short-handed play. He wanted to use his ideal striking position, but Habal saved the puck with his catcher. On the other side, the second formation of Košice managed to stay in the zone, Šedivý helped out the defense. The most productive defense man of Košice fired for 2 times, but these did not surprise Lukáš much. Neither Suja was successful, and therefore the score remained the same until the final minutes of the full regulation time, when Pretnar scored an equalizer. This meant match overtime.

The beginning of the overtime belonged to Košice, who gained control over the puck and finished the action from the blue line. However, Lukáš had a clear view and he sent the puck back in game. On the other side Hohmann, who usually decides the matches, tried to score, but was not successful this time. We saw several good finishes during overtime, but non of them was changed into a goal. So, the opening quarterfinal match had to be decided by shootouts. In these, Faille decided about Banská Bystrica's victory.

Vladimír Országh, coach of Banská Bystrica: "We have watched typical fight-spirit play-off match, in which teams were hard on each other. Today, it was mainly about careful defenses and high quality goalies. In the 3rd period, we have shown strong determination to fight over a good result and with a stroke of luck we made it to the shootouts. These are rather a lottery, and fortunately we were more successful."

Roman Šimíček, the coach of Košice: "I think that the spectators have watched high quality, devoted hockey from both teams. We took the lead with score 2:0, however we did not manage to keep it. Such things should not happen. Banský Bystrica was lucky when we hit only the pole of empty net.  However, it's not over yet. Tomorrow, we are about to fight over a point fully concentrated.