Zlin vs Nitra

Zlín took control inside the opening 10 minutes. Radek Číp collected the puck in the slot and fed Richard Jarůšek, who fired a wrist shot past Nitra goaltender Matej Marinov at 9:44 of the first period. Jarůšek's opener came during an active start from the hosts, who tested Marinov repeatedly in the opening exchanges.

Nitra responded with increased pressure, and Zlín briefly endangered their lead with back-to-back penalties late in the period — Robert Říčka and Bedřich Köhler both sat two minutes. But Pavel Kantor held firm, making a sharp glove save on Marek Stacha to preserve the 1-0 lead at the first intermission.

Jesse Paukku doubled the advantage at 29:20 of the second period, this time on the power play. After Adrián Holešinský was called for a penalty, Jacob Guévin's point shot was kicked out by Marinov, and Paukku buried the rebound on the backhand in tight. Lukáš Válek also collected a secondary assist.

The third period saw Nitra push forward in search of a lifeline. Their best chance came when a Zlín turnover left Matej Paulovič with a seemingly open net, but he fanned on the shot. Kantor later denied a screened drive from the slot in the final minute to seal his clean sheet.

Paukku's power-play goal at 29:20 was the decisive moment. Zlín had absorbed Nitra's best spell after the opening goal, and the 2-0 lead just before the halfway mark forced the Slovak side to chase the game on Zlín's terms. From that point on, Nitra managed only sporadic chances, and Kantor was never seriously breached.

• Pavel Kantor (Zlín) — Player of the Match. The veteran goaltender stopped everything Nitra threw at him, producing a highlight-reel glove save on Stacha in the first period and crucial saves in the third, including a screened blast in the dying seconds. Two pre-season games, two clean sheets.
• Richard Jarůšek (Zlín) — Opened the scoring with a clinical wrist shot and remained a threat throughout, nearly setting up Lukáš Heš on a third-period chance that forced a sharp Marinov save.
• Jesse Paukku (Zlín) — Scored the game-winner on the power play with a gritty backhand rebound finish, showing the kind of net-front presence Zlín will rely on in the Maxa liga season.
• Matej Marinov (Nitra) — Kept the scoreline respectable with several quality saves, including a denial of a point-blank tip-in by Heš. Could do little about either goal.

Zlín's two-goal margin undersells their control. They scored on 1 of 6 power plays (Nitra went 0-for-6) and effectively neutralised a Nitra side that won the Slovak title in April 2026. The penalty kill was perfect across three shorthanded situations, with Kantor the key figure. For context, Nitra averaged 3.3 goals per game in last season's Extraliga — being held scoreless in their first pre-season outing is a testament to Zlín's defensive structure and Kantor's form.

Zlín (Maxa liga, Czech second tier) have now won both pre-season friendlies, beating Zvolen 1-0 on 11 August before this result — two games, two shutouts, a 3-0 aggregate. They face Vlci Žilina at home on 18 August, followed by HK Dukla Trenčín on 20 August, as they prepare for the Maxa liga season opener.

Nitra, the reigning Tipsport liga champions, began their pre-season schedule with a defeat. They will play a return fixture against Zlín on 25 August away from home. Beyond pre-season, the stakes are higher: Nitra have qualified for the 2026–27 Champions Hockey League — their third CHL appearance — and will balance domestic title defence with European competition.

A disciplined and professional pre-season display from Zlín, who looked sharper than expected against a side from a higher-ranked league. Kantor's form between the pipes is an early-season bonus. Nitra showed flashes of quality — Paulovič's missed open net aside — but will need more game time to build chemistry after losing key personnel from their championship run. Pre-season form is rarely predictive, but Zlín's structure and Kantor's goaltending are already at competitive levels.