In a match-up of two Czech Extraliga teams that went to seventh-game overtime in last year’s Czech Extraliga semi-finals, Sparta Prague defeated visiting Oceláři Třinec 4-1, giving them a three-goal aggregate lead heading onto the road for the Return Game.

The game was all Sparta at the start, as they put three pucks past Marek Mazanec in the first 12 minutes.

It took them just 20 seconds to open the scoring, as Tomáš Hyka jumped on a loose puck and skated in alone on Mazanec, sliding a backhander along the ice between the goalie’s legs.

They went up 2-0 on the powerplay at 8:49 when Kryštof Hrabík put a nice finishing touch on Pavel Kousal’s long shot along the ice.

Less than three minutes later, it was 3-0 and this time it was Kousal in front of the net finishing the play, as he scored on the rebound following a long wrister from Ondřej Mikliš.

But after a less-than-great start, Mazanec was stellar the rest of the way, giving his team a chance to get back into the game and series.

Sparta had a couple of great chances to widen their lead on the powerplay in the 28th minute. First, Filip Chlapík missed the net on a 2-on-1, and then Mazanec made a couple of saves in quick succession off Hrabík.

Třinec went to the powerplay late in the second period and they finally got on the board with one second remaining. Jakub Kovář got a glove on a shot from Tomáš Kundrátek but couldn’t hold on, and Daniel Kurovský managed to bury the loose puck just before the horn.

Třinec started the third period still on the powerplay and with some momentum. Soon another powerplay came with a chance to draw closer. Instead, Sparta broke 2-on-1 shorthanded and Mazanec made another huge save off Hrabík with 13:15 remaining.

But Sparta weren’t satisfied with a two-goal lead with next week’s game shifting to Třinec. They pushed for more and, with just under nine minutes left, Aaron Irving finished off a nice three-way passing play off the rush with a one-timer past Mazanec.

However, after blowing a 3-0 series lead to Třinec in last year’s playoffs, they surely know their ticket to the Champions Hockey League Quarter-Finals hasn’t been punched yet.