Považská Bystrica moved further clear at the top of the Slovak Extraliga after edging past HC Košice 31-28 on Saturday evening. The visitors have now won both opening fixtures and sit two points clear of their nearest rivals. Košice, meanwhile, dropped to eight after their draw earlier in the campaign.
By then it was clear Považská Bystrica had the better tempo, even if the scoreline didn't blow open. We had called for the away win at 61 per cent confidence, and the result followed the pattern we'd spotted. They didn't need to run away with it, just hold their nerve when it mattered.
Košice had shown they could score in volume before, hitting 36 against Topoľčany in their second game of the season. But against a side that had already beaten Tatra Prešov and Zahoraci, they couldn't sustain the output. To be fair, they stayed in it longer than the margin might suggest.
The visitors have been involved in high-scoring affairs all season, losing to Kopřivnice and Zubří but beating New Town by a wide margin. There was a sense they were looking for rhythm rather than dominance, and that's often how you build momentum in these early rounds.
And here's the thing — Košice's draw earlier in the week kept them within reach, but they ran out of legs when the game needed answering. Považská Bystrica didn't need to carve them open; they just held their structure and let Košice's fatigue show.
The gap between second and eighth is still small, but points accumulate quickly in this league. Košice's single win and draw give them two, while Považská Bystrica's two victories carry four. The visitors are on a good run, and Košice will need to find more consistency if they want to stay in touch.
