After an impressive scoring display in the Champions Hockey League with 6 goals in 8 games this season, Sparta Prague's Jan Buchtele scored his first career goal with the Czech national team on Saturday against Russia.

by Tomas Chudy

OSTRAVA – As part of the Euro Hockey Tour, the Czech Republic hosted Russia twice in three days this weekend, with each team winning once – the Czechs on Thursday night in Trinec, 3–2 in a penalty shootout, and the Russia by a 4–2 score on Saturday afternoon in Ostrava. 

“We pushed the Russians a lot and they only threw the puck out of their zone. They played better in the neutral zone than on Thursday and relied on counter-attacks more,” said Czech forward Jan Buchtele of Sparta Prague. “We all believed that we could come back and at least get it to overtime, like on Thursday. And then they scored two goals out of nothing. They were able to capitalize on our mistakes, which made the difference today.”

Despite the loss, this game was a special one for Buchtele. He scored his first goal with the national team early in the third period, which temporarily tied the score at 2. Daniel Pribyl, his linemate from Sparta, found open Buchtele in the crease and number 47 delivered with a nice backhand move. 

Pribyl and Buchtele have had good chemistry all season, and Champions Hockey League fans saw that on display this season in the Round of 32 against ZSC Lions Zurich, where Buchtele's finish on a three-way passing play with Pribyl and Martin Reway was rated one of the eight CHL Best Goals this season.

For 25-year-old Buchtele, his first goal in his 19th career game with the Czech men's national team was a moment of redemption after scoring into his own net on Thursday.  

“I’m delighted with my first goal. It was an equalizer as well, so it was pleasing to get such an important goal. Finally, I scored the goal in the right net so at least there is a topic to speak and write about,” added Buchtele with a smile on his face.
 
Buchtele has played in all three Euro Hockey Tour events that the Czechs have participated in this season. Apart from this two-legged encounter with Russia, he also played in the Karjala Cup in Finland in November and the Channel One Cup in Russia in December. 

He was also Sparta's Cramo Top Scorer in the CHL with 7 points (6 + 1) in 8 games, and is 12th in Czech Extraliga scoring with 32 points (15 + 17) in 41 games, so his chances to be selected to the Czech roster for the IIHF World Championship are very decent. 

“I’m not thinking about the World Championship right now. It’s important to play well with my club a then we have to wait. It’s up to the coaches to decide who goes to the World Championship.” 

For now he returns to Sparta, who have eight games left in the regular season and will probably be the league's No. 2 seed heading into the playoffs.