HK Partizan - Crvena Zvezda 6:1 (play-off, 3rd game)

Victory!!! What a victory!!!
Fantastic, amazing, incredible, confident, smooth, when the only question is how many more goals we should score to them.
We slid out to the rink and tore their faces off.

I brought lots of screenshots, these are from the warming-up

Team captain Marko Milovanović

Head coach Nikola Bera

This is one of the rare non-screenshots: group hug before face-off

(photo: Facebook/Hokej savez na ledu Srbije)

Fan banner: Nemate pare, imate nas! (You have no money, but you have us!)

(photo: Twitter)

Face-off: the puck was dropped by Partizan’s legendary goaltender Rašid Šemsedinović

The game almost started with a fight, after a Zvezda-player mocked Gavrić. This time the pace wasn’t that fast, compared to the previous two matches. Both sides were trying, attacking, Trifonov had some great saves.

To hell with these names. I failed to write correctly at least two, but possibly even three players’ names. Apologies to all whom it may concern. After I finished this post, I go back to my previous ice hockey reports and correct them all.

Nevertheless we scored our first goal after 3 minutes. Captain Milovanović personally took control over things when he got the puck after the great teamwork of Filipović and Janković.

Victorious high five with everyone on the bench

The goal made us even more fierce, while Zvezda was at a loss. They could barely get to our goal area, their only luck was that their defense line blocked our attempts relatively successfully. There was only one moment when they dangerously approached our goal line. There were approx. 9 minutes left from the first period. There was an upheaval in Partizan’s goalmouth, then the camera showed goalkeeper Trifonov laying on the rink with a Zvezda-player topping him, while a Partizan-defender (probably Srđan Ristić) threw himself into the way of the puck to keep it away from our goal line.
He succeeded.

The moment before the upheaval. Ristić raises his stick, while Krivov is arriving from the other side

After this we ruthlessly scored our second goal. Čuković was the goal scorer, assisted by Zhukov.

Hands up in the air...

...the entire bench is on their feet...

...Čuković arriving for high fiving

And this was just the beginning. In the 12th minute Ristić forwarded the puck to Ogrizović, Ogrizović wasted no time, shot and scored. 3:0!!!

Ogrizović with Luković behind him

Only 10 seconds were left from the first period when Vlasov scored our 4th goal, because it is always better to be safe than sorry.

Zvezda tried in the second period, too, without any success. Interesting that the 10th minute of the second part brought the first penalty. A Zvezda-player made Gabrić trip, he ended up sulking on the penalty bench for 2 minutes.

Komazec arrives at Partizan’s bench for a short rest

There were fights, but none of them ended up in a major battle

Mass scene at Partizan’s goalmouth

Then in the 11th minute Zubov scored our 5th goal.

For the end of the second period Zvezda got into double power-play but they couldn’t take advantage of it.

Brkušanin was one of the players who had to stay off the rink for two minutes

Penalty is over, Marko Brkušanin in da house

Anton Zhukov after the second period

Boban "Hitman" Čuković before the third period

Aleksa Luković (#13) is watching

Face-off before the 3rd period, Vlasov goes for the puck

Partizan-bench during the 3rd period: Aleksa Luković (#13) and Dragan Komazec (#15)

In the last part Zvezda switched to full speed to be able to score a goal. They were so successful about it, that Ogrizović scored our 6th goal in the 9th minute.
Bwahahahaha.

Ogrizović (25) almost falls into the box together with the puck...

...GOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAALLLL!!!!

Zvezda could finally score one single goal in the 14th minute, but it didn’t matter.
We won. And we could celebrate.

The third game will be on Sunday, from 17:30. If we win that game, we'll be the champions.
Here is the postscript: this (most probably) screenshot was uploaded to HK Partizan’s FB-page. Boban Čuković said thank you to the fans for the support.

"Thank you, Grave Diggers, for the utmost support. Together for the title!"

(source: Facebook/Hokejaški klub Partizan (Fan page))

Last but not least, massive ecstasy at the end of the match.

Лудница на хокеју! Победа црно-белих у трећој утакмици финала плеј-офа... Партизан - Ц. звезда 6:1

A video posted by Partizan is life (@partizanislife) on Mar 18, 2016 at 12:13pm PDT

Crvena Zvezda - HK Partizan 4:5 (play-off, 1st match)

This game was like an adventure.

I watched the first period on sportuzivo.tv, without commentary. I realized only later - when I could find a working ArenaSport 2 link - how lucky I was to watch it hearing only fans’ chantings, and not the commentator.

Warming up

(photo: Twitter)

Face-off

(photo: hockeyserbia.com)

We skated out to the rink and immediately scored two goals. Seriously. In the 3rd minute Zhukov said ’hi’ to Zvezda’s goaltender, in the 6th Ogrizović came, saw and scored. We were leading to 0:2, Tikhonov made great saves, Zvezda struggled. They had attempts, but our domination was clear. All was going fine, it all looked like a smooth game.

Then right at the beginning of the second period Zvezda scored, from power play, of course, what else. Čuković had to stay on the penalty bench, after he (if I could see it well) had a verbal fight with a referee. Both teams fought hard. Filipović was thwarted right in Zvezda’s goalmouth, the red player earned a 2-minute penalty, but we got no penalty shot. We caused upheaval quite a few times in Zvezda’s goalmouth, they were all these screaming-shouting-collapsing-cursing kind of chances. It was always very close, but never a score.

Komazec, some time during the game

(photo: Twitter)

Only three and a half minutes were left from the second period, when Zvezda equalized.

And 43 (fourty-three!!!) seconds were left, when they took the lead.

No. Just... no. It can’t be. It’s impossible. Cold shower. The second period ended with 3:2.

The third one had a tough start. Vlasov clashed with a Zvezda-player so hard that our Russian player had his mouth covered with blood. He had to be carried off the rink (he couldn’t even stand up for long minutes, he was just laying on the ice).

The match continued, sometimes on the verge of a major fight between players. Then around the 14th minute there was a huge upheaval at Zvezda’s goalmouth. All that was visible was a big pile of players making traffic at the goal line, then Partizan’s players suddenly raise their hands, make happy dance and Nenad Raković skates along the bench high-fiveing with everyone, while teammates were hugging him. The slow motion replay showed him crashing heroically through the red wall and push the puck into the box. 3:3

Less than 30 seconds passed and we took back the lead. Filipović came and BANG, scored. 3:4

The commentator of ArenaSport 2 was amazing. Any time Zvezda had an attempt, he was screaming on the top of his voice. Seriously, the speakers next to my monitor were about to give it up. When Partizan scored, he just announced it with a totally casual voice, as if he was about to ask for a piece of bread.

(Okay, okay, I know that ArenaSport is one of Zvezda’s sponsors, but for hell’s sake, let’s not have double standards.)

Zvezda desperately attacked. As a result they knocked out Milovanović in the 6th minute so heavily that the Captain also had to leave the rink.

Milovanović, when he was still healthy

(photo: hockeyserbia.com)

Only 5 minutes were left, when Zvezda equalized. 4:4. Impossible. Only a few minutes are left, goddamn it...

But Partizan is Partizan, not a bunch of whining pussies who just give it up.

Because Janković scored such a GIANT goal that the echo came from the Genex Tower, when only 2 minutes were left. We were leading again (4:5), we just had to survive the last seconds. 

It wasn’t so easy. Only 30 seconds were left, when Tikhonov stayed on the ice in a painful pose after a big save. Zvezda tried everything to equalize. They failed. We won, return match will be on 14th March.

(photo: Twitter)

NS Stars - HK Partizan 1:7

This week-end was quite busy for Partizan. Not just because Ivan Tomić had his (inglorious) debut, or we successfully demolished the red team in Korać Cup, just to be demolished by Mega Leks in the final.
The first in the row was our ice hockey team. They clashed with NS Stars early Saturday afternoon in the Novi Sad ice hall. We slid out to the ice, Čuković and Zubov immediately tried the Stars’ goalkeeper (0:2), but their answer quickly came in the 9th minute by their Canadian player Maximilien Le Sieur (1:2). Nevertheless Milovanović scored another goal for us in the 12th minute, just to make everything sure (1:3). That was the result of the first period.
In the second part Brkušanin scored in the 9th minute (1:4), Milovanović brought another goal (1:5) - he didn’t just score two goals, but also had two assists. Pavlović scored, too (1:6), then we had a short pause and entered the final period.
The last part was merely a formality. Vlasov scored our 7th goal, just to keep up the excitement factor. It was a routine victory.
Keep in your mind that on Tuesday at 18:00 comes the ice hockey eternal derby. If we are just a bit lucky, someone somewhere will broadcast it (if not else, then at least through an online stream).

(photo: Hokejaški klub Partizan (Fan page))

HK Partizan - HK Vojvodina 12:1 (Serbian ice hockey league, round 2)

Meanwhile the basketball team was wrestling with the Croatians, our ice hockey team rushed through Vojvodina with another easy training match.
An interesting background for this match might be that the two teams met during the 2008/09 season last time (and even then the game was cancelled, because a fire broke in Vojvodina's locker room and their whole equipment was destroyed).
This time Marko Milovanović and Dimitrije Filipović took the team on their back; the first one achieved a hat-trick (as well as two assists), the latter one added five (!) assists to wash off the Novi Sad team. In the first period the standing was 3:0 after 12 minutes (goal scorers: Milovanović, Korshikov, Nemanja Janković), then within the next 4 minutes we scored 4 more goals. After the first part we were leading to 7:0. In the second period Raković flashed (8:0), Janković scored a second goal (9:0) and it was still only 26 minutes gone from the game. Then the pace slowed down - for us the standing was more than perfect, as for Vojvodina, nothing seemed to work out. Finally, after long struggle their player Milan Nikolić scored from power play, achieving the only goal of Vojvodina. Yet the period was still not over. 26 seconds before the end buzz Vlasov scored another goal. Partizan headed to the final part with 10:1.
In the last period Čuković scored two more goals. The first one he threw in the beginning, the second around the end.
Then it was time to celebrate.

(Nota bene: Our Russian player Stanislav Izvekov also joined the goal scorers’ list with one goal.)
Partizan won this game to 12:1, our next match will be the eternal derby tomorrow (if all goes well...) at 17:30 in Pionir Ice Hall.
Some photos from the game:

(photos: Facebook/Hokejaški klub Partizan (Fan page))

Current championship standings:
1. Partizan 6 points
2. Tisza Volán 6 points
3. CZ 3 points*
4. NS Stars 0 point*
5. Vojvodina 0 point
6. Red Team 0 point
7. HK Vitez 0 point**

* - played only one game so far
** - no games played yet

Red Team - HK Partizan 1:12 (Serbian Ice Hockey League, Round 1)

The ice hockey season has started at long last. In the first round newbie Red Team welcomed Partizan’s ice hockey team in Pionir Ice Hall.

Don’t mix them up with the eternal opponent that is mockingly named "red team" sometimes by Partizan fans. This Red Team was formed in 2008, their original intention is to make ice hockey popular among children. So far they had only youth teams, this is the first season they entered the senior championship.

After this last year’s champion ran through the home team just like a steam roller with a difference of 11 goals.
In the first period we were leading to 4:0, for the second period it grew to 10:0. Finally in the last part we scored two more, that was when Red Team scored their only goal, as a debt of honour.
The two heroes of the day are Pavle Ogrizović and Russian player Stanislav Izvekov, they both scored 3-3 goals. Nemanja Janković, Nenad Raković, Marko Brkušanin, Boban Čuković, Miodrag Pavlović and Russian player Artem Korshikov all scored 1-1 goal.

If there’s any photo or video or any further details about the game, I’ll update the post. (Usually there is, the ice hockey department consists of agile people who selflessly share photos and other material, maybe we just have to wait a bit.)

Update: photos from the match

(photos: Facebook/Hokejaški klub Partizan (Fan page))

Current championship standings:
1. CZ 3 points
2. Partizan 3 points
3. Tisza Volán 3 points
4. Vojvodina 0 point
5. Red Team 0 point**
6. NS Stars 0 point*
7. Vitez 0 point*

* - no games played as of yet
** - two games have been played

The ice hockey team in the championship's play-off

HK Partizan made it to the championship play-off after defeating

killing, smashing, damaging, tearing into pieces

Crvena Zvezda to 6:4.
In the first period it was already 2:1 to us, in the second it was 6:3 and they pressured out one little goal from themselves in the last one.
Yesterday (on Monday) we met Beostar, they defeated us to 6:7 in extra time. The hero of the game was Marko Milovanović with 3 goals, he is followed by Nenad Raković (2) and Boban Čuković (1). Finally today we played against HK Vitez, that team is placed as 5th of the league table. We defeated them to 10:5.
At this point the regular championship finished. Partizan ended on the top of the league table with 28 points. Now comes the play-off, where we clash with Crvena Zvezda in the semi-final.

(photo: Hokejaški klub Partizan (Fan page))

HK Crvena Zvezda - HK Partizan 3:10

At the other side of the city, at Pionir Ice Hall the ice hockey team stepped over the red team laughing (and probably entertaining each other with jokes) making a training match out of the eternal derby. The team’s best player was Dimitrije Filipović with 4 goals, joined by Ogrizović (2), Raković, Brkušanin, Čuković and Gabrić (1-1).

Goalkeeper Milan Luković explains something to Kovačević (19)

(photo: blic.rs)

Filipović gave a quick interview to blic.rs after the match with a wide grin.
- It’s always a great feeling to score against our eternal rival, especially 4 goals. - He added: - I expected more from their defense line, especially that they signed players from Slovakia and Czech Republic.

Update: a bunch of match photos.
Source: Facebook/Hokejaški klub Partizan (Fan page)