Story Summary
Kamil Pokorný disagreed with Pardubice assistant coach Václav Kočí’s assessment that his side had controlled its 5-3 Czech Extraliga victory over Kometa Brno. Brno led 3-2 in the third period and outshot the reigning champions 30-26, but Pardubice turned the game around in the closing stages.
Pokorný, now an assistant to Kometa head coach Libor Zábranský, said Brno had played well until around the 47th minute and had shown encouraging movement and commitment. He accepted that his team needed to manage certain phases of play more intelligently, however, after a costly sequence during a Brno power play helped Pardubice take the decisive lead.
The defeat was Kometa’s ninth consecutive loss against Pardubice in head-to-head meetings. After five rounds, Brno sit eighth in the Extraliga table.
Key Facts
- Pardubice won 5-3 in Brno after Kometa had led 3-2 during the third period.
- Kometa outshot Pardubice 30-26.
- Kamil Pokorný said he did not agree that Pardubice had the match under control, describing it instead as a high-quality game that either team could have won.
- Václav Kočí said Pardubice had delivered a patient performance and secured the three points despite a few minor shortcomings.
- Pardubice levelled through Sedlák in the 47th minute before Jan Mandát intercepted a Pospíšil pass during a Kometa power play and scored on a breakaway for 4-3.
- Ondřej Mikliš added an empty-net goal to seal the Pardubice win.
- Hynek Zohorna recorded his first points of the season in his fifth game, assisting on Brno’s opening goal and scoring to make it 2-2.
- Tomáš Zohorna played his 700th Extraliga game, while Kometa are eighth after five rounds.
IHM Discussion
Pokorný’s objection was not simply about the result; it was about the shape of a game in which Kometa had repeatedly responded. Brno recovered from 1-0 down to lead 2-1, then moved back in front after Pardubice made it 2-1. That sequence, together with the shot count, gave weight to his view that the contest was more even than a routine three-point result might suggest.
The decisive detail was the turnover in the middle of the ice while Kometa were on the power play. Mandát’s interception of Pospíšil’s pass turned an attacking situation for the home side into a breakaway at the other end. Pokorný identified that moment as the game’s momentum swing, while Hynek Zohorna also pointed to Brno’s need to avoid breakdowns in the neutral zone that expose the team to odd-man attacks.
Why It Matters
Kometa’s performance offered more than the final score alone. They competed closely with the reigning champions, took a third-period lead and generated more shots, but one major error during a power play proved pivotal.
For a team still building under its current coaching set-up, the match underlined the fine margins in elite domestic competition. Brno’s ability to create a lead was encouraging; protecting possession and structure when pressing for the next goal remains equally important.
Mini Q&A
Why did Kamil Pokorný dispute Pardubice’s assessment?
Pokorný said Kometa played very well until around the 47th minute, had led 3-2 in the third period and were involved in a game that either side could have won.
What decided the game for Pardubice?
After Sedlák made it 3-3 in the 47th minute, Jan Mandát intercepted a pass during a Kometa power play and scored on a breakaway to put Pardubice ahead 4-3. Ondřej Mikliš then scored into an empty net.
What milestones did the Zohorna brothers reach?
Hynek Zohorna collected his first points of the season with a goal and an assist, while Tomáš Zohorna played his 700th Extraliga match.
IHM Final View
Kometa were beaten again by Pardubice, but Pokorný had a credible basis for rejecting any suggestion that the visitors controlled proceedings throughout. Brno matched the champions for long stretches, recovered from setbacks and led late on. The result ultimately hinged on a punishing turnover while the home side held a power play, a moment that converted a competitive display into a 5-3 defeat.