UTE-Nové Zámky 2-3
A win for the visiting team would have pretty much locked up a playoff spot for sure.
Martin Uhnák put up Nové Zámky 1-0 but Újpest tied it up when Cody Crichton beat Jan Chovan for the equalizer.
In the early part of the second Csaba Virág made it 2-1 but Nové Zámky was able to come back with Martin Frolik slipping it past József Pleszkán to make it 2-2.
It looked like Újpest will be able to hold on to get the game to overtime but with five seconds left in the game Albin Podstavek scored the game winner. When asked about the play of Pleszkán Nové Zámky forward Peter Polcik said he played great.
Csíkszereda-DAB 3-0
The home team needed to win to stay ahead of their rivals Brasov to have the last playoff spot.
After a scoreless first period Ervin Moldován made it 1-0. With Marek Curilla sitting in the penalty box for charging Csíkszereda made it 2-0 on a shorthanded goal by Tihamér Becze, Ede Mihály scored the third goal of the period and the game which was all they needed in upsetting the the league leading DAB.
Brasov-Miskolc 1-4
Both teams really needed the win, Miskolc scored first when Roland Hajós took a shot wide from the right wing that Balázs Láda tried to flip into the the net but the puck bounced off his stick to Adrián Tóth and he tapped it into the empty net. Still in the first period Ádám Hegyi made it 2-0 when he took a pass from Juraj Faith and took a wrist shot from top of the right faceoff circle that slipped through the pads of Patrik Polc.
After a scoreless second period Brasov got on the scoreboard with a goal from Ivan Dornic after a nice tic-tac-toe passing from Kevin Wehrs and Martin Saluga. However, that was all that the home team had as Miskolc scored two more in the last period. Zalán Fliszár scored from the right in front of the crease to make it 3-1 on the power play. The fourth was a beauty by Láda who skated in through the zone and fired a shot from the slot to set the score at 4-1.
Nové Zámky-FTC 9-2
With a win Nové Zámky would secure a playoff spot, FTC needed a win not to be eliminated from the playoff picture.
Albin Podstavek scored to make it 1-0 for the home team with Martin Frolik lighting the lamp 17 seconds later.
Heading into the second period with a 2-0 lead Nové Zámky only needed 39 seconds to make it a three goal lead from the stick of Ondrej Stefanka. Ferencváros decided to play as well when Gábor Kiss set up Artyom Vaszjunyin but thirty seconds later Frolik restored the three goal lead with his second goal of the game. Martin Uhnák scored at the halfway point of the game to make it 5-1, FTC managed to score one last goal before the period was out thanks to Antti Ojanen.
The third period was a massacre as Nové Zámky scored three unanswered goals. Stefanka had the first and last goals to have a hat trick for himself with Peter Polcik and Erik Caladi scoring as well to set the score at 9-2.
Interestingly FTC did not have either of their back up goalies available so they dressed defencemen Zsolt Wéber as the number two.
Brasov-DAB 5-3
After playing in the Super Cup in the middle of the week and already having secured top playoff spot it looked as if DAB was mailing in the Transylvanian road trip. Brasov was basically in a must win situation if they wanted to keep pace and grab the last playoff spot.
DAB jumped out to a 2-0 lead on goals from Richárd Nagy and Dávid Szappanos. Evgeni Pysarenko got one back on a PP to make it 2-1 after the first period. In the second period Brasov scored three unanswered goals in a five minute span to chase Tamás Kiss from the net for Peter Sevela. Levente Zsók set up Ivan Dornic for a shorthander to make it 2-2 with Zsolt Molnár and Roberto Gliga give the home team the two goal lead. Kevin Wehrs made it 5-2 at the 32:17 mark of the game.
The score remained the same with just over five minutes left in the game when Andy Contois scored to make it 5-3
Csíkszereda-Miskolc 0-3
Two teams battling for a playoff spot went head to head in Transylvania in a surprisingly low scoring game.
Vladimir Dubek set up Curtis de Bruyn for the opening goal. Later in the period Miskolc was awarded a penalty shot that Jordan Knox converted as he slipped the puck past Stanislav Kozuch to make it 2-0.
After a scoreless second period de Bruyn scored his second of the game to close out the win, Dávid Duschek stopped all shots as he kept a clean sheet.
Leading Scorers
Points: 59, Balázs Ladányi
Goals: 27, Tyler Metcalfe
Assists: 39, Balázs Ladányi
Words: Szabolcs Závodszky @Zavodszky
Photo: László Mudra