Both the Czech Republic and France lost their opening matches and did not even score.
Czech hockey players scored their first victory at the Olympic tournament in Milan. In Friday’s (February 5) duel, the A-groups confirmed their role as favorites and defeated France 6:3. They previously lost to Canada 0:5, the French have two losses so far and are at the bottom of the table.
In the Czech jersey, David Pastrňák, Martin Nečas, Michal Kempný and Matěj Stránský all had a 1+1 record. Not even three points by Louis Boudon (2+1) helped the French. Julian Junca from Dukla Trenčín got into France’s goal in the third period, who replaced Martin Neckář after the sixth goal and did not concede even once.
The Czechs will play their final match in the group on Sunday at 12:10 p.m. against Switzerland, while the French will face Canada at 4:40 p.m. on the same day. The winners of the three basic groups plus the best team from the second place will advance automatically to the quarter-finals, the others are waiting for the pre-round play-offs on Tuesday, February 17.
France – Czech Republic 3:6 (0:2, 3:2, 0:2) – in the third period
Goals: 22. Boudon (Da Costa, Auvitu), 25. Boudon (Bertrand), 26. Gallet (Bertrand, Boudon) – 6. Nečas (Pastrňák, Hronek), 14. Kempný (Stránský, Faksa), 34. Pastrňák (Palat, Kempný), 40. Stránský (Faksa, Hronek), 42. Chlapík (Nečas, Kämpf), 42. Červenka (Sedlák, Špaček). Referees: Ansons (Lat.), Furlatt – MacPherson, Wyonzek (all Kan.), exclusions: 3:2 for 2 min., power plays: 1:1, weakening: 0:1.
France: Neckář (42. Junca) – Guebey, Auvitu, Gallet, Boscq, Cantagallo, Chakiachvili, Crinon – Fabre, Bellemare, Da Costa – Dair, Boudon, Texier – Bertrand, Ritz, Rech – Treille, Addamo, Douay – Bozon
Czech Republic: Vladař – Hronek, Šimek, Gudas, Kempný, Kundrátek, Špaček, Ticháček – Pastrňák, Hertl, Palat – Nečas, Kämpf, Kubalík – Kaše, Sedlák, Červenka – Stránský, Faksa, Flek – Chlapík
The Czechs had a clear game advantage in the first period, they outshot the opponent 16:3 and took a two-goal advantage out of it. Nečas took care of the first accurate shot of the Czech team in the ongoing games, who took advantage of a pass from Pastrňák with a shot from the first in the sixth minute.
Kempný made it 2:0 before the break. The French shocked the favorite at the beginning of the second period when they beat Vladař three times in less than five minutes and thanks to two goals by Boudon they turned the score to 3:2 from their point of view.
The Czechs were taken aback for a while, but Pastrňák equalized in the 34th minute, and 32 seconds before the second siren, after a big mistake by the French team during the substitution, Stránský sent his team back into the lead in their own weakness. The Czech team finally decided at the beginning of the third part, when Chlapík and Červenka scored within 48 seconds.
date:2026-02-13 20:15:00