Captain Dominik Lakatoš was the OT hero, scoring a powerplay goal in the extra session to give Vítkovice Ridera a 4-3 overtime victory over EHC Biel-Bienne. It ended a back-and-forth affair between two teams in a fierce battle for a Playoffs place. With two points in the game, Lakatoš is now second in Champions Hockey League scoring with eight. 

For nearly two periods, Vítkovice dominated on home ice. After 34 minutes had been played, the home side led 2-0 thanks to two goals from Jakub Kotala and could have been up more had it not been for the play of Joren van Pottelberghe in the Biel-Bienne net.

Things started well for Vítkovice who scored for the first time just one minute in when Marek Kalus sprang Kotala on a breakaway. Kotala made a move to his backhand and put the puck through van Pottelberghe’s legs.

Vítkovice went two up early in the second period. On the rush, defenceman Juraj Mikuš feathered a nice pass to the front of the net and Kotala nicely chipped it over the visiting goalie’s blocker.

Vítkovice then had a pair of powerplays and pushed hard to take firm control of the game, but van Pottelberghe and the Biel-Bienne PK held firm. Then the Swiss visitors got a big goal back to bring themselves within one before the end of the middle period. From the corner, Jesper Olofsson found Yannick Rathgeb in the high slot, and he beat Lukáš Klimeš to the blocker side.

Early in the third, Biel-Bienne tied it when a blast from the point from veteran D-man Beat Forster was tipped in by Tino Kessler.

Then with 7:27 remaining in regulation time, Biel-Bienne took their first lead of the game when Rathgeb turned with the puck along the boards and teed up a blast from the point from Jere Salinen that beat Klimeš over the glove.

Against the swing of momentum, however, Vítkovice tied it back up with 3:29 to go to force overtime. On what was probably their only good scoring chance of the third period, Lakatoš’s initial attempt was blocked but Petr Chlán was in good position to bury the loose puck.

In overtime, Lakatoš finished it with a one-time blast that tipped in off a Biel-Bienne stick in front.