Plzeň has won five in a row, and it's starting to feel inevitable, which in hockey means it's probably about to stop. They sit third in the
Extraliga standings with sixty-six points from thirty-eight games, and while that sounds like a team humming along, there's always something fragile about a team riding momentum without much margin for error. They've put up six goals in back-to-back games and obliterated Litvínov 8-1, which is less about dominance and more about finding soft targets at the right time.
What stands out to me is how aggressive Plzeň has been in transition lately—they're getting contributions from multiple lines and pushing the pace through the neutral zone, which is sustainable when the opposition can't match their legs. But their structure defensively still leaks occasionally, and they've been fortunate that goaltending has bailed them out when things get scrambled in their own zone. At home, they've been tough to beat, mostly because they're comfortable dictating tempo and forcing opponents into chasing the game. That said, Olomouc has beaten them twice already this season, both times by a single goal, and Plzeň hasn't quite figured out how to solve whatever Olomouc keeps throwing at them. There's a recency bias at work here—five straight wins looks great on paper, but three of those came against teams in the bottom half of the table.
Olomouc sits ninth with fifty-six points from forty games, and they've been quietly scrappy all year without ever really announcing themselves. On the road, they're not flashy, but they're rarely out of it—they defend in layers, collapse well, and don't give up much for free. Their offense isn't explosive, but they capitalize on mistakes, and they've shown a knack for finding timely goals when games stay tight. Frankly, it's hard to ignore that they've already taken two from Plzeň this season, both of them low-event games that turned on small details and discipline. They don't panic when trailing, and they're comfortable in tight-checking games where skill gets neutralized. The challenge for them is sustaining that intensity over forty games while juggling a crowded playoff race.
This matchup tends to tighten up quickly. Plzeň wants to attack in waves, but Olomouc clogs up the middle and dares them to beat coverage cleanly. If Plzeň gets impatient or turns the puck over trying to force entries, Olomouc will make them pay in transition. The key battle is whether Plzeň's depth scoring can break through a structure that's already proven it can frustrate them. I can't help but notice that when these two meet, the ice shrinks and the margins get razor-thin.
Plzeň has the form and the home crowd, which gives them a narrow edge here. But this feels like a game that could easily go to overtime or get decided by a bounce or a penalty kill. Olomouc doesn't match up poorly, and history suggests they won't make it easy. Room for surprises, as always.
Match Odds HC Plzen – HC Olomouc
Leon's odds are 1.58 on HC Plzen triumphing at home.
At this moment our odds are equal to 4.46 on HC Olomouc visiting team's winning.
Draw odds are 4.51.
