photo: Matt Zambonin/IIHF
Jakub Flek scored the go-ahead goal at 11:05 of the third period, firing a shot off the post and in from the slot en route to a thrilling 3-1 Czechia win over Italy this afternoon in Fribourg. Dominik Kubalik added an empty netter with 54.6 seconds remaining in a game the Czechs trailed 1-0 after two periods.
It was the closest result ever between the two countries, and it was mostly because of the play of goalie Damian Clara, who was making his top level World Championship debut.
Coming into the game the Czechs had never lost to Italy going back to their first game in 1933, a skein of 12 wins, six by shutout.
"It was similar to the Slovenia game when we lost," siad Czech forward Lukas Sedlak. "We put up almost 60 shots today and had so many chances and didn't score. We have to finish more of our chancers. Obviously, the goalie played well, but it's also on us. Too many missed chances. Sometimes we were passing instead of shooting. It's not fun sometimes, when you get one chance and then another and another, and you can't score. It's rattling. But we found a way today."
Up next for Italy is a Friday date with Sweden before a crucial game against Denmark on Saturday. The Czechs now have two days off before facing Slovakia on Saturday.
"We can all be proud of ourselves, but it's unfortunate we couldn't take any points from this," Peter Spornberger commented. "We were leading in the third and our goalie was playing really well, and that's what you need in this tournament. We know these teams are on a higher level than us, so we have to defend hard and sneak one in there. That's what we did. Everyone was battling their hearts out."
The Italians were the underdogs, of course, but they played a pretty solid first period despite being outshot 15-4. They limited Czechia’s chances, and protected Clara well.
Clara was making his World Championship debut. The 21-year-old was drafted 60th overall by Anaheim in 2023 and has been developing with the team’s AHL affiliate in San Diego. He also played at the Olympics this past February and is the goalie of the future for the Italians.
He made the best save of the first period in the early going. Defender Libor Hajek came through the middle and snapped a shot from the high slot, but Clara snapped out his glove to take away a goal.
From the Czechia perspective, they dominated but came up empty in a goalless period, often firing wide or waiting too long for the perfect shot.
By the time the second period was over, the shots were 39-8 for the Czechs, but guess what? The score was 1-0 Italy. This marked the first time in World Championship history that the Italians held a lead over the Czechs after two periods.
And that goal came off the stick of Nicholas Saracino. He whipped around the goal on a wraparound at 9:23, and got the puck over the goal line before Dominik Pavlat could get his pad over. The goal was confirmed by video review. This marked the first time Italy had even scored against the Czechs since the first period on May 6, 2008, when Nicola Fontanive scored, a span of four games and 265:04 of playing time.
After the goal, virtually the rest of the period was played in the Italy end, but although they bent, they did not break. Clara was sensational, and his teammates blocked shots. The Czechs couldn’t buy a goal, but none was for sale either.
Jakub Flek went in alone but was stopped by Clara, and captain Roman Cervenka had at least three sensational chances but couldn’t put the biscuit in the basket, as the saying goes. Even with a late power play, the Czechs were stymied again and again.
But, really, it was just a matter of time. After continuing to dominate to start the third, the Czechs finally tied the game, albeit on a flukey goal. A pass pinballed off the back of Clara's skate, then defender Gregorio Gios, and trickled over the goal line at 5:14. It wasn't elegant, but at this point the Czechs would take it.
The Czechs earned a power play soon after, and Jakub Flek used the extra ice to fly in alone on the left side. Clara, however, stood his ground to make another great save. The Italians had a fantastic chance to take the lead again. Alex Trivellato got the puck in the high slot and got everything on a wrist shot, but Pavlat thrust out his glove to make his best save of the day.
"In the last few years at the World Championships, the games are getting more even," Sedlak noted. "You have to put up a good fight against everybody. But if you get 60 shots, you have to win the game."
"He was unreal for us today," Spornberger said of his goalie. "We know how good he is, but the two goals they scored, we could have helped him a little more. He can't do everything."
It was the closest result ever between the two countries, and it was mostly because of the play of goalie Damian Clara, who was making his top level World Championship debut.
Coming into the game the Czechs had never lost to Italy going back to their first game in 1933, a skein of 12 wins, six by shutout.
"It was similar to the Slovenia game when we lost," siad Czech forward Lukas Sedlak. "We put up almost 60 shots today and had so many chances and didn't score. We have to finish more of our chancers. Obviously, the goalie played well, but it's also on us. Too many missed chances. Sometimes we were passing instead of shooting. It's not fun sometimes, when you get one chance and then another and another, and you can't score. It's rattling. But we found a way today."
Up next for Italy is a Friday date with Sweden before a crucial game against Denmark on Saturday. The Czechs now have two days off before facing Slovakia on Saturday.
"We can all be proud of ourselves, but it's unfortunate we couldn't take any points from this," Peter Spornberger commented. "We were leading in the third and our goalie was playing really well, and that's what you need in this tournament. We know these teams are on a higher level than us, so we have to defend hard and sneak one in there. That's what we did. Everyone was battling their hearts out."
The Italians were the underdogs, of course, but they played a pretty solid first period despite being outshot 15-4. They limited Czechia’s chances, and protected Clara well.
Clara was making his World Championship debut. The 21-year-old was drafted 60th overall by Anaheim in 2023 and has been developing with the team’s AHL affiliate in San Diego. He also played at the Olympics this past February and is the goalie of the future for the Italians.
He made the best save of the first period in the early going. Defender Libor Hajek came through the middle and snapped a shot from the high slot, but Clara snapped out his glove to take away a goal.
From the Czechia perspective, they dominated but came up empty in a goalless period, often firing wide or waiting too long for the perfect shot.
By the time the second period was over, the shots were 39-8 for the Czechs, but guess what? The score was 1-0 Italy. This marked the first time in World Championship history that the Italians held a lead over the Czechs after two periods.
And that goal came off the stick of Nicholas Saracino. He whipped around the goal on a wraparound at 9:23, and got the puck over the goal line before Dominik Pavlat could get his pad over. The goal was confirmed by video review. This marked the first time Italy had even scored against the Czechs since the first period on May 6, 2008, when Nicola Fontanive scored, a span of four games and 265:04 of playing time.
After the goal, virtually the rest of the period was played in the Italy end, but although they bent, they did not break. Clara was sensational, and his teammates blocked shots. The Czechs couldn’t buy a goal, but none was for sale either.
Jakub Flek went in alone but was stopped by Clara, and captain Roman Cervenka had at least three sensational chances but couldn’t put the biscuit in the basket, as the saying goes. Even with a late power play, the Czechs were stymied again and again.
But, really, it was just a matter of time. After continuing to dominate to start the third, the Czechs finally tied the game, albeit on a flukey goal. A pass pinballed off the back of Clara's skate, then defender Gregorio Gios, and trickled over the goal line at 5:14. It wasn't elegant, but at this point the Czechs would take it.
The Czechs earned a power play soon after, and Jakub Flek used the extra ice to fly in alone on the left side. Clara, however, stood his ground to make another great save. The Italians had a fantastic chance to take the lead again. Alex Trivellato got the puck in the high slot and got everything on a wrist shot, but Pavlat thrust out his glove to make his best save of the day.
"In the last few years at the World Championships, the games are getting more even," Sedlak noted. "You have to put up a good fight against everybody. But if you get 60 shots, you have to win the game."
"He was unreal for us today," Spornberger said of his goalie. "We know how good he is, but the two goals they scored, we could have helped him a little more. He can't do everything."
Czechia vs Italy - 2026 IIHF Men's World Championship
OF